TECHO

TECHO is a youth-led movement of Changemakers: individuals and institutions joining forces and taking action to restore hope for millions of families living in poverty. We are transforming communities by building homes, empowering community leaders, and improving the lives of thousands of families in 18 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, so those families can regain control over their lives and jumpstart their dreams.

In addition to the support provided to families living in poverty, a core component of TECHO's work is to offer volunteers (particularly young people) life-changing experiences that allow them to see the world from a new perspective. Experiences that transform them as individuals, while they are working to transform the lives of others.

The Elevate Prize funding, network, and strategic support would help TECHO scale the number of TECHO Experiences, allowing more young volunteers to work alongside vulnerable families to build new homes and address other local community needs. Each new home is built in two days, and the TECHO Experience creates a win-win scenario: families get a decent place to live, and volunteers participate in an unforgettable, life-changing experience that inspires them to think and act as Changemakers. 

I joined TECHO in 2019. Prior to TECHO, I worked for 2.5 years as Chief Purpose Officer at GalapagosPEX, a media & entertainment company that creates purpose-driven content to raise awareness about social entrepreneurs creating systemic change and inspire others to do good. Before GalapagosPEX, I spent nearly a decade working as Global Director of Ashoka, the largest association of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with over 3,500 social entrepreneurs in more than 80 countries.

Prior to Ashoka, I worked for 2 years as Coordinator of the Outside Interests Division at The Johns Hopkins University, and 7 years as a corporate attorney in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, I obtained a Master's degree in Organization Development with a concentration in nonprofit management.

One curiosity about me: when I was 28 years old, I declined a partnership offer from a renowned law firm in Brazil to focus full-time on a career in the social sector. It took me a dinner to refuse the firm’s offer and a few years for my parents to understand my decision. I have no regrets: my life purpose is to create positive change and enable others to think and act as Changemakers. 

Today, there are over 200 million people in Latin American and the Caribbean living in poverty. No proper home, no potable water, sewage, or electricity access. According to the UN, the COVID-19 crisis is pushing an additional 22 million people to poverty, just in Latin America.

TECHO is a youth-led organization present in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean implementing and fostering an integrated approach to fight poverty in popular settlements (slums) through the joint action of local communities, young volunteers, and strategic partners. 

To achieve its goals, TECHO works in four key areas:

1) Foster Community Development: we work alongside community members to understand their needs and co-create projects that have a collective impact.

2) Enable Changemakers: we create life-changing experiences that enable every person to transform lives, including their own.

3) Influence Public Policy: we empower citizens to influence public policies towards what matters most.

4) Promote transparency: we build trust by operating with full transparency with our donors and community stakeholders.

At TECHO, we believe the combination of bottom-up thinking, collaborative approach, with a massive engagement of Changemakers can create a new world without poverty.

As mentioned, TECHO's unique approach combines bottom-up thinking, collaborative efforts with the beneficiary communities, and a massive engagement of Changemakers.

Our innovation comes from two areas: 

1) Our community-oriented approach: 

We lead a co-creation process between TECHO staff, volunteers, community leaders, and beneficiary families.

Before starting the execution of any project, TECHO organizes Community Roundtables to listen and understand the needs of the communities, prioritize what is most important for the families living in those communities, and co-create projects that have a collective impact. The community members are directly involved in the execution of those projects, which allows them to carry on initiatives after TECHO's intervention.

2) Our Products: 

We foster innovation in the products we bring to these communities. 

From emergency homes that can be built in only two days, to water solutions that allow access to potable water for thousands of families, TECHO is constantly innovating in the area of product development to serve these communities and families, better and faster.  

Everything we do at TECHO is executed in partnership with the communities we serve. We take a four-step approach to our impact, as follows:

1) Community assessment: local Techo teams visit the settlement (slums) for the first time to meet with community members and community leaders.

2) Creation of Community Roundtables: through a community roundtable with families and community leaders, we listen to the needs of the communities and co-create projects that have a collective impact.

3) Hands-on projects: TECHO partners, volunteers, staff, and local families work together in building homes, roads, community centers, water solutions, or any other pressing infrastructure project that addresses the needs of that community.

4) Sustainability of the Communities: we continue working together and empowering our community leaders in heading future improvements to keep their communities safe and progressing. 

As of today, TECHO has built a network of more than 2,000 community leaders in 18 countries, of which 76% are women. We work closely with this network to understand the needs of local communities, co-create the solutions they need, and stay informed about the progress of all the communities and families we partner with.