Techo en Guatemala

Non profit organization
Visit website
(+502) 2292-0100

TECHO is an organization present in 19 Latin American countries, which seeks to overcome the situation of poverty that millions of people live in overcrowded and under resourced settlements, through the joint action of its inhabitants and volunteers.

Women, Men, Girls, Boys, Indigenous peoples, Youth
Youth, Family, Human Rights, Justice, Immigration, Water and sanitation, Construction, Art and culture, Development/Community infrastructure, Agriculture, Housing, Volunteer/Sustainable travel, Civil participitation and policy
Guatemala, Santa Rosa, El Progreso, Quetzaltenango, Sololá, San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Quiché, Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Jutiapa, Chiquimula, Zacapa

Table of contents

Organizational contacts & locations

Contacts
Diego Aguilar
General Director
(+502) 4128-1775
Pablo Alonzo
Director of Guatemala Headquarters
Oscar Cifuentes
Director of Quetzaltenango Headquarters
Jennifer Kress
Sub-director of Communication
Oscar Maldonado
Territory Operations Director
Locations
5a. Calle 17-31 zona 15, Colonia el Maestro II, 
Vista Hermosa
Guatemala City, 
Guatemala, 
01058

Mission, vision & values

Mission

Our mission is to work with determination in informal settlements to overcome poverty through the training and joint action of their men and women, young volunteers, and other actors.

Vision

Our vision is a just, egalitarian, integrated and poverty-free society in which all people can fully exercise their rights and duties, and have opportunities to develop their capacities.

Values
We value solidarity, conviction, diversity, optimism, and excellence.

Products, services, and programs

Products

We offer:

  • Housing
  • Community Infrastructure (community centers, libraries, play centers, playgrounds, etc., routes)
Services

We provide:

  • Temporary shelters
  • Emergency housing
  • Social housing
  • Citizen training for youth
  • Community capacity building
  • Information surveys
  • Settlement census
  • Awareness and education activities
  • Collections
  • Food assistance
Programs

We offer the following programs:

  • Emergency Housing Program
  • Home Water Kits Program
  • Organic Agriculture Program
  • Volunteer School
  • National Meeting of Community Leaders

Organizational detail

Founded: 
2008
Number of employees: 
11-25
Funding: 
Private donations, Corporate donations, Public grants, Sale of products and/or services, Fundraising
Primary issue(s) / need(s) addressed

We focus on the issues of housing deficit, community development, inequality, and promoting citizenship through volunteering.

Guatemala is the 9th most unequal nation in the world (World Bank 2015), 6 out of 10 Guatemalans live in poverty (ENCOVI 2014, ECLAC estimates an increase of 2 percent due to the impact of COVID-19). The new urban agenda HABITAT III.

Impact, adaptations & objectives

Impact to date

TECHO has been present in Guatemala since 2008 and so far more than 5,357 emergency homes, 17 permanent homes, and 20 community infrastructure projects have been built and more than 25,000 volunteers have been mobilized in more than 200 communities. Currently, we are working permanently with more than 170 community leaders from 26 communities in the country both in the central, western, eastern and Verapaces areas.

Impact measuring

We measure our impact through tracking the housing deficit in the communities where we work, testimonies, information gathering processes before and after the intervention or moving from the organization to the community.

In addition, we measure the strengthening of capacities in community leadership, promotion of awareness and social action and young volunteers.

Organizational adaptations: 
Size and/or structure, Key offerings, Mission, vision and/or values, Financing model
Organizational adaptation details

Size and/or structure

Since 2008 we have gone through both growth and diminished in the team at different times. Mainly we go from 1 office to 2, then to 6 and currently 3.

Key offers

Initially we only built emergency housing, now community infrastructure projects are being carried out (Libraries, community centers, etc.), WASH projects (Rainwater harvesting), food security (food kits and Organic Gardens Program) are being addressed. citizen education.

Mission, vision and/or values

Before "Just and without Poverty in which all people ...", Now "just, egalitarian, integrated and without poverty in which all people ...."

Financing model

Implementation of partners and more focus on international cooperation.

Short term objectives

Growth

Maintenance and efficiency evaluation of the current structure at the country level. actively work with 28 communities.

Quality

Improve the processes in investment in the territory as well as the community work model, as in the volunteer plan.

Impact

Construction of 200 houses (emergency and definitive) 20 community projects, 1 presentation of social research in urban settlements in Guatemala City.

Long term objectives

Growth

Structure that responds to the needs of the organization in the contact communities.

Quality

Work model in the territory updated to post-COVID needs, updated volunteer model.

Impact

40 communities with active projects.