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Capacity-building for productive and resilient rural communities, El Salvador

Bronze 2025 | El Salvador

Outline

Rural El Salvador is plagued by poverty, housing shortages, and natural disasters. With no government social housing policy or structural responses, residents are mostly left to build their own homes from earth, which are vulnerable to earthquakes, floods, and disease. Water scarcity, pollution, and rising living costs worsen the situation.

The Salvadoran Foundation for Development and Minimum Housing (Fundación Salvadoreña de Desarrollo y Vivienda Minima – FUNDASAL) is an award-winning non-governmental and non-profit organisation founded in 1968. It collaborates with rural and urban communities to improve where they live, and increases their skills and capabilities, paying special attention to women and young people.

This award-winning rural development project has built and improved over 640 homes and community centres, introduced dry toilets, environmentally-friendly kitchens, rainwater harvesting systems and organic vegetable gardens. It has increased access to water and sanitation and made the local environment much healthier. In this way living conditions and access to food have vastly improved for the 50,484 people who live in the four rural municipalities where the projects were carried out.

Full details

People living in rural parts of El Salvador face a constant battle to survive. Because of the country’s significant housing deficit and absence of a government housing policy to help people on lower incomes to access adequate homes, many have to self-build using earth. These dwellings are poorly made, offering little protection from climate-related natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides, and leaving them prone to insect infestations. The environmental toll of tourism and large resorts, as well as intensive farming, makes water scarce and increases pollution. Rises in the cost of living, gang violence and the effects of the climate crisis are also major problems, making the quality of life for rural communities even worse and forcing many to flee the countryside.

FUNDASAL, a non-profit founded in 1968, aims to improve the conditions that thousands of families live in throughout the country. Their process includes partnership building, planning interventions, training residents, the construction and improvement of homes, and ongoing support. By focusing on empowerment and knowledge-sharing, FUNDASAL develops sustainable communities that thrive over many years.

Since 2012, this award-winning project built and improved over 640 homes and community centres, introduced dry toilets, environmentally-friendly kitchens, rainwater harvesting systems and organic vegetable gardens in twelve rural communities. It increased access to water and sanitation and made the local environment much healthier. Over 50,000 people benefited from these improvements, leading to better health, food security, and resilience to the challenges they face

Social Impact

FUNDASAL’s approach is based on collaboration and community participation and ownership. Residents are trained in construction, agriculture and disaster-risk management. They are actively involved in the planning, building and ongoing maintenance of their improved homes and community spaces. With new skills and knowledge, residents have become more self-sufficient and feel an increased sense of community.

This project’s success, as evidenced by FUNDASAL in collaboration with national universities, has also been instrumental in changing El Salvador’s building regulations to accept reinforced adobe construction (an extremely durable building material made from earth and organic materials), clearing the way for improved housing standards across the country.

Environmental Impact

There is a strong focus on environmental sustainability. Local materials and techniques were used wherever possible, minimizing the impact of building. Organic agriculture and reforestation have improved soil health and water quality. Thanks to new skills, FUNDASAL has noticed a change in the practices of farmers that grow basic grains or fruits, reducing the use of chemical fertilisers and increasing the use of local compost.  By improving living conditions, the project reduced vulnerability to natural disasters and disease.

Funding

International cooperation agencies and foundations provided most of the funding. However, the communities also contributed a significant amount of labour (mutual aid) materials and in some cases money, through FUNDASAL’s affordable credit. This not only reduced costs but also established a sense of collective ownership and responsibility.

Transfer and expansion

FUNDASAL is actively replicating this project in new communities. Exchange and transfer are built into its strategy of community empowerment, and it collaborates widely with universities, Non-Governmental Orgnanisations, and other networks, to deliver ongoing training and knowledge-sharing activities.

By empowering communities and promoting nature-based solutions, FUNDASAL’s rural housing project offers a valuable model for tackling critical housing challenges and improving lives across El Salvador and further afield.

Why it’s a World Habitat Award winner

FUNDASAL has a long history of empowering local communities and addressing a multitude of needs. This project developed better ways to build with earth, creating affordable, eco-friendly and safe housing and changing national building regulations along the way. By training communities in building, agriculture, and environmental care, FUNDASAL has empowered residents to improve their lives and protect the environment. Other communities can see the benefits and are replicating these successful strategies. FUNDASAL’s approach, combining practical training, knowledge sharing and community ownership is a model for sustainable development and empowerment, particularly in areas affected by government neglect, the flight of public authorities and resource exploitation from industry.

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Case Studies

Stories from Alegría, Usulután

Betsaídes del Carmen Ramírez, 60 years old. Esperanza del Carmen Cruz, is 47 years old. Lucinda del Carmen Domingo Echeverría, 47 years old.

Before Fundasal, we knew little about building with earth. We learned basic techniques from our parents but lacked knowledge of materials, construction methods, and foundational structures. Our homes were often fragile, easily damaged by rain and the passing of time. Most houses in our community were made with traditional mud walls, which were prone to cracking and collapsing.

Fundasal changed everything. Through their training, we learned to build strong, durable homes using local materials. We mastered techniques like selecting and cutting bamboo for walls, creating sturdy foundations, and applying protective coatings. We also learned to work together as a team, sharing our knowledge with other women in the community.

Our new homes are a testament to our hard work and newfound skills. They are more resistant to natural disasters and provide a healthier living environment. We have become experts in various construction techniques, including bahareque and adobe. And the knowledge is passed on from generation to generation, now our children who learnt for us, are grown up and are teaching the little ones.

Empowered by our knowledge, we have become leaders in our community. We have taught other women how to build their own homes, and some of us have even been hired for construction projects. We have challenged traditional gender roles about a woman’s place being in the home and a man as the provider. Now we are teaching them things they didn’t know!

Beyond construction, Fundasal has helped us develop new skills and aspirations. We have learned about community organising and advocacy. We are now working to improve our community by advocating for better roads, healthcare, and education.

Fundasal’s impact has been profound. We have not only improved our homes but also our lives. We are more confident, empowered, and determined to create a better future for ourselves and our families.

When Fundasal’s support ends, the knowledge we’ve gained will stay with us. We are capable of working with government officials to advocate for our community’s needs. We have many challenges, but some are urgent. We need projects that improve our community’s access roads, and we need a community health center. We will continue to work towards these goals.

Project contact details

Website: https://fundasal.org.sv/

Capacity-building for productive and resilient rural communities, El Salvador

Bronze 2025 | El Salvador

Outline

Full details

Case Studies

Project contact details

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