- With the participation of volunteers from 11 countries, the NGO Un Techo para mi País will initiate the second phase of its construction plan, building 100 emergency houses, from Friday, March 19 to Wednesday, March 24 in the community of Grand Goave, 70 kilometers from the capital Puerto Principe.

The volunteers from the non-governmental organization Un Techo para mi País will initiate the construction of 100 emergency houses along with the families affected by the earthquake. This second phase of construction in the country will be carried out from this Friday, March 19, to Wednesday, March 24 in Grand Goave, 70 kilometers from Port-au-Prince. The first 20 houses were built in the same community during February.

UTPMP will mobilize 500 young volunteers from 11 countries of the region: Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, México, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile, who will unite forces with the families affected by the earthquake.

“The strength of Latin-American university volunteers will serve the urgency of the country, aiming to bring some hope to the families. This is just the beginning of the process of reconstruction that requires the support of many: the volunteers, society, and both public and private organizations. Through this construction, we make a call to not forget the poorest country of the region,” affirmed Maximiliano Perez, Sub Social Director of UTPMP for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The volunteers will leave this Friday, March 19, from Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic, to initiate the construction along with the families that today remain in deplorable living conditions in temporary refugee camps.

“The urgency of our intervention is justified by the contact with the communities and by realizing the families’ vulnerability due to the arrival of the rain. The work of the Latin-American youth not only represents an immediate and necessary solution, but also signifies the arrival of hope of a new beginning,” indicated Gonzalo Talavera, Project Director of UTPMP for Latin America and the Caribbean, who has lead the needs assessment and designation process of the Haitian families.

The emergency house is a housing unit made of prefabricated wood of 18 square meters (6 m in width and 3 m in depth). It is constructed on the basis of 15 stilts that isolate the house from the ground and thus protect it from humidity, floods, and diseases. This house lasts about 8 years and can be built in 2 days by a team of 8 or 10 youth volunteers and beneficiaries.

For the development of these constructions UTPMP is working with the Logistic Cluster on the logistics of the constructions, Joint Operations and Tasking Center, and BIC, a local organization.  For future constructions UTPMP will have the support of the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other funders.

Pérez emphasized that the establishment of networks is fundamental for the development of a coordinated and effective intervention and for providing the best benefit for the families.

UTPMP reconstructs Chile y Haiti

UTPMP is responding to the emergency provoked by the earthquake in Chile and Haiti, developing concrete action plans that will provide emergency houses for the affected families.

In Chile, over 700 houses have been constructed and the plan includes a total of 20,000. In Haiti, the first 20 have already been constructed and the objective is to finish with 2,000 in the first year and 10,000 in the next four years.

To achieve these objectives, the institution calls on businesses and individuals, through its webpage and social networks, to support the reconstruction. In recent years, the organization intervened in 4 natural disasters in Latin America, constructing more than 2,000 emergency houses.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the elected Chilean president Sebastián Piñera visited the central office of Un Techo Para Mi Pais with the aim of meeting the volunteers who will start the construction of emergency houses in the area affected by the earthquake in Chile and manifesting their support to the rebuilding work of the youth.

SANTIAGO, CHILE. March 5th, 2010. During his stay in Chile, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, visited the head quarters of Un Techo Para Mi Pais (UTPMP) and its local office Un Techo Para Chile (UTPCH), to encourage the 200 young volunteers who were leaving to Iloca, in the southern part of the country, to build emergency houses along with the victims of the earthquake.

“ It’s a pleasure to meet these young people who stand up in front of the tragedy. I am sure that your bravery and strength will build a better Chile. I am here to express my solidarity and to tell you that the UN will support you to rebuild the country. It is very stimulating to see so many young people working with UTPMP, which is a noble initiative. It is inspiring to see the youth committed to its country and for the progress of the whole world. This is your world. You are the leaders of the Chilean society and of the world”, said Ban Ki-moon to the volunteers.

The Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the elected Chilean president Sebastián Piñera and representatives of International Organizations assisted this event. They were welcomed by Felipe Berríos, founder of UTPMP, Claudio Castro, Social Director of Un Techo Para Mi País and the young volunteers of the organization.

“The presence of our guests is a recognition to the role the youth of Latin America played in building hope and a future for our communities, not only in the emergency that today overwhelms Haiti and Chile, but facing the continuous emergency of thousands of families who live in extreme poverty through the continent”, emphasized Claudio Castro.

According to an official UN press release, the Secretary-General is in Chile to evaluate the extent of the tragedy and to assess the humanitarian efforts that are undertaken, reinforcing his support to the Chilean government.

The elected president Sebastián Piñera declared “I want to congratulate you for what you have done, and for what we will do together for the affected families, so they can feel they are not alone. Having the opportunities you had represents a lot of privileges but also a lot of commitments.”

UTPMP rebuilds Chile and Haiti

Un Techo para mi País offered a quick and immediate response to the families that were affected by the earthquakes in Chile and Haiti. On Friday February 26th the construction of the first 20 emergency houses in Haiti was finalized, where 2,000 emergency houses will be built throughout the first year and 10,000 during the next four years.

In Chile, the Organization is working in 3 cities, reacting immeditately to the emergency. By Sunday march 7th there will be 280 emergency houses built in the south of the country, mobilizing 1,780 volunteers. All of this is part of a reconstruction program requested by the Chilean government to the Institution. Felipe Berríos added that the organization is working in Chile and in Haiti building shelters along with the families affected by the earthquakes, but is also working all over Latin America to overcome the earthquake of poverty.

300 volunteers from the NGO and 20 Haitian families successfully completed construction of the first emergency houses in the community of Gran Goave, located 70 kilometers from the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The Institution is also assisting families affected by the  earthquake in Chile.

SANTIAGO, CHILE. March 1, 2010. Un Techo para mi País, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) present in 15 Latin American countries, began working on Friday, February 26 to build the first 20 emergency houses in Haiti. This was the organization’s first project in Haiti, where it expects  to  build 2,000 emergency houses in 2010 and 10,000 over the next four years.

The project was completed in the community of Gran Goave, located 70 kilometers from the capital city of Port-au-Prince, with the participation of volunteer university students from various Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic, Chile, Uruguay, El Salvador, and Peru. Haitian volunteers living or studying in the Dominican Republic also participated.

“The work was difficult but the emotion on the faces of the families that benefited was the best thanks the volunteers received this weekend,” declared Maximiliano Pérez, deputy social director for Un Techo para mi País.

The project in the Caribbean country will continue throughout the month of March.  Un Techo para mi País has planned a second phase to build 100 emergency houses from March 19 to March 22, in which 500 university student volunteers from various Latin American countries are expected to participate.

“Although it is a big challenge, today we know that we cannot hold back because the needs of the families are huge and the protection provided by a roof is fundamental. We invite companies and individuals to continue supporting us in the reconstruction of the poorest country in  the region,” emphasized Perez.

The funding of these first 120 emergency houses has been possible thanks to the support of British American Tobacco, Souza Cruz Brasil, Banco Santader Chile, General Motors Ecuador and Fundación HomePlan. In addition, Weyerhaeuser and Inca República Dominicana provided part of the wood and  roofing materials, respectively.

The foundation is working on a joint project with the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) to fund the second phase of construction. The foundation also continues with its fundraising campaign, calling on private companies and individuals to continue making donations through the Web site: www.untechoaparamipais.org

The earth also shook in Chile

Un Techo para Chile, the Chilean operation of the organization, is developing an action plan after the February 27 earthquake in Chile that registered 8.8 on the Richter scale, left 2 million people displaced and at least 1.5 million houses affected.

More than a thousand volunteers from Un Techo para Chile are contributing to the removal of debris, the  assessment  to identify the damage in some communities, and by supporting other entities. The organization hopes to continue with these tasks and initiate  emergency reconstruction in the most affected zones once the initial emergency situation has passed.