Introductory Presentation into Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, 2012

2. Guatemala…
is made up of 22 departments (states), 23
different languages and a wide variety of terrain,
ranging from hot, dry plains to cool, green
mountains. With over 14 million people, it
makes up 40% of Central America’s population.

3. Fifteen years have passed since the end of Guatemala’s
36-year-long internal conflict, but the country still faces
difficult challenges, both new and old. With some of
the highest rates of illiteracy, malnutrition and
economic inequity in the world, the average
Guatemalan faces an uphill struggle to make a better
life for his or her family.
agricultural and
It is largely an
Christian society…
…50% work in agriculture, 49% live in rural
communities, and 99% identify as Christian (roughly
40% Evangelical, 60% Catholic).

4. Colonized by the
Spanish in the
1500s,
Guatemala did not become an
independent state until 1821.
After a century of attempting
to establish a stable
democracy, Guatemala
enjoyed “Ten Years of Spring,”
a period of free speech and
political activity that lasted
from 1944 to 1954. A coup
upon the democratically
elected government in 1954
plunged Guatemala into a 36
year civil war ending in
1996. Guatemala is still
recovering from these four
decades of instability.
Sadly, Guatemala’s past has had lasting impact, leaving the country with extremely low education
and literacy rates, poor health indicators, and high crime. Discrimination
against indigenous communities and endemic poverty affecting over 50% of the population are among the
challenges Guatemalan families face.

5. The challenges that Guatemalan
families face are many. Chief among them are
a lack of access to health care and education,
natural disasters, and poverty and inequality.
•16% of Guatemalans and 50% of children
under 5 suffer from malnutrition, one of
the highest rates in the world.
•As of 2000, only 11% of the population
lived within an hour of a healthcare facility.
•The average Guatemalan has attended
school for only 4.1 years.
•30% of Guatemalans can neither read nor
write in Spanish.
•40% of the population is under 15 years of
age, with over 20% of children between 7
and 14 years old employed as child
workers.
•The population is growing rapidly, with
women of child-bearing age having 3.6
children on average and uneducated
women having 5.2 children. Guatemala has
the highest birth rate in Central America.

6. The challenges that Guatemalan
families face are many. Chief among them are
a lack of access to health care and education,
natural disasters, and poverty and inequality.
•Over 90% of the damage left by 2010’s
Tropical Storm Agatha remains
unrepaired. The storm left over 110,000
people in shelters, 160 dead, nearly
40,000 with damaged homes, affected
1,100 schools and affected or damaged
over 150 bridges.
•51% of the population lives in poverty
(less than $2.5 per day), and 16% lives in
extreme poverty (less than $1.25 per day
and is unable to afford the basic basket of
food deemed necessary to feed their
families).
•Guatemala’s income distribution is among
the 15 most inequitable in the world.
•62% of the land in Guatemala is owned by
only 1.2% of the population.

7. There is a shortage of over 1.7 million homes in Guatemala.
Almost 60% of the housing deficit is made up of families living in inadequate homes built of unsafe
materials (such as mud, straw or stick), and overcrowded homes.
The other 40% consists of families paying high rents in homes they don’t own, of families living in homes
without access to basic utilities, of families living in low-quality homes (leaky roofs, dirt floors, etc).

8. Habitat for Humanity Guatemala was
founded in 1979 in response to a major earthquake that
had claimed the lives of over 25,000 Guatemalans. As Habitat for
Humanity’s oldest international affilite, we have spent 33 years
working hard to fulfill our mission of making sure every Guatemalan
has access to safe, decent housing.

9. Habitat Guatemala has 17 local offices, serving families all over Guatemala. It is a
Guatemalan led and run organization. Foreigners are less than 10 of its over 140 employees.

10. To date, Habitat Guatemala has built over 43,000 housing solutions,
over 75% of these within the last decade.
35 Housing Solutions Built, 1996-2010
Number of Solutions (1,000s)
30
25
20
15
75% of HFH
10 Guatemala homes
have been built in the
5 last 10 years!
0
Despite this incredible accomplishment over the last decade, there are still too many
Guatemalans living without dignified housing. There is still a lot of work ahead of us.

11. Habitat Guatemala offers many solutions to the housing crisis
Standard Homes Colonies
Progressive Homes Home Improvements

12. Most of the housing solutions Habitat Guatemala has offered
to date arestandard homes . We have eight different
designs selected based on family preference and terrain.
Typically they include two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living
room, and a bathroom, and are 484 ft2 in size. In 2011, the
average price of a Habitat Guatemala home is $4,800.
In order to serve families who do not have the financial
resources to qualify for a standard home loan but who are in
need of a safe place to live, Habitat Guatemala offers
progressive homes. Progressive homes are
smaller, having two rooms and sometimes a bathroom. Once
the family pays of half of their loan, they can apply for an
additional credit to add on to the progressive home.

13. Home improvements help transform substandard homes into housing. Our solutions include
cement floors, new walls, additions, roof replacement, smokeless stoves, and the installation of new
doors and windows.
Colonies, or housing communities, allow Habitat Guatemala to reach those families who do not own
land on which to build a home. Land is purchased, subdivided, and equipped with basic services such as
water, drainage, electricity and streets. Families take out a loan to pay back the cost of both the land and
the house. To date, Habitat Guatemala has developed 21 colonies.

14. This year we’ve begun construction on our 22nd and 23rd housing
communities in Usumatlán, Zacapa. Together, these communities will provide over
100 needy families with new homes

15. Habitat Guatemala is always exploring future possibilities , testing new technologies and
building materials, and piloting new projects to continue changing the lives of the communities we serve.
Latrines
Bamboo homes
Water Filters
Metal homes

16. We also have some specific projects that address the needs of our families
The Guatemalan Dream Project
is a project that seeks to serve the poorest families in Guatemala
by building homes in the seven poorest departments of the
country. To date, the Dream Project has financed nearly 500
homes.
Small Change, Giant Leap
This five-year project aims to provide extremely
poor families with energy efficient, smokeless, wood
burning stoves. The stoves not only provide energy
and economic savings, but also save lives by keeping
smoke out of the eyes, lungs, and homes of partner
families.
Regardless of the project, all our efforts work toward a single goal: offering comprehensive
housing solutions that are accessible to a variety of economic levels so that all Guatemalans
have access to a safe, dignified place to live.

17. But what’s a project without IMPACT?
In addition to serving an average of 3,000 families per year, Habitat Guatemala delivers financial
management, natural disaster response, home construction and maintenance training to all its partner families.
We host an average of 1,400 international volunteers annually. In addition to helping our families
build, these volunteers are crucial advocates of both housing rights and Guatemala, sharing their experiences
with their friends, family and coworkers.
1600
1200 2006
Nearly 7,000
2007
800 International
2008
Volunteers
400 2009
in 5 years!
2010
0
International Volunteers
Habitat positively affects the local Guatemalan economy. All our materials are made and purchased within
Guatemala, usually from local distributors. Last year we spent an estimated $8 million on building materials
alone. Our international volunteers invested an estimated $1 million in the tourism industry.
We also host a growing number of national volunteers, promoting a culture of service and volunteerism. Our
180 local volunteer committees throughout the country help us find partner families and promote
Habitat’s work in their communities.

18. Habitat Guatemala considers our international partners to be extremely important. Between
2001 and 2010, we have donated around $338,000 to other Habitat affiliates around the world. We have
been blessed with a number of incredibly generous and faithful partners, and believe strongly in investing in
other communities in need. The current Habitat offices we financially invest in are Tajikistan, Ghana and
Paraguay.
As Habitat Guatemala moves forward, we’ve set the ambitious goal of achieving housing solution 50,000 by
the end of 2013. It’s a crazy goal, we know. But with 15 years and nearly 20,000 housing solutions under his
belt, Executive Director Luis Samayoa says, “We must have faith.” We agree.
We invite you to join us in our celebration in April 2013, reaching a total of 50,000 families
served here in Guatemala. With your continued commitment, faith and support, we know we can.
Doubling 32 years of service in 5:
35,000
new housing solutions
in five years!

19. On behalf of all those whose lives have been changed by your support…
¡Muchas gracias, y que Dios les bendiga!
Jamil Barton
Manager, International Donor Relations
Habitat for Humanity Guatemala
Email: donor@habitatguate.org
Office (011.502) 7931 3131, Ext. 422
Mobile (011.502) 4740 6234