Habitat for Humanity Guatemala| Contact information | HFH Guatemala
Avenida las Américas 9-50 Zona 3
Edificio SuprCom Ed
tercer nivel, oficina 3
Quetzaltenango
Guatemala
Phone: +502 77635308
Fax: +502 77671301
E-mail: donor@habitatguate.org
| | Web site | www.habitatguate.org
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Habitat for Humanity Guatemala -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l 1
Mission
Habitat for Humanity Guatemala works in collaboration with God and people across the social spectrum to support low-income families in the development of their communities. Through the construction and renovation of houses, the organization aims to ensure that every person in the community will have an adequate place to call home.
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History
In 1979, Guatemala became the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to build a Habitat home, in Aguacatan, Huehuetenango. Since then, Habitat has completed nearly 30,000 homes.
Habitat for Humanity Guatemala was created with the purpose of improving the living conditions of low-income Guatemalan families through the construction of adequate, low-cost housing. The organization’s vision continues to be that every person in Guatemala has access to an adequate, affordable home.
Functioning as a community organization that includes the participation of more than 1,300 volunteers, Habitat Guatemala specializes in working with those families that have no access to the national financing systems (banks, cooperatives, etc.), and who are living in inadequate conditions.
Housing need in Guatemala
In Guatemala, there is a need for some 1.2 million houses. Many families live in poorly constructed informal housing, or crowded into a small rented room. One of the most significant problems is land tenure. Many low-income families have no legal proof that they own the land they inhabit. In other cases, informal settlements inhabit property belonging to the state or private enterprise, and the families face the daily risk of forced eviction. In addition, these properties rarely have basic utilities and are often located in high-risk areas, mostly in urban zones.
Low-income families in Guatemala face other hindrances as well: lack of legal documents or property deeds, loans with interest rates ranging between 18 to 30 percent, lands located in precarious areas such as ravines or river banks, etc.
Many Guatemalan families attest that, without Habitat for Humanity, they would not have been able to build their homes. In 2008, Habitat Guatemala built 2,099 new homes and served a total of 2,899 families—including new houses, repairs, additions and technical support.
Model Projects
Habitat for Humanity Guatemala supports several initiatives, in addition to traditional home construction.
Casa Propia
In September, Habitat Guatemala was granted the Effie Award in communication for their “Casa Propia” (My Own House) campaign. The award highlighted a 6% increase in donor support as a result of the campaign, exceeding their objective by 200%, as well as a 9% increase in volunteer committee membership.
Tithe program
Construction of Habitat for Humanity’s “300,001 house” was built in Guatemala, and was made possible by a Habitat Collier County contribution as part of Habitat’s annual tithe program. Habitat Collier County has maintained a relationship with Habitat Guatemala since September 2004, when they first dedicated their yearly tithe toward Guatemala’s building efforts. To date, Habitat Collier County has financed the construction of more than 100 homes in Guatemala, and this year alone will support the construction of 32 houses. In the last five years, Habitat Guatemala has also received tithe contributions from programs such as Habitat for Humanity Britain, Paraguay, Northern Ireland, Canada, and some 237 affiliates across the United States. Each year, in turn, Habitat Guatemala commits a full tenth of its income to distinct national programs around the world. In 2008, Habitat Guatemala contributed US$20,000 each to Habitat for Humanity Tajikistan, Ghana and Paraguay.
Financial Education
This project is aimed at educating and accompanying partner families in the planning and administration of their home economy. The manuals and methodology used are the result of a project designed by Habitat for Humanity International and financed by Citi Foundation. Through a series of workshops, families learn to administer their income and expenses, and learn to design a budget, analyze and control their expenses, and follow a savings plan. Families are also informed about the risks and advantages of taking out loans with Habitat for Humanity or other organizations.
Complete Houses
In addition to the projects above, Habitat for Humanity Colombia continues to build complete homes. Homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor, helping to build their houses and the houses of others, together with volunteers. Their monthly payments go into a Local Rotating Fund, which allows the construction of new homes.
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