Comunicados

On July 8, CEMEX in Colombia launched its Bloqueras Solidarias program, which gives low-income families the opportunity to improve their housing conditions by working to produce their own building materials.

As part of the program, CEMEX will open a center to provide: machinery, tools, raw materials, and training in the production of concrete materials such as blocks and cobblestone.

Half of the building materials produced will become property of the families in the program so they can use them to build new homes or improve their current ones. The rest of the materials will remain at the program’s disposal to be commercialized, making this a self-sustaining program.

The launch of Bloqueras Solidarias was financed jointly by CEMEX and the Inter-American Development Bank (known by its Spanish acronym, BID). The program won a US$70,000 grant for corporate social responsibility projects from BID and the National Business Association of Colombia.

This initiative, born in Mexico in 2005, won the 2009 United Nations Habitat Award in the Access to Housing Solutions category. While in its initial stages, the program in Colombia will benefit 120 families, its self-sustaining nature will allow it to grow throughout the country in the coming years.

As an industry leader, CEMEX has a strong commitment to continue fostering initiatives such as Bloqueras Solidarias, aimed at finding new, innovative ways to help people from all socio-economic backgrounds improve their housing conditions and create a legacy that will stay in their family for generations.

Bloqueras Solidarias is one of the many corporate social responsibility initiatives that highlight the company’s commitment to improving housing and infrastructure worldwide as part of CEMEX’s Global Sustainability Strategy.