The PISOS S3 project’s legacy continues, led by the Inter-American Concrete Federation in partnership with Cementos Progreso, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, the Global Network of Indigenous Entrepreneurs, in addition to the Cement and Concrete Institute in Guatemala. This project benefited and transformed the lives of 150 people in indigenous communities belonging to the San Juan Sacatepéquez municipality in the Department of Guatemala.
The «100,000 Floors to Play On» initiative will allow Habitat for Humanity to build concrete floors for a period of 3 years. The organization will allocate Q3 million of its own funds in this first year which will help approximately 2,500 families nationwide. Between 2023 and 2025 it is estimated that they will invest Q10 million which will reach thousands of homes.
According to data from the Guatemalan National Statistics Institute, INE, more than 840,000 homes in rural areas have dirt floors. Many of them do not have access to water. Homes are built with poor-quality materials and in some cases, they have no property or land registration. Dirt floors, in addition to being poverty indicators, are known to cause stomach and respiratory diseases. Additionally, they may harbor parasites, bacteria, and insects that cause anemia, diarrhea, immunodeficiency, and Chagas disease, to name a few.
Concrete floors significantly reduce the risks that affect families’ health, they improve their quality of life and promote equality, balance, and social inclusion.
In addition to being durable, safe, and resistant, they protect against flooding and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to ending poverty.
Find out how the concrete floor changed Doña Máxima’s life and learn more about the Pisos S3 project.
said Maria José Garcia, executive director of FICEM.
