Nuevo Hogar Betania in La Linea, Andalucia, Spain
https://www.hogarbetania.es/
Click on the image below to watch a video of the work of Nuevo Hogar Betania, described by its founder and director Begoña Arana Álvarez.
In November 2019 she was presentd with the Princess of Girona Award, The award recognizes young people who, because of their leadership and personal commitment, have achieved successes in the creation and promotion of social projects.
Hogar Betania nowadays
The history
La Linea is the Spanish town that borders Gibraltar, on the south coast of Spain. This is one of the poorest areas in Spain and also of the European Union. La Linea is a city with 66 000 inhabitants and unemployment is 46 %. Drugs and alcohol problems are rife. Likewise people living rough on the streets are not uncommon. It is said there are parts of the town where the police don't go, and certainly would not want to go alone.
In 2012 Begona opened a hostel to care for homeless people in the centre of La Linea. Its a support and rehabilitation centre for men and women who are unemployed, have health, drug or other problems and are socially excluded. Initially she and a small team of volunteers cared for fewer than 20 people - but in 2019 the scope is much larger. Begoña had spent about 10 years trying to obtain a larger building to accommodate homeless people in La Linea and in 2013 Hogar Betania was given, by the town, a building adjacent to the hospital which can accommodate up to 80 people. She negotiated a 40 year lease with the Town Hall. The building was an old people's home but had been disused for 11 years. It was basically a sound building of 1,100square meters built on 3,100 square metres of land but the roof leaked and it needed to be completely renovated.
Begoña and her small team undertook the task of raising sufficient funds to undertake the renovation work - estimated at about 100,000 Euros - needed to establish The Bethany Home Centre in this derelict building. They received some significant supplies of building materials from Leroy Merlin, the builders' merchant, grants and support from La Caixa and Sotogrande International School, amongst others.
This year, 2013 - 2014, a group of local Rotary Clubs has created a joint project to purchase specific items needed to enable the centre to function. So far we have contributed towards the cost of installing a 3 meter high security fence and electric gates to protect the perimeter of the site, and doors for the bedrooms. Rotary Club Marbella-Guadamina has provided an industrial quality diswasher and freezer for the kitchen and, raised the money needed to purchase and install 40 fire-resistant, lockable doors for the bedrooms. We also have an on-going programme to supply food for the Hogar Betania project to feed poor families.
As the photos show, this is a very large and ongoing project. The Security fence was completed in July 2014. Begoña opened the 1st wing of this Hogar Betania Centre, consisting of 20 bedrooms and the dining room and kitchen, in September 2014.
A project of this size and ambition needed ongoing support was receiving it from a variety of sources, including a community of artists, who painted extraordinary murals on the walls.
UPDATE: CLUB VISIT MARCH 2016
The excursion to our project at Hogar Betania at La Linea took place last Saturday, 12th March. 41 persons joined the bus from Marbella. 10 members/guests from our club and an impressive number of 31 from Nordic Rotarians!. President Anders and Paul Church joined us at La Linea.
We were greeted at Hogar Betania by the impressive Begona, who is the “engine” behind the project. She gave a short description of the background of the project and the numbers which use the center today. Approx 600 persons visit the center during weekdays to get food; which is not consumed at the center but taken home; for the people that need support with their daily meals.On Fridays they receive lunch and dinners for the weekend. As far as could be ascertained, more than 50 % of the rooms are now completed. Priority should be given to get the remaining rooms finished.
It was a great positive surprise that Paul Church could inform us that the sponsors for the first stage of the solar panel project was now secured. When the complete Solar Panel is installed, the saving for Hogar Betania will be € 12 000 per year.
The pictures below show the progress that has been made; Begona has every reason to look so happy.
Martina Spann and I have delivered 2 car loads of essential food for Christmas & New Year to Hogar Betania Center at La Linea today,
on behalf of the club. ( Circa €800 spent). We also bought a gold necklace and a small cross for the newly born baby of Begoña, a present from our Club. Attached to it was a card from our Club congratulating mother for the birth of the baby.
The Staff thanked the Club for the food contribution and the Solar panels heating. It was mentioned that despite the winter, periods of sun shine provide quite a bit of hot water to the showers in the building. The place at H/B looks almost completed and requires some work on the electrical power to some of the rooms , which then can be be inhabited by more homeless people. Some of these persons are currently brought in on freezing nights, by the police , to provide them a temporary shelter, and prevent them suffering from hypothermia and death .
Martina’s help in the purchasing and translation to and from Spanish made the whole difference of expressing and understanding the staff at Hogar Betania and her help was indispensible.
Ben Nemenyi, Treasurer
The Solar panel Project at Nuevo Hogar Betania.
Rotary Club Marbella-Guadalmina in consultation with Begoña , found that the electricity bills must be high for heating water for 70 tenants of the shelter plus the heated water used in the kitchen. The Club has asked architect Graciela Waen to survey the needs of heated water in the building and submit a plan and an estimate for the fitting of a solar panel water heating system. Our club considered the plan which required solar panels costing Euro 48,000 in total.
The project was too large financially for our club and no supporting funds were available from District and Rotary International at the time. In February 2016 the SPC committee at our club decided to go ahead and underwrite half the solar panels, as the building was not completely refurbished , and only half inhabited, 40 people in number. The installation of half the number of panels would serve the immediate needs for hot water to the existing inhabitants.
Funds were raised from events and club member donations and the project costing €24,000 was completed in November 2016.
The estimated saving for Hogar Betania on electricity bill by using Solar Heating Panels is estimated at €5000 annually for 40 inhabitants. This saving enables management at Nuevo Hogar Betania to buy food for the residents for the same amount. The panels are environmentally friendly and saves omitting gases to the atmosphere associated with the production of electricity using fossil fuel .
Ben Nemenyi – Treasurer, Rotary Club Marbella-Guadalmina
M +44(0)7802 776599
E ben@aerospheres.com
Click on the image below to watch a video of the work of Nuevo Hogar Betania, described by its founder and director Begoña Arana Álvarez.
In November 2019 she was presentd with the Princess of Girona Award, The award recognizes young people who, because of their leadership and personal commitment, have achieved successes in the creation and promotion of social projects.
Hogar Betania nowadays
- Has a night shelter for the homeless
- A main residential centre that offers social and legal advice, therapy and education
- Provides 'reinforcement classes' for children from poor families to help with their school work
- Offers meals (and cooking lessons) to people who don't have enough to eat
- Offers a meals on wheels service to over 65s who are poor and have mobility problems
- Runs a summer school for children whose parents have to work, offering the children breakfast, lunch and a snack, as well as activities
- Provides social support for victims of human trafficking, prostitution and gender violence
- Educates about sexual exploitation
The history
La Linea is the Spanish town that borders Gibraltar, on the south coast of Spain. This is one of the poorest areas in Spain and also of the European Union. La Linea is a city with 66 000 inhabitants and unemployment is 46 %. Drugs and alcohol problems are rife. Likewise people living rough on the streets are not uncommon. It is said there are parts of the town where the police don't go, and certainly would not want to go alone.
In 2012 Begona opened a hostel to care for homeless people in the centre of La Linea. Its a support and rehabilitation centre for men and women who are unemployed, have health, drug or other problems and are socially excluded. Initially she and a small team of volunteers cared for fewer than 20 people - but in 2019 the scope is much larger. Begoña had spent about 10 years trying to obtain a larger building to accommodate homeless people in La Linea and in 2013 Hogar Betania was given, by the town, a building adjacent to the hospital which can accommodate up to 80 people. She negotiated a 40 year lease with the Town Hall. The building was an old people's home but had been disused for 11 years. It was basically a sound building of 1,100square meters built on 3,100 square metres of land but the roof leaked and it needed to be completely renovated.
Begoña and her small team undertook the task of raising sufficient funds to undertake the renovation work - estimated at about 100,000 Euros - needed to establish The Bethany Home Centre in this derelict building. They received some significant supplies of building materials from Leroy Merlin, the builders' merchant, grants and support from La Caixa and Sotogrande International School, amongst others.
This year, 2013 - 2014, a group of local Rotary Clubs has created a joint project to purchase specific items needed to enable the centre to function. So far we have contributed towards the cost of installing a 3 meter high security fence and electric gates to protect the perimeter of the site, and doors for the bedrooms. Rotary Club Marbella-Guadamina has provided an industrial quality diswasher and freezer for the kitchen and, raised the money needed to purchase and install 40 fire-resistant, lockable doors for the bedrooms. We also have an on-going programme to supply food for the Hogar Betania project to feed poor families.
As the photos show, this is a very large and ongoing project. The Security fence was completed in July 2014. Begoña opened the 1st wing of this Hogar Betania Centre, consisting of 20 bedrooms and the dining room and kitchen, in September 2014.
 |  |  |
UPDATE: CLUB VISIT MARCH 2016
The excursion to our project at Hogar Betania at La Linea took place last Saturday, 12th March. 41 persons joined the bus from Marbella. 10 members/guests from our club and an impressive number of 31 from Nordic Rotarians!. President Anders and Paul Church joined us at La Linea.
We were greeted at Hogar Betania by the impressive Begona, who is the “engine” behind the project. She gave a short description of the background of the project and the numbers which use the center today. Approx 600 persons visit the center during weekdays to get food; which is not consumed at the center but taken home; for the people that need support with their daily meals.On Fridays they receive lunch and dinners for the weekend. As far as could be ascertained, more than 50 % of the rooms are now completed. Priority should be given to get the remaining rooms finished.
It was a great positive surprise that Paul Church could inform us that the sponsors for the first stage of the solar panel project was now secured. When the complete Solar Panel is installed, the saving for Hogar Betania will be € 12 000 per year.
The pictures below show the progress that has been made; Begona has every reason to look so happy.
 |  |  |
2016 Christmas Food Donation - report by Ben Nemenyi
Dear Board Members,Martina Spann and I have delivered 2 car loads of essential food for Christmas & New Year to Hogar Betania Center at La Linea today,
on behalf of the club. ( Circa €800 spent). We also bought a gold necklace and a small cross for the newly born baby of Begoña, a present from our Club. Attached to it was a card from our Club congratulating mother for the birth of the baby.
 |  |  |
Martina’s help in the purchasing and translation to and from Spanish made the whole difference of expressing and understanding the staff at Hogar Betania and her help was indispensible.
Ben Nemenyi, Treasurer
New Hogar Betania Solar panel project.
The Nuevo Hogar Betania project in La Linea, South of Spain, and one of the poorest communities in the country, commenced 4 years ago with the help of the Rotary clubs in the Costa Del Sol, R/C Ceuta and R/C Gibraltar. A old dilapidated building which served as a golden age people home 10 years earlier , was the target of social worker Begoña. She has undertaken the massive task of making this building good and turn it to a thriving shelter for up to 70 homeless persons. It took 3 years to carry out all repairs, fit out the bedrooms , kitchen with cocking equipment and refrigeration , furnish the dining area and make the place habitable again.The Solar panel Project at Nuevo Hogar Betania.
Rotary Club Marbella-Guadalmina in consultation with Begoña , found that the electricity bills must be high for heating water for 70 tenants of the shelter plus the heated water used in the kitchen. The Club has asked architect Graciela Waen to survey the needs of heated water in the building and submit a plan and an estimate for the fitting of a solar panel water heating system. Our club considered the plan which required solar panels costing Euro 48,000 in total.
The project was too large financially for our club and no supporting funds were available from District and Rotary International at the time. In February 2016 the SPC committee at our club decided to go ahead and underwrite half the solar panels, as the building was not completely refurbished , and only half inhabited, 40 people in number. The installation of half the number of panels would serve the immediate needs for hot water to the existing inhabitants.
Funds were raised from events and club member donations and the project costing €24,000 was completed in November 2016.
The estimated saving for Hogar Betania on electricity bill by using Solar Heating Panels is estimated at €5000 annually for 40 inhabitants. This saving enables management at Nuevo Hogar Betania to buy food for the residents for the same amount. The panels are environmentally friendly and saves omitting gases to the atmosphere associated with the production of electricity using fossil fuel .
Ben Nemenyi – Treasurer, Rotary Club Marbella-Guadalmina
M +44(0)7802 776599
E ben@aerospheres.com
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