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Habitat World June 2011

WHAT WILL YOU BUILD?


Each house built,
each family served,
each life forever
changed starts with
One person like you who
decided to join the fight.

IN THIS ISSUE:
» How housing microfinance works in Uganda
» Seven ways to help Habitat today
Foundations
From Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford
HabitatWorld The Publication of
Habitat for Humanity International

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jennifer Lindsey


MANAGING EDITOR Shala Carlson
ASSISTANT EDITOR Phillip Jordan

Phenomenal Facts and Figures


PHOTO EDITOR Bob Jacob
PRINT SUPERVISOR Mike Chapman
Journey Group, Inc.

W
DESIGN

WHO WE ARE
e were very excited numbers to guide us on a journey through Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, Christian
to learn that last year our story. I think you will find this an intrigu- housing ministry that works both to eliminate
poverty housing around the world and to make
Habitat for Humanity ing way to examine our work. As you view adequate housing a matter of conscience and
served 75,000 families things from this perspective, I believe that action. Habitat welcomes to the table partners
worldwide. That means you will agree that Habitat is making a tre- from any faith — or from no faith — who are
willing to pick up a hammer to help improve the
we have served more than 400,000 families mendous impact in many communities, but lives of families needing decent shelter.
— or roughly 2 million people — since our the growing issue of poverty housing world-
founding in 1976. wide demands that we find ways to do more. W HAT W E D O
Habitat for Humanity organizations build,
I often try to attach such big numbers One of those opportunities comes renovate and repair houses in partnership
to something more tangible. For example, through housing microfinance programs with people in need of adequate housing.
Homeowners are selected locally by Habitat
a 300-page book contains about 75,000 designed to reach the very poor (see page
organizations based on their need for housing,
words, and 2 million people would fill 10). Habitat has recently introduced its ability to repay a no-profit loan and willingness
about 22 venues the size of the Beijing MicroBuild Fund as a means to help fami- to partner with Habitat. Loan repayments
contribute to help build and repair additional
National Stadium, where the 2008 lies who cannot afford to purchase an entire houses. Because Habitat’s loans are no-profit,
Olympics were held. Even with such a vi- house. Using housing microfinance loans, they are affordable for low-income partners.
sual connection, such large numbers can families can make simple improvements
S TAT E M E N T O F P U R P O S E
take a moment to digest. They can be over- that provide tremendous benefits. Having a Habitat World magazine is the educational, infor-
whelming. What truly amazes me, however, roof and a cement floor, for example, so of- mational and outreach publication of Habitat for
is the knowledge that behind these figures ten means better health for families — not Humanity International. Its purpose is to further
Habitat’s goal of eliminating inadequate and pov-
are individual families whose lives have to mention the relief of having a dry place erty housing as a demonstration of the gospel
been forever changed. to sleep at night. of Jesus Christ, and to raise awareness of the
issues involved in this work throughout the orga-
In this issue of Habitat World, we allow Once initial improvements have been
nization and the world community. Habitat World
made and paid for, families can make other is free to anyone who wishes to receive it.
changes to improve their housing situations.
L ET U S H E A R F ROM YOU
Over time, the lives of individual families Habitat World, 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA
are radically changed. Multiply those im- 31709-3498, habitatworld@habitat.org,
provements in a community, in a village and (800) HABITAT, (229) 924-6935
fax (229) 931-9629
in a country, and housing microfinance op-
portunities can have a tremendous impact FOR SUBSCRIPTION CHANGES
on decent housing around the world. Call the number above or email
publicinfo@habitat.org.
I hope you enjoy this unique look at our Habitat World can be read online at
affordable housing efforts, and I pray that you habitat.org and is available on request in Braille.
Circulation: 1,069,014 (estimated)
will especially be drawn to the power of one:
Copyright ©2011
the grace of the one God who grants us count-
less blessings and the ability you — as one Printed on 100 percent
individual — possess to change the world. recycled paper

Habitat World (ISSN: 0890–958X) is published


quarterly by Habitat for Humanity® International,
121 Habitat St., Americus, GA 31709–3498.
Vol. 28, No. 2. June 2011.
EZRA MILLSTEIN

JONATHAN T.M. RECKFORD


Chief Executive Officer
Habitat for Humanity International

2 HA B I TAT WO R L D HA B I TAT. O R G
Blueprints
p Your content guide to habitat world

Young volunteers at North Carolina’s Habitat for


JUnE 2011
Humanity of Wake County, led by Mike Brajer, work
alongside future homeowner Kalisia Pate in Raleigh.

fEaTUrES 18
ChriS enGel

8 PiCtUre tHis IN EVERY ISSUE

Enter Habitat World’s 2011 photo contest f o U n dat i o n s : Habitat for


for a chance to help build in Haiti. Humanity International CEO Jonathan
Reckford reflects on the families behind

9 strengtH in nUMBers
the figures. P A G E 2

Ha B i tat l a s : Providing construction


• In Uganda, one new program helps
on tHe Cover assistance in Malawi; beginning a program
Habitat reach more families. in this issue, Habitat
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. P A G E 4
PA G E 1 0 World celebrates strength
in numbers. Because of
• Five gifts that are changing lives. habitat’s work, 800 more f i e l d n o t e s : A photo exhibit
people will sleep in decent,
PA G E 1 8 highlights 25 years of Habitat Paterson
affordable shelter tonight.
• Six reasons to check out the Habitat World blog. a multitude of volunteers success stories and shares how that success
PA G E 2 3
helps make that happen can grow; Pioneers in Excellence.
365 days a year.
PA G E 2 8
• Seven ways you can help Habitat today. Design by Mike Ryan
PA G E 2 7 C o M i n g H o M e : Habitat helps
a Jordanian family complete a safer,
healthier home. P A G E 3 1

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 3


habitatlas
International news

Habitat Northern

4 Ireland supports
building in Ethiopia

Habitat advocates
1 in Washington, D.C.

2
Work begins
in Bosnia and 5 Ivy Leaguers
Build in India
Herzegovina

Volunteers
9
cycle to raise Shelter and Assessing the
awareness clean-up kit need in Japan
Habitat Paraguay
partners to reach 7 and support for 6 distribution in

indigenous
community
Habitat South
Africa
8 Habitat Malawi
Sri Lanka

3 offers construction
technical assistance

Numbers on the map above correspond to numbers in the text about the specified country.

Fifth annual Habitat on


1
the Hill offers advocacy opportunity

H
abitat for Humanity priorities this year is preserving resources Habitat’s domestic and international agen-
supporters might typi- that help bolster the work of Habitat affiliates das: neighborhood revitalization, self-help
cally be more comfort- nationwide. housing solutions for veterans and military
able on a build site, This year’s Habitat on the Hill event was service members, foreign-assistance reform,
but they have become again organized by Habitat for Humanity and housing for Haiti.
increasingly savvy at International’s D.C.-based Office of “We have a new Congress this year, and
advocating for afford- Government Relations and Advocacy. More we want to build new relationships,” says
able housing. Habitat’s fifth annual Habitat than half of this year’s attendees had never Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford. “I think we
on the Hill event took place in February, participated in Habitat on the Hill before, and have been very successful in working with
enabling U.S.-based staff and volunteers to they deemed it an overwhelming success. legislators across the political spectrum. We
talk with legislators in Washington, D.C. Workshops were followed by visits to Capitol know that Habitat for Humanity can be as
In a year that has featured a high-profile Hill offices for talks with U.S. legislators. much about changing and improving sys-
debate over the federal budget, access Staff and volunteers came from Habitat tems that enable access to decent housing, as
to decision-makers takes on increasing affiliates and state support organizations in about building and renovating homes.”
urgency. One of Habitat’s U.S. advocacy congressional districts identified as key to

4 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
Ben Skudlarek

Bosnia and Herzegovina include building in stages, room additions, A by-the-numbers look at the 2011 edition of
2 Habitat for Humanity International’s incremental housing, or the renovation or Habitat’s annual advocacy event: ‘Habitat on
board of directors has added Bosnia and repair of an existing dwelling. Partnering the Hill’ in Washington, D.C.
Herzegovina to the list of countries where with Select Financial Services Malawi,
Habitat works. Habitat will be able to assist certain catego-
Habitat operates in partnership with ries of low-income earners in the capital Global Village team from the University of
leading microfinance institution LOK. A city of Lilongwe, helping families acquire Ulster traveled to Ethiopia in 2005 to work
€13 million (about USD$18.3 million) proj- land and homes or improve their existing in a community where many families have
ect aims to serve more than 25,000 families housing conditions. been affected by leprosy.
over the next five years. With funds secured Under the terms of the partnership, “The first trip to Ethiopia was the start
from another Habitat partner, the Dutch Habitat Malawi will offer participating fami- of a life-changing partnership,” says the Rev.
International Guarantees for Housing lies recommendations of appropriate build- Raymond McCullagh, a team leader from
Foundation, LOK will offer affordable loans ing materials and methods, help with legal the University of Ulster. “The generous
to low-income families for home-improve- requirements and documents for land title, support of communities across Northern
ment purposes. Habitat will develop these simple house plans, and other assistance. Ireland has enabled us to build houses,
housing microloans and assist with hiring community and hope for some of the poor-
and training loan officers, as well as provide Ha B i tat n ort H e r n est people in the world.”
project management.
4 i r e l a n d Habitat Northern
At a later stage, Habitat and LOK plan Ireland has announced a three-year com- i n dia More than 60 alumni of
to work with condominium associations on mitment to send nearly USD$250,000 to
5 premier schools and colleges in India
loans for energy-efficient renovations. support projects in Ethiopia. The funds will and abroad worked with Habitat India in a
develop an innovative and holistic Habitat two-day Ivy Leaguers Build.
M a l aw i Habitat Malawi has program that will focus on delivering new The February build was in the village
3 started a one-year pilot partnership homes, energy-efficient eco-stoves and of Kawatewadi, Karjat, outside Mumbai.
to provide technical assistance to new part- clean water for leprosy-affected families. Volunteers, who included graduates of
ner families. This new commitment adds to Habitat notable American and Indian universities,
For many families in Malawi who live in Northern Ireland’s efforts in Ethiopia, worked with Habitat homeowners to mix
substandard conditions but would struggle which have already resulted in 150 homes. clay for cement and to lay bricks to build
to pay a full mortgage, solutions can The ongoing partnership first began after a the walls of four houses, as well as to paint

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 5


habitatlas Habitat World is also published online at
habitat.org/hw
with additional coverage of Habitat’s work.

external walls. The build was part of Habitat Habitat Sri Lanka
India’s effort to provide 200 families in Karjat staff prepare
with solid, permanent homes. clean-up kits for
Special guests included Rajashree Birla, families affected
chairperson of Habitat’s IndiaBUILDS cam- by recent flooding.
paign, and Ron Terwilliger, former chair-
man of Habitat for Humanity International’s
board of directors. At the end of the build,
Birla and Terwilliger dedicated two houses
with K. Sankaranarayanan, governor of
Maharashtra state where the build was held.
“Housing is a fundamental need, which

mikel Flamm
has a direct bearing on the quality of life,”
Sankaranarayanan told The Times of India.
“Initiatives such as IndiaBUILDS will,
therefore, have a far-reaching impact on
India’s poverty alleviation crusade.” which we can use for flooring and the lantern settlement of 1,800 residents.
Habitat’s IndiaBUILDS campaign aims so we can have light in the evenings.” With support from several organizations,
to serve 100,000 families by 2015. The kit distribution, funded with a grant a group of 80 families in Cayin o´Clim
from the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission created a project that has been approved
sr i l a n K a In response to through Habitat Great Britain, is Habitat by Paraguay’s National Fund for Social
6 flooding throughout the country, Sri Lanka’s first disaster response since its Housing. The project utilizes government
Habitat Sri Lanka has distributed emer- 2005-2008 tsunami projects. housing subsidies and individual donations
gency shelter kits and clean-up kits. to relocate families to a nearby plot of land
S. Shanthirakaram is among those who Pa r ag Uay Indigenous groups donated by the Indigenous-Mennonite
received a kit from Habitat. The 46-year-old
7 in Paraguay represent roughly 2 Cooperative Services Association. Habitat
fisherman and his family of seven live in percent of the population. The more than Paraguay will provide specialized technical
a thatched house in Thiraimdhu village in 10,000 people that make up that percent- assistance to the relocating families.
Batticaloa. When the roof of their house was age often face problems with land tenure, a
badly damaged, the family relocated to a pervasive disrespect for ancestral traditions, s oU t H a f r iC a Two men,
temporary shelter for more than two weeks. and a struggle to access basic services such
8 two bikes and eight countries all add
“There was no way we could have stayed as health, education and housing assistance. up to create an adventure with a conscience.
in the house,” he says. “Not only was it Habitat Paraguay is participating in a Ricki Hodgson and Davey Du Plessis
unsafe, but I was worried for the children national project to help address the needs are cycling through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia,
with so much water around us.” of one indigenous settlement located just Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique
Shanthirakaram’s fears were allayed when outside of Neuland. Precarious housing before heading home to South Africa in
Habitat helped to install a new roof. “I’m very conditions, overcrowding, unemployment, July. The aim of their campaign is to help
thankful to Habitat,” he says, “for providing hunger, malnutrition and lack of access make a tangible difference in the lives of the
us with the new roof, heavy plastic sheeting to clean water prevail in Cayin o´Clim, a people they meet along the way. The duo

whErE wE worK

habitat for humanity started in the united States in 1976, and today its work reaches around the world. Currently, habitat is at work in all 50 states of the united States, the district of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of puerto rico, the territory of Guam, the u.S. Virgin islands and other countries around the globe, including: afghanistan | argentina | armenia | australia
Bangladesh | Bermuda | Bolivia | Bosnia and herzegovina | Botswana | Brazil | Bulgaria | Cambodia | Cameroon | Canada | Chile | China | Colombia | Costa rica | Cote d’ivoire
dominican republic | egypt | el Salvador | ethiopia | Fiji | France | Germany | Ghana | Great Britain | Guatemala | Guyana | haiti | honduras | hungary | india | indonesia | Jamaica | Japan
Jordan | kenya | kyrgyzstan | laos | lebanon | lesotho | macedonia | madagascar | malawi | malaysia | mexico | mongolia | mozambique | myanmar | nepal | netherlands | new Zealand
nicaragua | northern ireland | paraguay | peru | philippines | poland | portugal | republic of ireland | romania | russia | Senegal | Singapore | Slovakia | South africa | South korea | Sri lanka
tajikistan | tanzania | thailand | timor-leste | trinidad and tobago | turkey | uganda | ukraine | Vietnam | Zambia

6 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
Windows on the Work
GLIMPSES INSIDE HABITAT HAPPENINGS

1 Long-term pledge to Christchurch, New Zealand


More than 10,000 homes were lost in the Feb. 22
earthquake that crumbled parts of New Zealand’s second-
selected Habitat South Africa as one of two
largest city. Habitat New Zealand immediately launched a
nonprofits to benefit from the sponsorships
new website (shelter.org.nz) connecting those in need of
and donations they obtain.
shelter with families who could offer temporary housing.
“As we cycle, we hope to show the
Thousands of Habitat’s tested New Zealand volunteers have
public the great work that Habitat for
pledged to join the long-term rebuilding efforts.
Humanity is doing throughout the conti-
nent in the various countries we visit along
the way,” says Hodgson. “We also hope that 2 Salvaging materials in Kansas City
Heartland Habitat recently recruited volunteers for a different
our efforts will help raise enough money to
kind of workday: deconstruction. When the Tomahawk
finance the building of a house (or houses)
Hills Golf Course moved its clubhouse to a new building,
for those in need.”
Heartland Habitat asked to salvage usable materials
Regular posts about the team’s trip can be
from the old one — doors, sinks, light fixtures and
found at www.throughafricaforafrica.com.
more. Over the past three years, Heartland Habitat
has performed six such deconstruction projects. The
JA PA N Since beginning a national
9 program in 2003, Habitat Japan
saved items are sold at the affiliate’s ReStore, bringing
in more money to build homes.
has become a leader in sending funds and
volunteers to other Asian countries where
Habitat is at work. The heartbreaking 3 Recovery continues in Chile
Feb. 27 marked a year since a magnitude-8.8 earthquake rocked the
results of the March 11 earthquake and tsu-
length of Chile’s coast. Habitat Chile released a progress report and
nami mean Habitat Japan must now look at
rededicated itself to assisting 10,000 families rebuild their lives. “We
new needs within its own borders.
have to unite together and continue working,” says Luis Santibanez,
“We regularly send local and Japanese-
Habitat Chile’s national director. “There are still thousands of people
based foreign volunteers, more than 800
awaiting a response.” Look for the report on the disaster response
a year, to support projects overseas,” says LANGLEY, BC pages of habitat.org.
Kentaro Yamazaki, Habitat Japan’s national
office manager. “Now help is needed on
[our own] doorstep.” 4 Collegians at work in Sacramento, Calif.
A group of Canadian students drove 15 hours from Trinity Western
To supply that help, Habitat is coordi-
University in Langley, British Columbia, to spend their spring break
nating with government agencies and other
with Sacramento Habitat in northern California. The students
nonprofit organizations to determine how
reorganized the affiliate’s ReStore and poured a new home’s
to best support relief and rebuilding efforts.
foundation. Habitat’s year-round alternative break program, Collegiate
Habitat Japan’s recent call for volunteers
Challenge, featured more than 900 such trips during the past program
resulted in a long list of people willing to
year. More than 14,000 students participated, contributing nearly $2
help with clean-up and rebuilding efforts.
million to Habitat affiliates.
To learn more or to support Habitat’s
efforts in Japan, visit habitat.org/japan. Want to open a window on Habitat’s work in your community?
SACRAMENTO, CA
Email news suggestions to habitatworld@habitat.org.

HFHI WORLDWIDE AREA OFFICES

Africa/Middle East PO Box 11179, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa. United States 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA 31709. Tel. (800) 422-4828,
Tel. 27-12-430-9200, AME@habitat.org (229) 924-6935, publicinfo@habitat.org
Asia/Pacific Q. House, 38 Convent Road, 8th Floor, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Office of Government Relations and Advocacy 1424 K St. NW, Suite 600,
Thailand. Tel. 66-0-2632-0415, ap_info@habitat.org Washington, DC 20005. Tel. (202) 628-9171
Europe/Central Asia Zochova 6-8, 811 03 Bratislava, Slovakia, ECA@habitat.org Canada 40 Albert St., Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3S2. Tel. (519) 885-4565,
Latin America/Caribbean PO Box 1513-1200 Pavas, San José, Costa Rica. habitat@habitat.ca
Tel. (506) 296-8120, LAC@habitat.org

JUNE 2011 HA B I TAT. O R G 7


SHa rE
W H AT
YO U S E E

annah walterS
Joe Strathman
Enter Habitat World ’s
2011 photo contest
for a chance to help
build in Haiti.
S a MPlES of 2010 SUBMiSSionS


how us what Habitat means to you
through images that help commu-
nicate how Habitat’s mission plays
out in your experience: volunteers,
families, houses, the need that ex-

luiS diaZ madrid


ists in your community, the change
Habitat has helped create.
The contest winner will be awarded a
spot as a volunteer at the 2011 Jimmy &
Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Haiti. In
addition, photos and statements from the
contest winner and top four finalists will
be featured in the December 2011 issue of
Habitat World and on habitat.org.
The contest closes at midnight, July 8,
Eastern Daylight Time.

VISIT habitat.org/hw/photo_contest/2011
for everything you need to know to enter.
laurie daViS
SuZi pratt

8 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
#
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

X
Habitat Uganda’s housing microfinance
program is one example of innovations
that are multiplying the number of families
we can reach — and the types of housing
solutions we can offer. Page 10

BE A FACTOR
Habitat for Humanity believes that there is unlimited value in the safety
and security of a simple and decent place to live. Many things make
up the Habitat equation, and this Habitat World celebrates stories that

+
speak to exponential growth and new formulas for change. »

Supporters and volunteers around the world


are adding to the awareness and resources
that help Habitat do more. Large or small,
these gifts ultimately result in new — and
renewed — communities. Page 18

= We’re always searching for ways to share


more stories. The birth of the Habitat World
blog has allowed us to do just that, and in
this issue, we share a few prime examples
of the storytelling you can find online each
week. Page 23

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 9


1 STRENGT H I N N U M B E R S
1 WAY HABITAT REACHES MORE FAMILIES

AnotheR pAth hoMe


How housing microfinance works for Habitat Uganda
BY PHILLIP JORDAN / PHOTOS BY EZRA MILLSTEIN

10 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
THE DUSTY, RUTTED ROAD

that leads to Halima Bagaaya’s house doesn’t bear the load of


cars often. The route from northwestern Uganda’s Katasenywa
village is usually accomplished on foot. Young boys push bicy-
cles overloaded with green banana bunches. Women walk the
road to reach the nearest well, balancing the ubiquitous, bright-
yellow water jugs that are mass-produced in the capital city of
Kampala. Only the slow crescendo of an approaching boda-bo-
da — Uganda’s motorcycle taxi — forces foot traffic to the side.
Three years ago, a passerby wouldn’t have seen much of
Halima’s house along this road. At that point, the 41-year-old
widow had completed only the foundation of her future home.
Halima had the know-how and labor help she needed to build
the rest — money and building materials, however, were an-
other matter.

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 11


hoUSing MiCRofinAnCe As work remained at a standstill, Halima
continued to pay rent for temporary hous-
to construct a chicken coop; hundreds of
chicks provide her household with a steady
Newer method, traditional principles ing elsewhere. “It was frustrating,” she re- source of income. To the front and sides
members. “Having to pay rent and other of the house, Halima and her sister have
costs, it was difficult to store up all I needed planted Irish potatoes, yams, tomatoes and
Family selection: Habitat’s housing mi-
to finish the house.” onions. There are also several trees: mango,
crofinance efforts follow the same cri-
Then, one of Halima’s cousins told her jackfruit and, of course, plantain — which
teria for family selection as any Habitat
about Habitat for Humanity Uganda, and is necessary to make matoke, the ever-pres-
program. Families are chosen based on
something new Habitat was offering: hous- ent national dish in Uganda.
their need, their willingness to partner
ing microfinance. Halima decided to apply “It just makes you feel like you belong
and their ability to pay.
for a housing loan through the program. She somewhere,” Halima says.
Sweat equity: Same as always, houses completed an education course at Habitat
are not built for anyone. Habitat always Uganda’s Masindi branch office, and Habitat WHY HOUSING MICROFINANCE ?
works with families. In this case, families staff visited her to assess her situation. Since 2008, Habitat Uganda has distrib-
take the initiative to apply for a housing In early 2009, Halima received her first uted more than 1,600 housing loans to
loan and then use the funds to build or Habitat housing loan. She used it to build people like Halima Bagaaya. While the
improve their own homes. the walls of her house. She had been able to approach remains relatively new in Uganda
Construction assistance: Families take secure some materials for the roof and used — where Habitat has worked since 1982 —
the lead in creating their own housing some of her savings to complete it. After it’s become a much more common tool for
solution, but Habitat frequently provides paying off her initial loan in 2010, Halima Habitat worldwide over the past decade.
financial education and construction as- took out a second Habitat loan to plaster, Habitat now has housing microfinance pro-
sistance to families and to partnering mi- paint and complete the flooring. grams in more than 30 countries, including
crofinance institutions. Today, her brick home is complete. She Kenya, Mexico, Tajikistan and Vietnam.
has a door that locks, offering protection for “Housing microfinance aims to fill the
No profit: Same as ever, Habitat is strictly her, her sister zahara Kimuli, and Halima’s gap when families can’t finish a house or
no-profit. The size and length of each 2-year-old niece, Halima Byanjeru. A white need help making home improvements,”
housing loan, repayment plans and in- curtain blows back and forth on the breeze says Mike Carscaddon, Habitat’s execu-
terest rates are set so as not to burden that sails through the window into the sit- tive vice president for international field
a family, but to ensure the program’s sus- ting room. Out back, Halima has been able operations. Habitat’s housing microfinance
tainability. programs vary by country. In some places,
Revolving Fund for Humanity: With Hab- Habitat partners with a proven, local micro-
itat-provided loans, the cycle continues: finance institution to offer housing-specific
Families’ repayments go right back into financial services, such as savings programs
the local fund to be used as housing as- and loans. In others, Habitat works directly
sistance for other families. with individual families — or with savings
groups that a neighborhood of families
Our mission: Methods broaden, but the
have created to pool their resources. Habitat
goal remains the same. Habitat was
Uganda offers both options.
founded on the conviction that every man,
Either way, housing microfinance gives
woman and child should have a simple,
families the flexibility to build in stages,
decent place to live in dignity and safety.
at a speed that fits their needs and their
Housing microfinance is simply another
resources. “In the developing world, we
path toward making that vision reality.
have learned that housing is a process,”
Carscaddon says. “Housing is a verb — not
a noun or a final product.”
Habitat often supplements its housing
A pair of Habitat microfinance with technical construction
Uganda housing assistance, savings programs and financial-
loans helped Halima education classes. Together, the approach
Bagaaya complete her remains consistent with Habitat’s commit-
brick house. ment to empower families and to treat them

12 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
Subra Echum
loves the windows in
her family’s new house
best. “It was dark in the
hut,” she says, “but now
we have light.”

as true partners. That principle began with more money keeps recycling through our
Clarence Jordan, the founder of Koinonia revolving fund to help more people.” MiCRoBUilD fUnD
Farm and the creator of the partnership The goal: $50 million for housing
housing concept that gave birth to Habitat. MAKING THE CONNECTION worldwide
As Jordan wrote in the 1960s: “What the Habitat Uganda created two ways for fami-
poor need isn’t charity, but capital; not case- lies to access housing loans. First, Habitat Most microfinance institutions focus on
workers, but co-workers.” Uganda partnered with an established micro- providing low-income families with com-
finance institution, the Uganda Agency for mercial loans, so that families can start,
H OW I T WO R KS I N UGANDA Development, also known as Ugafode. or improve upon, income-generating ac-
In 2007, Habitat Uganda realized its tradi- Ugafode began in 1994 and quickly tivities. Habitat is working to convince
tional, single-family house-building model became a respected provider of microcredit these microfinance institutions that they
wasn’t reaching enough people by itself. business loans; however, it never developed should also offer housing loans. The point
To help even lower-income families, they its own housing products. is simple: make more capital available to
needed to broaden their methods. The “We knew the need was there, but families in need of decent housing.
solution: two additional housing options — it just wasn’t our expertise,” says Joseph To that end, Habitat for Humanity In-
one that focuses on homes for orphans and Tukamushaba, a Ugafode program man- ternational has launched the MicroBuild
vulnerable children and another that offers ager. “When we did customer surveys in Fund, which will provide funding and
housing microfinance. 2006 and 2007, one of the main things we technical assistance for housing im-
Andrew Sooka, Habitat Uganda’s hous- found was that our clients were diverting up provements worldwide. The initial goal
ing microfinance project manager, says the to 30 percent of their business loans to use is to raise $50 million for MicroBuild, with
incremental building approach works well for home-building.” Habitat leveraging all donations. The
in Uganda. “Previously, we were one-size- Enter Habitat Uganda. Habitat created money will be directed to responsible
fits-all,” he explains. “We had our model, and a housing loan package for Ugafode that microfinance institutions so that they can
people could take it or leave it. But now people began in early 2008. By the end of 2010, begin offering housing loans to their low-
can build as they want to, at their own pace.” Habitat Uganda had funded more than 1 income clients.
With housing microfinance, sometimes billion Ugandan shillings through Ugafode “We launched the MicroBuild Fund
change can be as dramatic as a new house (about USD$426,000), providing more than to show established microfinance institu-
that radically improves an entire fam- 700 housing loans for low-income families. tions that housing loans can be a success-
ily’s health and quality of life. Sometimes, Habitat Uganda also trained Ugafode staff ful addition to their existing efforts,” says
change is more subtle. Maybe a new roof to to evaluate housing needs and to appraise Mike Carscaddon, Habitat’s executive vice
keep a family dry and warm. Perhaps solar families’ ability to partner and pay. president for international field operations.
panels to power a home, or new access to In addition to partnering with Ugafode, Participating microfinance institutions
clean water and a sanitary toilet. Habitat decided to offer housing microfi- will match the amount of funds raised.
“Housing microfinance has the ability nance directly to families, along with finan-
to reach lower-income people in a much cial-education classes. The effort focuses on
more flexible way,” Sooka says. “The money the rural regions of the country where micro-
comes back faster, too, because these are finance institutions are not as prevalent.
smaller, shorter-term loans. That means Habitat offers loans that range from 100,000

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 13


“What the poor need Ugandan shillings (about USD$42) to 3 mil-
lion Ugandan shillings (about USD$1,200).
isn’t charity, but capital; Most days, after morning devotions,
not caseworkers, Habitat Uganda branch officers don motor-
cycle helmets and ride boda-bodas into the
but co-workers.” countryside, promoting Habitat’s program
and evaluating the housing needs of poten-
—Clarence Jordan, tial partner families.
the founder of Koinonia Farm and one “We’d like our long-term strategy to be:
of the creators of the partnership Go to an area without access to housing
housing concept microfinance, and start educating the
community and providing loans directly,”
explains Sooka, Habitat Uganda’s housing
microfinance manager. “Then advocate to
microfinance institutions why they should
come to that area and provide housing
loans. Once that happens, we’ll work
through them as partners, and Habitat can
move on to another region in need.”

‘NOW I CAN SLEEP COMFORTABLY’


Half-finished houses dot the landscape
‘hABitAt iS ACCeSSiBle’ throughout Uganda. Families are accus-
tomed to building incrementally, and many
Agnes Kijjambu is the deputy director of can save enough to raise the walls for a
non-banking financial institutions at the house. The difficulty comes when they have two-hour taxi ride to Habitat’s branch office
Bank of Uganda, the country’s central to come up with the money and materials in Masindi and applied for a housing loan.
bank. She is also a member of Habitat needed for things like windows, doors and They were approved for 1 million Ugandan
Uganda’s board of directors. — especially — roofs. Roofs here typically shillings and used the loan to buy the
Kijjambu says housing microfinance cost about twice as much to finish as four timber, nails and roofing sheets needed to
options are important in Uganda because brick walls. create a secure covering for their house.
many people don’t have access to banks Ayediida Mbagaineki found herself “Now I can sleep comfortably,” Ayediida
or don’t have enough credit for traditional in this situation in 2009. The 56-year-old says with a smile. “I don’t worry if it’s going
loans: “To many poor people, a bank is a mother lived with her daughter, Asaba to rain or not.”
big building with a manager wearing a tie,” Prossy, and a 12-year-old nephew in a pair of Inside her living room, Ayediida offers
she says. “Even if they could qualify for a mud huts near the Budongo Forest Reserve her guests some peanuts that came from her
loan, it’s intimidating. Habitat is accessible. in a remote section of midwestern Uganda. garden: “And when a visitor comes, I have a
You can talk with someone there easily, re- “Whenever it would threaten to rain, sitting room to sit and talk with them in!”
ceive assistance and negotiate your own I would always try to move my mattress
situation.” and clothes to safer, drier spots in the hut,” CLASS IN SESSION
Without microfinance institutions, many Ayediida remembers. “We replaced the Just like everyone else, Ayediida and Asaba
poor people have to turn to predatory mon- grass roof every six months, but the rain received an education on Habitat Uganda’s
ey lenders. Kijjambu says she admires Habi- and the bugs still got in.” housing microfinance program before they
tat’s financial integrity with housing loans. After years of saving, the mother and even applied for a loan. The education
“With Habitat, the interest rate is the inter- daughter were able to get brick walls built comes courtesy of Habitat Uganda training
est rate,” she explains. “There are no other for a new, permanent home. After that, they officers such as Nelson Kibego.
hidden charges. In most banks here, you were stuck. “We got it to window level, but On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Kibego
might have a surprise monetary fee, secu- we just didn’t have enough materials and leads a training session in Luweero for
rity fee, other fees. Habitat is very transpar- money on our own to do the roof.” those interested in the program. Potential
ent. They don’t charge more than it costs to One day, they heard an advertisement partner family members sit on benches
keep the program going for others to use.” on the radio for Habitat. Asaba took a while he stands near the opening to the

14 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
Habitat Uganda
staffers, such as Collin
Semakula and Joseph
Bawalana at left, travel
Uganda’s countryside
by motorbike to meet
with potential partner
families, such as Ayediida
Mbagaineki, below.

office’s courtyard, so that everyone can feel allows Habitat Uganda to ensure the pro- Since 2008, Habitat
the cooling wind through the doorway. gram’s long-term sustainability — without
Using a flip chart on a tripod stand, he overburdening families. Uganda has distributed
explains Habitat’s history and its Christian Kibego ends by explaining how each more than 1,600
foundation, before moving to the housing partner family becomes an important part of
microfinance program. Habitat’s mission: “Each time you pay us on housing loans.
Kibego describes how Habitat works time, that’s money that goes into our revolv-
with each family to determine the size of ing fund that we can use for a loan to another
a loan. He emphasizes that the repayment client. Your repayments help more people in
period lasts no longer than two years so your community improve their lives.”
that payments don’t become a burden for
families. He encourages those in attendance ‘A NEW DAY’
to budget and save, and he encourages Hassim Oguta Echum is another home-
husbands and wives to make decisions owner who has both benefited from — and
together. It’s a point that Habitat Uganda contributed to — Habitat Uganda’s housing
often stresses — Habitat won’t allow a microfinance program.
husband (or wife) to sign for a loan without Hassim fled his hometown of Lira
their spouse also present. when civil war began ravaging Uganda’s
Kibego then details the repayment pro- Gulu district. He resettled his family out-
cess. Habitat Uganda includes 5 percent side the Masindi district town of Bweyale.
interest the first month, he explains, but the They built four mud-and-grass huts — one
interest rate drops to 2 percent the follow- for Hassim and his wife, zaitun; one for
ing month if the family begins using the Hassim’s parents; one for the children; and
loan and makes repayments on time. With one for Hassim’s siblings.
the costs involved in offering hundreds of He found work as a homebuilder, a
small-scale loans each year, the interest trade he became passionate about after

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 15


“Housing microfinance watching his uncle at work. “I knew from told me about Habitat and about how they
age 7 I wanted to be a builder,” Hassim says. could help,” he remembers with a smile. “It
aims to fill the gap Unfortunately, with business and family was a new day for me.”
when families can’t costs, he couldn’t save the money needed to Turyahnibisa helped approve Hassim’s
start the job he desired most: building his family to receive a 1 million shillings hous-
finish a house or need own brick home. ing loan (about USD$420). Since then,
help making home “Every time when I would complete a eight more families nearby have partnered
nice house for someone else, I would think with Habitat to find a way out of their own
improvements.” about how I was living in a poor place,” mud-and-grass huts.
Hassim says. “I would pray, ‘Let me build a Eager to show off his new home, Hassim
—Mike Carscaddon, Habitat’s nice house for me and my family, like I have directs his guests toward the nearly finished
executive vice president for house. As he walks, he pushes his bicycle,
done here for this person.’”
international field operations which has four pieces of red tape hanging
He constantly set aside surplus build-
ing supplies, but still needed help with the from the seat — reflective tape for night
materials he couldn’t access or afford. Banks pedaling. A financial record-keeping book
wouldn’t lend him money because his income and spiral notebook are strapped to the
varied so much as a self-employed builder. back of the bike; Hassim keeps all his build-
Jackson Ssemakula used Things changed for Hassim when he met ing notes inside.
a Habitat housing loan to buy the Freedom Turyahnibisa, a Habitat Uganda At the house, he points out the features
roofing supplies he needed to finish credit officer based in the Masindi office. he is proudest of and talks about his desire
his family’s home in Kigege, Uganda. “Freedom had come out to the village and to continue building in stages with Habitat’s

16 HA B I TAT WO R L D HA B I TAT. O R G
help. He hopes to add solar panels to his
house soon and perhaps construct separate
buildings for a kitchen and a chicken house.
His family has already moved into the
home. “We have our own room, and there
is privacy here,” says Hassim’s 15-year-old
daughter, Subra. “And this house has light. It
was dark in the hut, but now we have light.”
“There was continuous sickness in
the old places, squeezed in like we were,”
Hassim adds. “There, when one coughs,
everyone coughs. If one gets malaria, soon
everyone gets malaria.”
Beyond the physical and health-based Hassim Oguta Echum partnered with Habitat Uganda to build a home for his own
benefits, Hassim says there is something else family — a house that, as a self-employed builder, he takes pride in creating.
the new home has given him, something
that might not be visible in the bricks or the
mortar, but can be glimpsed in his eyes. “I people I built houses, but I was living in that
am proud now,” he says. “In life, you want [old hut], I didn’t like that feeling. I didn’t to VieW MoRe iMAgeS
to achieve a goal. Part of my goal in life is like that in my heart. But now, I have the of Habitat’s work in Uganda, read this
what Habitat helped me to achieve. Telling pride. I feel contented.” feature online at habitat.org/hw.

hoUSing MiCRofinAnCe AnD hABitAt


Uganda is just one of more than 30 countries where Habitat is using housing
microfinance to complement its traditional building methods.

lAtin AMeRiCA AfRiCA AnD


AnD the CARiBBeAn the MiDDle eASt
Brazil Egypt
Chile Kenya
Colombia Malawi
Costa Rica South Africa
El Salvador Uganda
Haiti Tanzania
Mexico
Peru
eURope AnD CentRAl ASiA ASiA AnD the pACifiC
Armenia Bangladesh
Bosnia and Herzegovina Cambodia
Bulgaria India
Hungary Mongolia
Kyrgyzstan Nepal
Macedonia Philippines
Romania Sri Lanka
Slovakia Thailand
Tajikistan Vietnam
Ukraine

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 17


5 STRENGT H I N N U M B E R S
5 GIFTS WITH LASTING IMPACT

BleSSeD to giVe,
BleSSeD to ReCeiVe
Not every Habitat supporter gives in quite the same
way, but the far-reaching results of even the most
unexpected gifts can be life-changing for all involved.

1 Arkansas
homeowner family
I
n early 2010, Jed Hefner attended a Habitat house
dedication in Little Rock, Arkansas, for new home-
owner Eric Howard. Hefner knew Howard’s new
place well. For most of his childhood, the house had been
Hefner’s home.
gives back, literally Back in 1990, the Hefner family partnered with
Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County to build the
first Habitat house in the county. “We moved in Dec. 20,
1990,” remembers Jed, who was 7 at the time. “I remem-
ber because I knew it was five days before Christmas.”
He and his sister, Deborah, both lived in the house
until they left for college. In 2008, their mother, Anne,
passed away. For the first time, the family’s first home was
empty. “My sister and I talked, and we each knew neither
of us were going to live there again,” Hefner explains. “So
we decided to donate it back to Habitat. It’s what our mom
would have wanted. She received help from Habitat at a
time she really needed it. The biggest tribute we could give
haBitat pulaSki CountY

her was to pass that on to another family.”


The re-gifted house became the affiliate’s first rehab
project, as they updated the home with a new partner
family. “Twenty years ago, this house took a mom and

One house, two generations of Habitat homeowners: Eric Howard


and Jed Hefner at the dedication of Howard’s new home.
“That house gave us the things
everyone should have: your own
space, safety, security.”
—Jed Hefner

18 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
2 Raising funds
in Australia to make
change in Nepal

two kids out of a bad situation. The kids complete


school, go on to higher education and now they are suc-
cessful enough to give back,” says Paige Perritt, develop-
ment director for Habitat Pulaski County. “It is so moti-
vating and such a big testament to what a little hand up
can mean a generation later.”
Jed, now 27, and Deborah, 30, remember very dis-
tinctly the change a new home made on their childhoods.
“The two places I remember living at before that, man,”
says Jed with a whistle. “One was an apartment complex
where we had roaches bigger than the size of my hand.”
Anne could never let the children go outside and play
there, either. Her children may not have noticed the drug
dealers that patrolled the area, but she did.
“The other place we lived in was this two-bedroom
house that had no real heat,” Jed says. “In the winter, we
would set up a space heater and all sleep in the same bed
to keep warm.”
Jed and Deborah still appreciate what their mother
did to transform their living situation so radically.
“She may not have had the most, but she made the
most of everything she did have. That’s why she got with
haBitat ap

Habitat,” Jed says. “And because she did what it took to


take care of us, we’re able to do far more with our lives.”
“She pushed us to do more,” Deborah adds. “She Lianne Manley and fellow volunteer Jenne Rhynehart
always motivated us to do better, no matter where we take part in the Hand in Hand Build in Nepal.
came from.”
After leaving home, Jed served in the U.S. Marines
Corps Reserves while obtaining his degree. Today, he

L
works for a technology consulting firm and is also pur- ianne Manley had never gone on a Habitat build
suing an MBA. Deborah graduated from the University when she signed up to participate in Habitat Aus-
of Arkansas-Fayetteville with a degree in architectural tralia’s Hand In Hand Build, but the Sydney resi-
studies. As an intern, she was among the architects who dent quickly came up with creative ways of raising funds.
helped Habitat Washington County develop a neighbor- In spring 2010, Manley joined a group of 100 Aus-
hood in Fayetteville that won honors from the American tralian women headed to Nepal. Each of the 100 volun-
Institute of Architects. teers made a donation of A$5,000 (USD$5,078) to boost
“The interest in community architecture is definitely Habitat Australia’s campaign to help 250 impoverished
something that I’ve gotten from my years of experience women-headed households. The volunteers also paid
with Habitat,” Deborah says. And how she’s using it is just their travel to Nepal to build alongside Habitat home
another example of how she and her brother are passing partners.
on their blessings to others. Manley’s heart was touched when she first heard
“Without that house, I don’t know if I would have about the struggles faced by the women in the eastern
graduated from high school, much less college or gradu- town of Itahari. “I know how difficult things can be for a
ate school,” says Jed. “But it gave us a foundation. It’s pretty single mum to raise children and maintain a career,” she
simple, nothing fancy. But that house gave us the things says. “I found things difficult, but I had a home and an
everyone should have: your own space, safety, security. income, so I cannot remotely imagine the difficulties the
Just having those basic comforts was such a difference.” Nepalese women and their families face.”

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 19


3 Students help
revitalize a
North Carolina
neighborhood

M
Manley runs a franchise of a telecommunications com- ike Brajer started swinging a hammer at 16,
pany and capitalized on her corporate contacts — as well as volunteering at North Carolina’s Habitat Wake
her own creativity — to donate toward the worthy cause. County.
Manley started a fundraising page on Habitat Australia’s “I knew nothing about building, certainly noth-
website. Together with friend and fellow volunteer Jenne ing about fundraising, but it was the summer after my
Rhynehart, she organized raffles and sent out email appeals sophomore year, and I wanted to do something,” he re-
to corporations advertising in local newspapers and radio. calls. “I got close to a couple of the guys at Habitat here,
Of the different strategies the fundraising friends tried, and I felt great about Habitat.”
a dinner held at a Nepalese restaurant in Sydney, however, So great, in fact, that Mike got the idea that his school
was the highlight. A silent auction and donated door prizes should raise funds for the affiliate. What if Ravenscroft
entertained 95 guests, the restaurant provided a three- High School and its feeder elementary and middle
course dinner at cost, and the evening raised a total of schools managed to raise enough money to build a
A$7,800 (USD$7,922). home? And what if they spent hours building it? And
Overall, the Hand In Hand what if one house wasn’t enough?
Build aims to raise A$500,000 Mike’s vision is about to pay off. Ravenscroft has
Manley capitalized
(USD$507,800) to launch a two- raised $37,000, enough to help sponsor two homes in
on her corporate year project to help women-headed Raleigh’s Long Acres, a subdivision that is part of Habi-
contacts — as well as households in Itahari, Nepal. The tat’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.
Australian funds will enable Habi- Across the United States, the vision for an NRI neigh-
her own creativity — tat Nepal to build decent and safe borhood is one that is revitalized into a vibrant, safe and
to donate toward the homes, as well as organize activi- inviting place to live through the hard work of engaged
ties aimed at improving health and citizens, partnerships and a renewed community spirit. In
worthy cause. sanitation and income generation. its first neighborhood revitalization effort, Habitat Wake
County hopes to serve as a catalyst for change in the
50-year-old neighborhood. Plans include the construc-
tion of eight new homes and the rehabilitation of five, as
well as exterior repair projects on at least 10 existing homes.
The money raised by the Ravenscroft students from
car washes, T-shirts and cutting back on things like prom
is covering the cost of land for two newly constructed
houses. And during the first weekend in March, students
— joined by Mike, now a freshman at the University of
Michigan — helped build in Long Acres.
The Ravenscroft fundraising continues. What these
students are doing is not only making a difference in the
lives of future Long Acre residents, says Habitat Wake
County executive director Kevin Campbell. It’s also set-
ChriS enGel

ting an example for Raleigh residents.


“I’m blown away by the dedication and the commit-
ment to raise that kind of money, then come out and do
Students from Ravenscroft High School help revitalize what they can on the builds,” Campbell says. “The ser-
the Long Acres neighborhood in Raleigh, N.C. vant leadership these kids are showing is impressive.”

20 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
Court ClaYton

4
Chinese students Bao Runyuan, Sun Jiacheng, Jiao
Aijing and Jiang Meng visit with Ben Anderson at Habitat
Greater Boston’s office.
East meets
West and forges had decided to donate some of their own money —
a connection along with funds raised through their school’s chapter —
to Habitat Greater Boston.
The students presented Anderson with $530 in

B
en Anderson didn’t expect visitors on Feb. 2, American and Chinese currency.
2011 — certainly not teenage donors from Ji- “It was just an incredibly inspiring moment,” says
angsu, China. The first two days of February had Anderson. “These kids recognized the need in their own
already produced more than 10 inches of snow and country and wanted to make more of a difference there,
freezing rain, and the Habitat Greater Boston office was but they also were willing to contribute to Habitat’s work
officially closed. in a completely different place, too.”
Anderson, a leadership development officer for Habi- “We all really want to work for Habitat,” Aijing says.
tat for Humanity International based in Boston, came in “As we are teenagers, our money is limited. That money
only because he could walk to the office. At one point, he just represented our eager heart.”
went to the front door to take a look at the scene outside.
“I opened the door and saw these four teenagers,” An-

5
derson recalls. “They had been knocking, but with all the
rain and snow, I hadn’t heard them.” Virginia man
Sixteen-year-olds Jiao Aijing, Jiang Meng and Sun Ji-
acheng and 17-year-old Bao Runyuan were headed to a builds his budget
Model United Nations project in Chicago, but wanted to
visit a U.S. Habitat affiliate along the way. The students
around generosity
shared how they had gotten involved with Habitat.
“My first participation with Habitat was at a char-

I
ity show at my school,” says Aijing. “The school’s Habi- t started with a $25 gift.
tat group successfully raised over 10,000 yuan (about In 1970, a young scholarship student graduated
USD$1,520).” The show inspired the four students to from New York’s Plattsburgh State University. “I had
join the Habitat campus chapter at their Wuxi No. 1 gone to school on a couple of scholarships, which helped
High School. ease the pain of paying for a college education because my
“It was pretty amazing,” Anderson says. “It was just a folks didn’t really have the money,” Richard Semmler says.
nasty, nasty day. And then all of a sudden here are these Someone had made it possible for him to study, he says, and
kids who have hunted down Habitat’s offices in this weath- he wanted to do what he could to pass on the favor. So he
er. And they were so genuinely interested in learning how made his first donation.
they could raise more money and help more families.” “It started off as $25. That’s all I had at that point because
Anderson didn’t know it at the time, but the four high I was in graduate school.” But the gifts soon grew. “The fol-
school students had another motive. When talking about lowing year,” he says, “it was $50, then maybe $75, then $100.
fundraising, the students asked if the Boston affiliate ever Today, it’s $10,000. It’s been that way for the last 15 years.”
received international donations. They explained that It’s been so much more. In the 41 years since writing
they had all received scholarships for this trip, so they that first $25 check, Semmler — now a Northern Virginia

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 21


Why donate
today?

haBitat northern VirGinia


More than 2 BILLION people
in the world live under the
poverty line of $1.25 a day.
Richard Semmler, second from left, surrounded by
Habitat Northern Virginia homeowners.

Community College professor — has given a total of nearly


More than 1.6 BILLION live in
SUBSTANDARD HOUSING. $1.2 million dollars to an array of causes, including about
$260,000 to Habitat. He has done so not by giving when it
has been comfortable or convenient but by creating a bud-
get designed to give away about half of what he earns.
He’s just in the habit. “When I reached $1 million, you
know, I thought I was going to scale back at that point —
retire from the college, do some traveling, do this, that and
everything else,” he says, “but it never materialized. Because I
said I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
What’s he been doing for more years than this math
professor can count is forgoing things like movies and din-
ners out, vacation travels and extra expenditures. He’s never
owned a new car, always shops at thrift stores. He spends a
ONE donation set amount each week on groceries and does everything he
can help can to stretch his dollar. He takes on part-time jobs like book
several people editing and maintenance work so that he has a little bit more
gain access spending money — but also gives away half of whatever ex-
to adequate tra he earns. “It means that you have to plan very, very care-
housing. fully,” he says. “It means making sacrifices.”
His sacrifices have sponsored local houses for Habitat
Northern Virginia, as well as houses in Tanzania. Semmler
first became involved as a volunteer, and he still shows up to
work every Saturday. “While working with our construction
crews, our construction leaders, seeing the families at work,
Thank you! meeting the homeowners that were on site to put in their
sweat equity hours, it was at some point there that I realized,
‘Hey, it takes money to build these houses.’”
The 65-year-old also volunteers with and financially
Habitat’s mission is to eliminate supports a local homeless shelter. “It’s very gratifying to
poverty housing in the United work at the mission and to serve the evening meal, be able
to provide a nutritious plate of food for someone who’s re-
States and around the world.
ally hungry. To know that you’ve helped somebody for one
day, anyhow. And with Habitat, you’re helping some of these
Shala Carlson, people for a lifetime.”

Will you help? Phillip Jordan,


Bill Sanders and
Hiew Peng Wong
Semmler doesn’t seem to think that the way he lives, the
gifts that he gives, are extraordinary. “If everybody did this,
we could make a better world,” he says. “Start out with an
contributed to amount that is comfortable for you and then improve upon
this story. that amount every year after that. That’s what I did. You
go to never know what will happen.”
habitat.org/give
22
today!
ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
6 STRENGTH I N N U M B E R S
6 REASONS YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE HABITAT WORLD BLOG

A CoMMUnitY thAt CliCKS


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T H E HA B I TAT WOR L D B L O G , announced in our last issue, is now in full swing. Each
week, we post contributions and insights from a corner of Habitat’s world, providing a chance Email habitatworld@habitat.org
to learn more, see more, share more. with ideas for future blog posts
If you have joined us, you already know the power of the weekly posts. If you haven’t from your community and affiliate.
dropped by just yet, here are six great reasons to make us a regular part of your online life.
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1
HEAR HABITAT
Homeownership gave me a place to raise my family
BY MARTHA BARNUM / New Horizons Habitat for Humanity homeowner, Americus, Ga.

R E A L LY A N D T RU LY, Habitat saved me. I needed the


HOMEOWNERS kind of financial stability that Habitat was going to of-
fer to someone like me, someone who had nothing and
TELL THEIR
had to strive to work themselves up to something.
OWN STORIES God actually put people in place to help me along
IN THEIR OWN the way. I always think that Habitat is one of those peo-
WORDS — AND ple that God put in place. It was like a weight had been
TAKE THE lifted, like I had something to work toward. Suddenly, I
OPPORTUNITY had something I could build on. It was a foundation for

SteFFan haCker
me and my family.
TO SHARE YOUR
I have a neighbor who just helped build her Habitat
THOUGHTS. house, and we’ve talked about how Habitat has given us
a chance to have somewhere for our children. We know
that the two of us are getting older and soon will leave, a chance to prove that I could be an independent person
but we are showing our children how the house can be in this community, in this society. It’s such a relief for a
something for them to have and grow on, even when person to know that they have a key to a house that is
their children are born and their children have children. going to be theirs. Ours was just a basic house. Just a
I’m very grateful that people in the community basic house, but I tell you what, love and the addition
pulled for me, and I’m very grateful that Habitat gave me that you can do it yourself make it look like a mansion.

eileen wrote:
Wow ... great story and so inspirational. Congratulations on your new home, Martha!
November 4, 2010, 10:30:44 AM

Tina French wrote:


I so enjoyed reading your story. You are a shining light of hope for others. Thanks for sharing and bringing joy to my heart.
November 4, 2010, 9:43:45 AM

Amber Skorczewski wrote:


Martha, what a great story! I am an avid Habitat volunteer, & you might say that I have been bitten by the bug! I agree with you
that Habitat is a wonderful organization & gives so much more than homeownership! Having a place to call your own — and a
safe, clean, affordable place none the less — is one of the blessings that I am so grateful to have! Welcome to the homeown-
ers’ club, Martha! I am sure your children will thank you in the years to come! God bless.
November 4, 2010, 8:43:45 AM

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 23


2
LEARN ABOUT
Advocacy is needed more than ever
BY CHRISTOPHER PTOMEY / Habitat for Humanity International’s director of congressional relations

T H R O U G HO U T O U R H I S T O RY, Habitat has worked


ONGOING hard to develop strong relationships with members of
the U.S. Congress across the political spectrum, and
HABITAT
this Congress is no different.
PROGRAMS With a federal budget that allows little room for
AND compromise, the 112th Congress seems unlikely to pass
INITIATIVES many major pieces of legislation beyond the budget and
THROUGH appropriations measures required to keep the govern-
TIMELY ment running. With regard to housing policy, we feel
that the legislative arena will be quiet when compared

SteFFan haCker
UPDATES.
to the last several years, during which the Neighbor-
hood Stabilization Program, the National Housing
Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund were autho-
rized and funded. The notable exception may be the interested in cutting international affairs spending lev-
area of housing finance, as both parties are seeking to els. This could impact Habitat efforts around the world.
reform government housing enterprises, Fannie Mae, We remain focused on advocating for U.S. policies
Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan banks. that help improve access to adequate and affordable
From an international perspective, one possible housing around the world. And we need your help. For
shift in the direction of U.S. foreign assistance could re- more information, please visit habitat.org/gov.
late to spending levels, with some members of Congress

Mat L K wrote:
Thank you for your efforts in Congress. It is a good reminder for us working in the international offices that sound U.S. housing
policy can positively impact international ones.
December 18, 2010, 11:19:32 PM

3
MARK HABITAT
A world of possibilities
BY CHRIS CLARKE / Habitat for Humanity International’s senior vice president of marketing and communications

A YO U N G G I R L looks out the window of her new


MILESTONES house. The sun shines bright on her smiling face and
AND GET A the promise of a better future — thanks to the selfless
gifts of her community and its generous volunteers. The
GLIMPSE OF image is from the cover of Habitat’s most recent annual
THE STORIES report and the little girl, Kenzie Jackson, is just one of
BEHIND THE the millions of people whose lives have been touched
NUMBERS. and whose futures have been changed by Habitat’s mis-
sion and its partner families, dedicated donors, advo- What we build
cates and volunteers. Habitat for Humanity International
Annual Report FY2010
July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010

Most of my days start early. In that quiet window,


before phones begin to ring and meetings are sched-
uled, I spend a good half hour or more reviewing some
portion of the hundreds of Habitat news stories and
blogs about Habitat’s work. They come in around the cease to be awed, inspired and humbled by the efforts
clock and cover the gamut, from fundraising to wall and outcomes reported.
raising, from groundbreakings for single homes to ma- If you have ever volunteered with one of our 1,500
jor subdivisions, from building high-rise condomini- affiliates in the U.S. or traveled overseas to work with us,
ums in New York City to bamboo homes in Nepal. The you may have viewed the completion of a Habitat home
stories come from all corners of the world, and I never as the culmination of a successful effort. In fact, it is more

24 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
a beginning. The stability, safety and security made pos- ing better lives and experiencing better opportunities
sible by a decent and affordable home opens up a world in simple, decent homes they helped build — and it is
of possibilities for the low-income families we serve. double where we were just five short years ago. With
Of the nearly 75,000 houses we built, rehabbed or your continued support, our work and our pace can
repaired this past year, among them was our 400,000th continue in 2011 and beyond.
house. That translates to more than 2 million people liv-

4
DISCOVER THE
ReStore helps revive hope
B Y E VA N Q U I N N / Habitat for Humanity Buffalo ReStore marketing manager

I B E G A N M Y J O B as the ReStore’s marketing manager In 2005, we opened our first ReStore in the Black
FULL RANGE OF in October and assisted in the south Buffalo location’s Rock section of the city. In four years, the ReStore
WORK THAT IS grand opening in December. The opening had special raised more than $500,000 to fund the rehabilitation of
significance for me, having grown up only three blocks 12 homes.
BUILDING AND away from the store. We’re hoping that the South Buffalo ReStore will
REVITALIZING It’s an area that is downtrodden and economically help fund the construction or repair of even more
COMMUNITIES. challenged. The number of boarded-up houses and homes for low-income families in the city of Buffalo.
businesses grows every year. We’re off to a good start. Not only is foot traffic high at
But our community is beginning to see resurgence. the new store, but donations of home goods are pour-
Habitat Buffalo’s ReStore is the first business to open ing in. We receive a variety of donated items, from
in the area in a long time. Since our doors opened, the boxes of nails to furniture.
ReStore has provided more than just home furnishings And while we’ve been able to provide some bargains
and improvement materials to the public. It’s provided to our customers, possibly the greatest achievement is
people with some hope that local commerce is return- what they have done for us — more residents than ever
ing and that the economy in this area is getting better. are getting involved in Habitat’s mission.

5
CELEBRATE
Building back better
BY VO THI TY / Resident of Quang Nam, Vietnam

Editor’s note: Vo Thi Ty was one of thousands of individuals


THE CHANGE affected when typhoon Ketsana hit southeast Asia in 2009.
THAT COMES
W E W E R E HAV I N G B R E A K FA S T when the wind
FROM THE
struck. A dark cloud formed very quickly outside, and
EFFORTS YOU my first piece of metal roof was broken right away.
SUPPORT. My father-in-law immediately brought my children
to his house, and we ran after him as quick as we could. I
was so scared that I couldn’t even look back. I had never,
ever seen a typhoon so fierce.
My husband and I returned home that night. It must
be how a battlefield looks! Inside the roofless house,
everything was wet and broken. The bamboo thatch
was mostly gone. The garden was messy, with all the In the summer, this new roof will cause the house to be
banana trees down. The chickens were dead. We used cooler compared to the old metal roof we used. It’s also
plastic sheets to temporarily cover up, but soon they more weather-resistant as it’s much thicker and better
were too fragile to withstand the weather. Whenever installed. Without Habitat, I don’t know how long we
the wind came, they would tear little by little. would have suffered until we could afford a new roof.
Once we received roofing materials from Habitat And now that we’ve got solid materials, I don’t think the
Vietnam, we immediately put up the roof, within a day. next storm can bring us down any more.

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 25


6 Renewing the call to help Haiti
B Y D O M I N I Q U E R AT T N E R / Habitat for Humanity Haiti’s director of public relations and development communications

I T WA S A WA R z O N E . Days after the earthquake, I the Pacific. He drifted for nearly


EXPERIENCE
THE IMPACT drove through a city that had been ripped apart by the 47 days, fighting off sharks,
force of nature. Like photos from a World War II col- catching fish with his bare
AND URGENCY
lector’s edition, people walked in a daze, on and around hands and frantically patching
OF HABITAT’S the wreckage, through a cloud of dirt that looked like hundreds of holes left by the
WORK. sifted wheat flour, suspended and suffocating. strafing of a plane he thought
If you dared to look down the ravines or up the steep was coming to rescue him. He
embankments along the narrow roads radiating out eventually washed up on shore
from the city center, you could see those who did not only to serve as a POW for the
survive — left where they died because retrieving them next year and a half.
was too dangerous. What does zamperini have to do with Haiti? His ex-
Every subsequent trip you made along those roads, perience, like that of millions of Haitians, shows us how
you wondered if the victims were still there, and they the human spirit, mind and body can endure unimagi-
were. Out of respect, you lowered your head as you nable suffering. Deprivation made worse by the terror of
passed and said a brief prayer hoping their departure its indeterminate end. Such suffering has no past, pres-
was quick and forgiving. Where you could not see ent or future. It endures throughout man’s existence.
them, the air constantly reminded you of their hidden When reading zamperini’s story, I felt his agony and
and honored presence. You could choose to wear your longed for his rescue. One year ago, I saw the agony of
mask or leave it hanging around your neck — forcing the Haitian people and the death and destruction from
you to meet a reality you never imagined seeing. nature’s war with itself. I longed for their rescue then.
I joined Habitat for Humanity days after the earth- Today, it pains me to see it so far off for so many.
quake struck Haiti, though my history with the country Through his suffering, zamperini talked about hu-
goes decades back. I lived in Haiti as a teenager, graduat- man dignity — how it’s something you must have in
ing from high school in Port-au-Prince. I left in the mid- order to survive. With dignity, your strength and power
1980s to attend college in the U.S., but returned many to fight back, to survive, is greater. This is what I see in
times to visit my mother, who operated a scuba diving Haitians — dignity, a survivor’s will and the hope they
business along Haiti’s northwest coast. Fast forward will be saved. Like zamperini, they are focused on liv-
more than 20 years, the earthquake brought me back. ing, and not dying.
1/12/10 is Haiti’s 9/11. This is their world war. While we can’t rescue everyone, despite our yearning
I recently finished reading about Louis zamperini, to do so, we can help save many. Let this one-year mark
a U.S. Olympian who ran in the 1936 Games in Berlin. be our renewed call to bring hope and homes to help re-
Several years later, he found himself floating in a life raft anchor families who are adrift. We must hurry.
2,000 miles from land after having been shot down in

Craig wrote:
Thank you for sharing your story on Haiti. I too have read ‘Unbroken’ and can certainly see the tie-in of suffering and human
dignity. Can’t imagine what it must have been like to see the aftermath of the quake. To all those willing and able to help the
Haitian people, thank you for the heart and courage.
January 12, 2011, 2:44:17 PM

william wrote:
Wonderfully written. It made me feel as close to the country of Haiti and what they have gone thru as anything I have read as
yet. Thank you for the perspective. It was moving. And thanks for the sacrifices people are making to help those who have lost
so very much.
January 12, 2011, 2:31:14 PM

Youline Silgnena wrote:


That was inspiring!!!! I am Haitian, and to tell you the truth, I think that dignity is one of the many qualities that you’ll find in Hai-
tians when faced with a challenge. They are a resilient lot, who refuse to give up even when faced with death, so one thing that
I am absolutely sure about is that “we’ll get through this.” God Bless!!!

26 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
7 STRENGTH I N N U M B E R S
7 WAYS YOU CAN HELP HABITAT RIGHT NOW

7 / CONNECT.
Stay up-to-date on Habitat happenings and help us
spread the word by following our social media pages.
Get started here: habitat.org/getinv/socialmedia.aspx

6 / SHOP WITH A PURPOSE.


Visit habitat.org/restores to find out if there’s a Habitat ReStore
resale outlet near you. Buy from our online store at habitat.org
to wear your support for Habitat and help put the idea of decent
shelter on the hearts and minds of all the people you encounter.

5 / TRAVEL WITH HABITAT.

7
Habitat.org/getinv includes information about exciting and
fulfilling volunteering opportunities and events that can take
you around the United States and around the world.

4 / ADVOCATE.
Sign up at habitat.org/gov to register as a Habitat advocate
and to receive regular news and action alerts.

3 / VOLUNTEER.
Find your local Habitat affiliate at habitat.org/local or
your local campus chapter at habitatyouthprograms.org/
campuschapters. Habitat.org/getinv also has great tips on

WAYS YoU
Habitat programs that are always seeking your participation.

2 / DONATE.
Your generous financial gift, no matter the size, means Habitat
can reach more families and help create more decent and CAn help
hABitAt
affordable housing opportunities in your community and in
communities across the globe. Your support matters. Use the
envelope inside this issue or give through habitat.org/hwdonate.

BECAUSE, IN THE END,


IT ALL COMES DOWN TO …
Right noW
ONE. One person who passes along this magazine to a friend,
or picks up a hammer, or gives a gift of support. One person who
decides right now to help make a difference.
What will you build?

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 27


FieldNotes
Perspectives from around Habitat’s world

AffiliAte Spotlight

Building Better Communities


A Habitat affiliate in Paterson, New Jersey, uses
a photo exhibition to show a city’s transformation

T
B Y P H I L L I P J O r DA N

he three maps of Pater- had helped change Paterson,” says Billy Neu-
son, New Jersey, are filled mann, photographer and curator of the ex-
with pushpins. Strings hibition. “When the idea for this show came
connect the pins to doz- up, I thought let’s give everyone our history,

william neumann, paterson habitat


ens of surrounding pho- but in a way that really exemplifies how
tographs, most featuring much we’ve been able to change in this city.”
people sweating on con- Neumann has witnessed much of that
struction sites. On each map, concentrated transformation up close. Over the past 20
swaths of the city are colored in red. In years, he has served as a volunteer, board
this case, red means go. Or, more correctly, member and, most frequently, as a photog-
gone — as in, where Paterson Habitat for rapher chronicling the affiliate’s ministry.
Humanity has gone into neighborhoods That long-term perspective helped Neu-
and built homes with families over the past mann craft a show that could visually nar- stem the tide of neglect and offer new hope
quarter-century. rate Habitat’s work in Paterson. for an entire community.
The maps are part of a larger exhibition “The first thing we wanted to do was “North First Street became an all-Habi-
that Paterson Habitat created to illustrate just explain our story,” Neumann says. tat block in that ward,” says Barbara Dunn,
how — and why — Habitat’s approach has “Give people the message that there’s ac- the affiliate’s executive director. “Prior to
worked here. Titled “25 Years of Housing tion to take: ‘We have done it, here’s how us being there, it was a burned-out ware-
Hope and Humanity,” the show debuted we’ve done it, and we’d love to show how house. The area really became a symbol.
earlier this year with a sold-out opening re- you can get involved.’” Before, this was a place that people had
ception at the historic Paterson Museum; the really walked away from.”
crowd included U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg telling itS tAle Since its founding, Habitat Paterson has
(a Paterson native) and Mayor Jeff Jones. Paterson Habitat’s story begins in 1984. By partnered with more than 240 families to
“We wanted to show physically how we then, the city — once a bastion of Ameri- provide new or improved housing. More
can industrial might — had become an- than 200 of those homes stand within this
other example of vast American flight. As once-abandoned part of town.
factories and businesses closed or relocat- “Today, it’s no longer considered the
ed, people followed jobs out of town. There worst area of the city,” Dunn says. “The
“The FirsT ThiNg we waNTed To do wasn’t enough new, affordable housing homeowner presence here has been a sta-
being built for those who remained, and bilizing effort. Now, we’re looking to repli-
was jusT explaiN our sTory. ‘we older housing stock wasn’t being repaired. cate this success elsewhere.”
have doNe iT, here’s how we’ve From its earliest days, Paterson Habitat As part of the “25 Years” show, a history
targeted three wards within the city, par- wall illuminates Habitat’s progress. In the
doNe iT, aNd we’d love To show ticularly focusing on the First Ward and process, it also shares the story of Paterson
how you caN geT iNvolved.’” its Northside neighborhood. By the early Habitat’s founding and growth. Twenty
1990s, Habitat Paterson started a 28-home people volunteered to start the affiliate in
— B I L LY N e UM A N N , Paterson Habitat build there. The affiliate’s bold ambition: to 1984; a newspaper photo shows some of

28 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
Habitat World is also published online at
HABITAT.ORG/HW
with additional coverage of Habitat’s work.

What will
you build?

those founders celebrating their official plished. And hopefully to reach a wider
incorporation. An old brochure trumpets audience to help us going forward.”
Habitat Paterson’s inclusion on the route of
Habitat’s 1988 “House-Raising Walk” from LASTING IMAGE
Maine to Georgia — a key moment in the Most people have a distinct image of what
affiliate’s growth. Habitat looks like to them. For one, it
More recent pieces highlight Paterson might be the wall-raising from their first
Habitat’s tithe relationship with Habitat volunteer experience. Someone else might
Kenya, as well as annual volunteer trips to remember watching an abandoned house
the U.S. Gulf Coast. Family portraits are being rebuilt on their street.
ever-present. Appropriately, a final wall de- As a photographer, Neumann’s job is
tails the many ways people can join Habitat based on capturing those images. After all
and details projects under way in 2011. he has witnessed in his 20 years of Habitat
The exhibition’s variety is intentional: service, he doesn’t hesitate when asked
The goal is to create a lot of entry points for what image first comes to his mind when
people interested in getting involved. “It’s he thinks of Habitat.
indicative of Habitat in many ways — people “It’s always a family,” Neumann says. “I
get attached to it from so many different mean, we’ve done every type of house you
perspectives,” Neumann explains. “As a fam- can imagine, different types of methods
ily, as a volunteer, as a neighbor.” and construction. But it’s really the families
“For us, this show allowed us to think that mean the most. That’s always the im-
back and assess the impact we’ve had and age that pops out. When you see someone
recognize all the people that got us here work on their house, or hold their keys
today,” Dunn says. “It’s an imaginative, for the first time, that’s the best. It’s always
tangible way to show what we’ve accom- about the families.” SHOP ONLINE
OR CALL OUR STORE
habitat.org • 800-422-5914
FieldNotes
Habitat World is also published online at
habitat.org/hw
with additional coverage of Habitat’s work.

Perspectives from around Habitat’s world

Pioneers in Excellence
U.S. affiliates and leaders recognized for innovation in the field

W
hen more than 2,000
U.S. affiliate staff and
volunteers gathered in
Atlanta for the 2011
National Affiliate Con-
ference in March, Habitat announced its
annual Pioneers in Excellence awards.

Clive Rainey lifetime


aC h i e v e m e n t awa R d s
In 2010, the Lifetime Achievement awards
were named after Clive Rainey, Habitat’s
“first-ever volunteer.” This award honors

Green Mountain Habitat


those who have made exceptional and
sustained commitments to advancing
Habitat’s mission.
Joan Jaynes’ support of Habitat of
Central Arizona dates to 1985 when she nique works for volunteers of all ages, too, Volunteers at work on Green Mountain
helped start the affiliate. She created Habi- enabling more volunteers to effectively aid Habitat’s innovative “passive house” in
tat Central Arizona’s first Faith Relations the affiliate on the build site. Charlotte, Vermont.
committee, forming coalitions to build Habitat North Central Georgia estimates
many homes through sponsorships. She that Gene stelten has helped 1,000 families
also used her professional realtor skills in achieve homeownership over the past 26 lation, balanced ventilation and shading.
acquiring and developing land for the affil- years. And while he’s worked in just about Passive houses can lead to a 90 percent
iate — land that was often donated or sold every position, his unique contributions reduction in annual energy costs for
at discount thanks to her relentless efforts. include reaching a younger generation with homeowners.
Our Towns Habitat’s mal murray has Habitat’s message through books such as his habitat of mesa County (Colorado)
worked on the North Carolina affiliate’s latest, A House for Wally and Me. radically reimagined their affiliate’s
behalf for nearly 26 years. Most recently ReStore. They reorganized the entire
as a member of the board of directors, he C l a R e n C e JoR da n awa R d s 28,000-square-foot store and created a new
single-handedly secured $500,000 for the The Clarence Jordan Award — named in volunteer training program. The result?
affiliate in one year. Over the past quarter- memory of the founder of Koinonia Farm, An effectively run ReStore that brings in
century, he has participated in just about who came up with the idea of “partnership almost $100,000 a month and retains long-
every facet of the organization — most housing” that led to Habitat — is given to term volunteers.
notably igniting the affiliate’s house-rehab two affiliates in recognition of their creativ-
program, which is changing the face of ity and innovation. a f f i l iat e s of t h e y e a R
once-neglected neighborhoods. Green mountain habitat (Vermont) The Affiliate of the Year award is presented
dan Pearson has worked with Habitat built a “passive house” as part of a series annually in three population-based cat-
Forsyth County (North Carolina) since of new, energy-efficient homes. The house egories. This year’s honorees are: habitat
1988. An on-site Collegiate Challenge is primarily heated by solar power and Bay-waveland area (Mississippi), indian
leader, Pearson designed a youth-friendly includes design features such as a solar River County habitat (Florida) and
construction-learning method. The tech- hot-water system, high-performance insu- habitat of Collier County (Florida).

30 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g
cominghome
g
The camera captures a moment in time

looking forward
A z E A z K H L E A FAT is willing to show visitors through his old home in Ghor al Safi, Jordan — the home that has
cracks in the walls, a crumbling foundation and holes in the ceiling. But he would much rather invite guests to see the
new house that he is building next door — the one that will soon be home for him, his wife Asma and their four children.
“I want to move into our new house as soon as possible,” he says. “I want us to move into a safe, healthy place.” Khleafat
began working on a new house two years ago, but progress was slow. Last winter, he turned to Habitat Jordan. A Global
Village volunteer team recently helped him build his walls. Now, the roof is finished, too. He’s proud of the work he’s
done and happy it’s happening quickly. Once his family moves, Khleafat has plans for the old house: He wants to knock
it down and plant some trees and a small garden there instead.

P h o t o b y E z r a M i l l s t e i n

JUNE 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 31


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