How we work
Constru Casa co-operates with a number of social organizations in Guatemala. These organizations work in the areas of education, health-care and community development, and are day care centers, schools, clinics or community committees. Constru Casa always selects beneficiary families in co-operation with these local partner organizations. For these organizations, housing and construction work is not part of their main objectives. Constru Casa complements their mission by offering simple houses to affiliated people who live under dreadful conditions.

This co-operation is what makes Constru Casa unique and is the most important mark of our initiative. The missions of Constru Casa and its partner organizations complement each other and lead to mutually reinforcing positive outcomes for the families. The idea is that the impact of a new house is significantly enhanced if a family is already part of another social organization helping to improve their lives. Constru Casa’s goal is that the new house and the health-care, educational or social work provided reinforce each other and give the decisive impulse to lift a family out of poverty and onto the path to a better future.

in addition to working with partner organizations, we strongly believe that beneficiary families need to contribute to their house. They should not receive the house as a mere gift, but be conscious of the fact that they need to contribute themselves. Constru Casa achieves this first through the participation of at least one family member in the construction. Second, the families pay a contribution of 25% of the total cost of the construction of their house (around US$ 875). The amount of the contribution depends on the financial situation of the individual family and the type of house, and is determined in consultation with the social worker of the social partner organization. The families pay their contribution monthly during a period of four years. Most families pay about US$ 20 per month for the basic 3-room house. After the construction, they also participate in special programs organized in cooperation with the social partner organizations (follow-up meetings, accompaniment).