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Peru: Promotion of Safe, Sound and Sustainable Construction Practices in Vulnerable Urban Areas (Construya)

Accelerated urbanization, a lack of urban planning and a significant housing deficit are increasingly leading to the progressive development of housing as an alternative for low-income families. It is estimated that 500,000 homes and more than 700,000 people in Lima live in conditions that place them at high-risk of earthquakes and tsunamis, making Peru one of the countries most likely to experience seismic events in the world. Most homes built in vulnerable zones do not comply with the most basic construction requirements. Given this situation, the Construya Peru project was created. It seeks to improve the quality of life of the population living in vulnerable urban areas of Peru through the promotion of safe, healthy and sustainable construction practices by raising awareness among families and institutionalising affordable training for construction workers. To this end, and under a systemic approach, the project works in coordination with distributors and manufacturers of construction materials, training institutions, business associations, municipalities, universities and innovation centres, among other actors in the ecosystem.
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Ancon, Peru
-11.7340437
-77.1468866
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Lurín, Peru
-12.2608092
-76.8840477
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Villa el Salvador, Peru
-12.2056614
-76.9531145
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Carabayllo, Peru
-11.8818631
-77.0233781
Peru
Project duration
2019 - 2023

The project

In the first phase (2015-2018), the project identified the most frequent bad housing construction practices in peripheral districts of Lima. Based on this diagnosis, training for construction workers was conducted based on the adult education approach (andragogy). At the same time, training on the risks of inadequate housing and how to improve their living conditions through safer and healthier housing was also carried out with homeowners in vulnerable areas.

The project is currently in its second phase (2019-2023) and in its facilitating role it promotes:

  • Development of courses on "Good Practices in Housing Construction", aimed at master builders, co-created with training entities and materials companies.
  • Design and promotion of strategies and means to raise awareness among families on the safe construction of their homes, accompanying local actors in their implementation.
  • Promotion of complementary services in housing construction, according to the demand of construction workers and families (calculating tools for master builders, strengthening of hardware stores and promoting the use of blueprints).

In this way, the project seeks to achieve greater sustainability of the created impact.

Results

Achieved results in the first phase (2015 - 2018)

  • Wrong constructive practices documented
  • Curricula for technical and business training modules developed
  • 4 198 workers trained (1 254 also in entrepreneurial topics)
  • Average income increase of 15.7%
  • 6 809 owners sensitised and 3004 trained
  • 53 000 people living in safer homes thanks to safer construction practices
     

Expected results in the second phase (2019-2023)

  • 3 000 construction workers access and complete quality training packages.
  • 1 000 construction workers apply good practices for housing construction.
  • 5 000 homeowners access information on safe construction.
  • 30% of sensitised homeowners request quality construction and skilled workers.  

Financing partners

This project is financed by Hilti Foundation. It is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. 

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Downloads

Families in informal housing construction in Lima (in Spanish)
7 MB

News

View all news from Construya Peru
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Labour market insertion
29.11.2023
"Now I am able to be a good teacher" - Yasmani Menoza's success story
Yasmani Mendoza has been working in construction for more than 18 years. For him, training is a crucial part of becoming a better teacher, which is why he trained with the cement company UNACEM, through the Capeco Institute.
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Peru
Upskilling and Reskilling
09.05.2023
The Hilti Foundation at Villa María del Triunfo: exploring the progressive housing ecosystem
On May 8th, Matthias Gillner, Chairman of Hilti Foundation, and Melinda Sasfi, Strategic Project Manager of Hilti Foundation, visited the district of Villa Maria del Triunfo in Lima, Peru.
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Peru
Upskilling and Reskilling
13.02.2023
Learning through play: How to build safe housing for families
Homeowners in the district of El Agustino – a suburb in Lima – received training to "Avoid poor construction practices of houses on slopes". In an interactive session, the participants learned in a playful way how to identify the risks in housing construction and how to work out solutions with the help of a specialist. The training was organised by the local Social Centre for Educational Services SEA and supported by the Swisscontact project Construya. 
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