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Where does Un Techo para mi Pais work:
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Un Techo para mi Pais
Santiago,
Un Techo Para Mi País (UTPMP) is a non-profit organization that works with Latin America's most impoverished and vulnerable populations, using innovative methods to eradicate extreme poverty in the region. Our work is not about quick hand-outs or superficial change, but is rather a long journey that starts within the slums and builds upwards and outwards, permeating each aspect of community development in order to ultimately build a sustainable community.
To that end, UTPMP's model includes residents in every step of the process, empowering them with the tools to break the cycle of poverty. We seek to build a Latin America without poverty, where everybody has access to basic shelter and a real chance to improve their quality of life; although this goal is ambitious, we are encouraged by our history of success.
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Current Projects
To date, UTPMP has benefited over 76,000 families and mobilized over 400,000 volunteers across the continent thanks to the support of our partners and youth volunteers. While the construction of transitional houses is our main focus, each country where we work is in different stages of our three-stage methodology with the objective of achieving long-term, sustainable changes in the social structure of these countries. The first stage mobilizes youth volunteers for the massive construction of transitional houses. The second stage develops social inclusion through concrete social training plans led by volunteers in education, healthcare, economic development, microfinance, trade skills, legal aid, and cultural and recreational education. In our final stage, we help residents organize and problem-solve to develop a sustainable community with strong social capital, bonds between neighbors and links to external information networks.
Construction of transitional houses: Most of UTPMP volunteers experience the construction of a transitional house for a family living in extreme poverty. During that time, volunteer are able to work alongside beneficiary families and share a time for reflection about the reality of the slums.
Social Inclusion Programs: Volunteers participating in this stage are committed for a longer period of time, as they will be more directly engaged with communities being benefited from social inclusion programs. A suggested time for volunteering in these programs is 6 months to a year. During this time, volunteers will collaborate and eventually help coordinate areas such as those mentioned above. All social inclusion programs revolve around community organizing meetings lead by representatives and elected slum leaders where they express their needs and priorities. UTPMP volunteers participate in these meetings as moderators and later use the information from the meetings to better tailor the programs to the communities’ expressed needs.
Partner Needs
UTPMP is looking for motivated and committed volunteers to support our cause to see a Latin America free of extreme poverty, where youth are committed to confronting the challenges of their countries and where all families have decent housing and real opportunities to improve their quality of life.
Financial Needs
In order to eradicate poverty, we need the commitment of the whole society, especially the private sector. The majority of our income is financed by the private sector, through individual donations, corporate alliances, and local and regional partnerships with transnational and multinational companies who support our projects and, in turn, benefit by achieving brand positioning and establishing themselves as socially responsible organizations.
In Kind Needs
UTPMP is happy to receive any type of donations. In-kind donations may include tools for our construction events but is not limited to items such as: tents, sleeping bags, rain gear, construction gloves, sunscreen, flashlights, shovels, hammers, measuring tape, rehydration salts, first aid kits.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to improve the quality of life of impoverished families through transitional houses and social inclusion programs in a joint effort between university volunteers and the communities. We denounce the precarious reality of the slums where millions of people live, involving the entire society in the task of constructing a Latin America that is more united and inclusive, without the injustice of poverty.