For me this was one of the most memorable spaces from our trip to Chile. During our visit to one of the less developed areas in the outskirts of Santiago, we were all intrigued by the image of this tree house. Minutes later we were introduced to one of the families who live in the informal campamento and they welcomed us in their house. A mother of three kids talked proudly of the artistic talent of her 12 year old son who built the tree house that we just saw in front. Some of us decided to climb the stairs to see the intriguing house and we found a very surprising space.

The structure and the details of the construction were amazing; with every material that was put together you could see the creativity and resourcefulness of the inventor. From the refrigerator door that made the main entrance to the windows with glow-in-the-dark stars. A little desk with toys and books, a white board to draw and a comfortable chair all together made a magic space above the tough reality. From up there you could see two different faces of that reality: the informal campamento and the permanent houses from one of the finished projects from “Un Techo para Chile”.

All my feelings as a mother were afloat and I could not stop thinking about this boy and all the opportunities that he will have exploring the same talent he used to build this house from scratch. In one of the corners I found one of the most intriguing and inspiring creations: a water drinking system made with reused materials. I never got to meet the boy, but I have not stopped thinking about him with admiration and the wish that I could find some way to encourage him to pursue his talent. I will start with this entry as a tribute to his creativity, hoping I will find a way for him to see it.

Stella