“Korea Blitz Build 2004”
June 11, 2004
SEOUL 11th June 2004: Habitat for Humanity Korea is gearing up for “Korea Blitz Build 2004”, its largest volunteer build of the year.
More than 800 volunteers are expected to participate in the six-day event, which runs from 2nd to 7th August.
The target is to build 40 two-bed-room houses. Eight will be built in Gyeongsan, 290 km southwest of the capital Seoul; 16 in Cheonan, which lies 120 km to the south; eight in an another southern location, Jinju; and eight in Chuncheon, to the north of Seoul.
Said Iris Jho, HFH Korea’s Volunteers” Coordinator: “We welcome the volunteers, most of whom are corporate employees and students who are sacrificing their summer vacations to make ‘Korea Blitz Build 2004’ a real success.”
“Given the likely sultry weather, with temperatures in a Korean summer expected to top 30o centigrade, the volunteers will really be putting the ‘sweat’ into ‘sweat equity’.”
This year’s blitz build is expected to cost the Korean won equivalent of US1.25 million. Funding is coming from corporations, churches, and individuals from home and abroad.
“Korea Blitz Build” is the largest annual construction event organized by HFH Korea. This is the third consecutive year the blitz has been held. It carries on the momentum generated by the Jimmy Carter Work Project 2001 which saw thousands of participants complete 166 houses.
In addition to the 40 homes built during the blitz, this year Habitat for Humanity Korea plans to build another four homes in the southeast, at Gunsan, and lay the foundations for four more units, in Taeback, in the northwest. It will also send funds and volunteer teams to build about 50 houses in the Philippines, Mongolia and other Asian countries.
Since it was formally incorporated in 1995, Habitat for Humanity Korea has built 352 houses in Korea and another 252 overseas. It has 12 affiliates, five chapters in schools and colleges, and organizes volunteer builds including Global Village, “Women Build”, “Build on Faith”, and “Cycling for Habitat”.