Haiti - Reconstruction : 10,000 houses, the miracle of volunteerism

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Haiti - Reconstruction : 10,000 houses, the miracle of volunteerism
22/09/2010 18:54:39

As part of the 6th annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), the Chilean NGO "Un Techo para mi pais" a roof for my country (UTPMP) is committed to build 8,000 additional homes in Haiti over the next four years. The NGO is specialized in the construction of temporary housing for the poorest people and is active in 16 Latin American countries. This is his first participation in the CGI.

Immediately after the earthquake, the Chilean NGO has quickly mobilized funds from corporations and foundations in Chile, as well as donors such as IDB, which has donated about $280,000 from the Korean Fund for the Reduction of poverty. Moreover, the "Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has granted a subsidy of $ 2.5 million for the construction of some 2,000 homes for 1 year.

Last April, the UTPMP had already built 116 houses in Haiti, a number that reached 600 units in late August and about 300 more, should be completed in October. This will allow nearly 1,000 families have a safe place to live, they can call "home."

According to one of the person in charge of UTPMP 1,000 additional housing will be completed in January 2011 to commemorate the earthquake and confirm compliance with their commitment to build a total of 2,000 houses in 12 months (three months ahead of schedule). Over the next four years, UTPMP plans to build 8.000 additional homes for a total of 10,000 homes announced. 1,100 volunteers will be mobilized in this important project.

These temporary houses of 18 m² built in Haiti can be assembled in a few days by a team of four volunteers and cost about 2,500 dollars per unit, including the cost of transporting building materials from the Dominican Republic. Made of pine (walls and floors) and a corrugated roof, these lightweight structures can take up to 10 years and can withstand earthquakes.

Led by young people, the NGO recruits college students to work with families to be housed. Besides building homes, volunteers visit families once a week until the end of the program to help them find ways to increase revenue. Thus, many people learn a trade or have access to microcredit.

In other countries, beneficiaries of these houses have made improvements over the years, increasing the number of parts and transformants core of permanent residence.

S/ HaitiLibre