Lions Clubs to Finance New Homes for Disabled in South Korea & the Philippines* * * Grants Worth Nearly US$150,000 to Help 48 Families in Need
MANILA & SEOUL, 26th April 2004: Households with severely disabled family members in the Philippines and South Korea are set to have new homes thanks to the generosity of Lions Club International Foundation, the charitable arm of Lions Clubs International, a worldwide voluntary service club organization.
Habitat for Humanity South Korea and the Davao Del Sur affiliate of Habitat for Humanity Philippines successfully applied for financing under a global partnership between Lions Club International and Habitat for Humanity International.
Habitat for Humanity South Korea and Lions Districts 354A and 354F received a US100,000 grant to build eight units in a single building complex.
The Davao Del Sur affiliate is to receive more than US48,000 to build 40 houses at Indangan, Davao City.
The Lions Club Foundation grant covers half the project costs in Korea, which is considered a more developed economy. The local Lions and Habitat entities must raise the remainder.
For the Philippines, the Lions Club Foundation grant covers three-quarters of the project costs.
The grants assure disabled individuals or families with disabled children or adults, have a decent, safe and affordable home. The Philippine units will feature wider doors to accommodate wheel chair access and ramps instead of steps.
The Davao del Sur affiliate has completed its family selection process.
Documentation for the land, which can accommodate seventy-five housing units, is being processed. Details for implementing the Korean project are still being determined.
Families have to meet normal Habitat criteria including a willingness to invest hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” working on their own and other Habitat homes. Physically impaired or disabled homepartners fulfill their sweat equity requirement by be working on lighter activities during the construction period, These are the latest grants to be awarded to applicants from the Asia-Pacific region under a three-year global partnership between Lions Club International and Habitat for Humanity International designed to build 500 low-cost homes for families living with serious physical and mental disabilities.
Since June 2000, Lions Clubs International has provided grants for building 156 homes in Australia, India, New Zealand, the Philippines South Korea and Vanuatu, plus other homes in North and South America, Africa and Europe. Three projects have previously been financed in South Korea and two in the Philippines.
As the world’s largest service club organization, Lions Clubs International has 46,000 clubs serving 193 countries and geographical areas; providing global reach with local impact. Founded in 1917, Lions Clubs International – recognized worldwide for its service to the blind and visually impaired – also dedicates itself to helping those less fortunate in communities around the world. Involving members in projects as local as cleaning up an area park or as far-reaching as bringing sight to the world’s blind, Lions clubs provide innovative service to their communities
In 2002-03, Lions Clubs International’s nearly 1.4 million members worldwide donated an estimated 65 million hours and an estimated US667 million. The average number of hours donated per club worldwide is estimated to be nearly 1,500. In the US and its affiliate countries, Lions Clubs members donated an estimated 12 million hours and an estimated US167 million.