Attendees of the Miami Reggae Festival are asked to bring non-perishable and canned food items for donation in observance of Thanksgiving. The rations collected at the event will be organized that night by TECHO volunteers and immediately re-distributed the following day to families in need in Coconut Grove, Overtown and Liberty City by artists, volunteers, and staff members of TECHO and Rockers Movement.
A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to TECHO – a youth led non-profit organization at work in 19 countries including Latin American and the Caribbean. Through the joint work of families living in extreme hardship and youth volunteers, TECHO seeks to overcome poverty. “Rockers Movement will amplify our message and continue to scream that Miami is committed to overcoming poverty,” says Nicolas Berardi, US CEO of TECHO. To date, the organization has mobilized more than half a million youth volunteers and built over 3,000 houses for families living in Latin American slums.
VISION: A fair and poverty free society, where everyone has the opportunities needed to develop their capacities and fully exercise their rights.
MISSION: Work tirelessly to overcome extreme poverty in slums, through training and joint action of families and youth volunteers. Furthermore, to promote community development, denouncing the situation in which the most excluded communities live. And lastly, to advocate for social policies with other actors in society.
OUR INTERVENTION MODEL CONSISTS OF 3 PHASES: 1. Transitional Housing 2. Social Inclusion Programs 3. Sustainable Communities 174 million (31,4%) Latin American people live in exclusion. 73 million (12,3%) Latin American people live in extreme poverty.
TECHO in numbers:
– Almost 100,000 families living in slums have worked together with youth volunteers in the construction of their transitional houses.
– More than half a million youth volunteers have been mobilized all over Latin America to try to put an end to poverty and exclusion.
– TECHO is present 19 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
– TECHO has 2 offices in the United States: Miami & New York. – 883 community-organizing committees have been implemented in the slums.
– 9,740 residents have graduated in basic skills training programs. – 352 community centers have been built in slums. – 16,327 children that live in slums have taken part in education programs. – 3,310 permanent houses have been built.
