Management of Social Organizations

Un Techo para mi País (UTPMP) is a non-profit organization managed by young students, active in South America and currently present in 18 countries including Argentina. We will focus during this presentation on the presence of UTPMP in Argentina (UTPMPA).

MISSION:

The following mission has been adopted by the organization in order to express its reason for being:

“Mejorar la calidad de vida de las familias que viven en situación de pobreza a través de la construcción de viviendas de emergencia y la ejecución de planes de habilitación social en un trabajo conjunto entre jóvenes voluntarios y estas comunidades. Queremos denunciar la realidad de los asentamientos precarios en que viven millones de personas en Latinoamérica e involucrar a la sociedad en su conjunto, logrando que se comprometa con la tarea de construir un continente más solidario, justo sin exclusión.”

ADDRESSED PROBLEM:

As can be deduced from the mission, the problem addressed by UTPMP is the poor quality of life of impoverished families in South America.

INTERVENTION STRATEGY:

In order to address this problem, UTPMP has elaborated a three-stage intervention strategy aiming at developing the slums in a sustainable way.

Step 1: Large-scale construction of transitional houses

The first step consists in building emergency houses in order to satisfy the basic need of housing and at the same time reduce associated problems such as illness, infestation, bad study environment and insecurity.

As a result, positive long-term impacts are generated trough this immediate help. The construction process is characterized by the involvement of both volunteers and residents.

Step 2: Social Inclusions Programs

The second phase of development aims at empowering the residents trough training programs and community meetings, both led by volunteers, so that they can take on an active role in the development of their neighbourhood and individual future.

Step 3: Sustainable Communities

This ultimate step helps creating a community with its own organization and functioning and its own definitive responses to emerging problems. This step can include building definitive housing. However, in Argentina, UTPMP did not yet