TECHO

TECHO, also known as Un Techo para mi País (UTPMP) (Spanish for A Roof For My Country), is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes youth volunteers to fight extreme poverty in Latin America, by constructing transitional housing and implementing social inclusion programs. It was founded by a Jesuit priest, and working with more than 720,000 volunteers, it has constructed houses for over 102,400 families in 19 countries in Latin American and the Caribbean and 2 offices located in Miami, Florida, US, and London, England, that work as funds hubs.[1]

This article is about the non-profit organization. For the species of Neopet called Techo, see Neopets.
TECHO (Un Techo para mi País)
Founded1997
FounderFelipe Berríos
Location
Area served
Latin America
Methodconstruction of transitional houses; social inclusion programs
Volunteers
1,000,000+
Websiteus.techo.org

Un Techo para Chile was formerly a separate organization. As of 2012, Un Techo para mi Pais and Un Techo para Chile became one single institution called TECHO.[2]

History

Un Techo para Chile was founded in 1997 by Jesuit priest Felipe Berríos, along with a group of university students. In 2001 it began expanding to other countries under the name Un Techo para mi País. In 2012 the name was changed to TECHO.[3]

The organization has a long history of responding to disaster situations, such as earthquakes in Peru (2007), Haiti (2010) and Chile (2010). TECHO was one of the first organizations to start building houses after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and it was awarded a grant from the Inter-American Development Bank to build 10,000 houses there.[4][5] Building began in Canaan, Haiti in 2010.

Notably, TECHO coined the term Precaria (country) as a framework for visualizing Latin American poverty as a country. This has been adopted by numerous leading figures including the former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, writer Isabel Allende, and Argentine corporate social responsibility expert Bernardo Kliksberg.[6]

Method

TECHO is most known for its large-scale construction projects, building transitional homes called mediaguas for people living in slums (campamentos) in Latin America. The homes are made of wood and built by volunteers who work alongside the beneficiary families. Transitional homes allow Latin America’s poorest populations to have a private, safe and decent shelter; these basic results have long-term impacts which are being evaluated in the impact study “Building a Brighter Future: A Randomized Experiment of Slum-Housing Upgrading,” led by academics from the World Bank and the University of California, Berkeley.[7]

In its second phase, TECHO coordinates social inclusion programs such as education, healthcare, economic development, micro-finance, and vocational training. These programs are organized around weekly community meetings led by residents of the area. The third phase involves helping residents develop their own sustainable communities, including construction of permanent housing.

Funding comes from grants, corporate support and individual donations.

Countries

TECHO was founded in Chile and has its headquarters there. As of 2012, it works in 19 countries in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Awards and grants

TECHO has received many awards and grants,[8] including:

2018 - Inter-American Development Bank's Premio JK Visionarios. Fourth Place. Recognition of civil society organizations implementing life-changing and innovative development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

2013- Dubai International Award for Best Practices (presented by Dubai Municipality and UN Habitat.[9][10]

2012- Honorable Mention in the Inter-American Development Bank’s Juscelino Kubitschek Award, for social programs in Chile.[11]

2010- Housing and Urban Development South-South Transfer Award, presented jointly by UN Habitat, the Building and Social Housing and Foundation (BSHF) and the UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation.[12]

2010- $2.6 million grant from the Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund to build houses in Haiti.[13][14]

2010- Clinton Global Initiative recognition for its commitment to build 10,000 houses in Haiti.[15][16]

2010- King of Spain’s Award for Human Rights.[17]

2010- Vidanta Foundation Prize, second place (presented in conjunction with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB)).[18]

2009- UN Habitat Scroll of Honour Award.[19]

2008- one of "100 Best Practices," UN Habitat Dubai International Award for Best Practices, for TECHO Uruguay.[20]

2007- Bicentennial Seal from Chilean President Michelle Bachelet for TECHO’s contributions to building a more equal society.[21]

2005- $3.5 million grant from the Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund to expand its methodology and experiences to other countries in Latin America.[22]

2005- Social Entrepreneur Award, Schwab Foundation.

See also

References
  1. TECHO. "Volunteers", accessed November 25, 2012.
  2. TECHO. "Why Are We Techo Today?", accessed November 25, 2012.
  3. TECHO. "Today We Are TECHO", accessed November 25, 2012.
  4. Inter-American Development Bank. "Un Techo para mi Pais builds housing in Haiti with IDB support", accessed November 15, 2010.
  5. Inter-American Development Bank. "A Roof for Haiti", accessed November 15, 2010.
  6. Precaria "Ambassadors of Precaria (in Spanish)" Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed November 25, 2012.
  7. International Initiative for Impact Evaluation "Building a Brighter Future: A Randomized Experiment of Slum-Housing Upgrading in Peru", accessed November 25, 2012.
  8. TECHO. “Prizes and awards (in Spanish)”, accessed November 25, 2012
  9. Dubai Municipality. "Sheikh Hamdan honours winners of 9th cycle of Dubai International Award for Best Practices", accessed March 15, 2013.
  10. TECHO. "TECHO granted for Best Practices by the Municipality of Dubai and UN-Habitat" Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine, accessed March 15, 2013.
  11. Inter-American Development Bank. "Latin American civil society organizations receive Juscelino Kubitschek award", accessed November 25, 2012.
  12. UN Habitat. "Scroll Winner gets Housing and Urban Development South-South Transfer award", accessed November 25, 2012.
  13. Inter-American Development Bank. "Un Techo para mi Pais builds housing in Haiti with IDB support", accessed November 15, 2010.
  14. Inter-American Development Bank. "A Roof for Haiti", accessed November 15, 2010.
  15. PRNewsWire. "Un Techo para mi Pais Commits to Build 10,000 Homes for Haiti", accessed November 15, 2010.
  16. Clinton Global Initiative "President Clinton To Open Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) Meeting at The University of Miami on Friday, April 16, 2010", accessed November 25, 2012.
  17. Europa Press. "La Fundación 'Un Techo Para Mi País', IV Premio de Derechos Humanos Rey de España", accessed November 25, 2012.
  18. Vidanta Foundation. "2010 Winners", accessed November 25, 2012.
  19. UN Habitat. "2009 Scroll of Honour Award Winners" Archived 2009-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, accessed November 25, 2012.
  20. UN Habitat. "2008 Best Practices Database", accessed November 25, 2012.
  21. Noticias RSE. "Programas Emerge y ProNiño obtienen el Sello Bicentenario 2007, Chile", accessed November 25, 2012.
  22. Inter-American Development Bank. "Integrating Low-Income Groups into Productive System Un Techo para mi País", accessed November 25, 2012.
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