Habitat For Humanity Celebrates World Habitat Day In Asia-Pacific Region And The World
October 25th, 2011
Events Range From Fundraising High Tea In Australia To 500,000th House Dedication In Kenya
(Top) Habitat home partner Leah Wairimu Ngugi during the 500,000th house dedication in Maai Mahiu, Kenya. (Bottom) A wall being raised on the 500,001st house in New Jersey. Photos: Steffan Hacker, Ezra Millstein.
(Top) Student volunteers joined residents in cleaning up a community in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Bottom) HFH Nepal’s booth at a government-organized exhibition in Kathmandu.
BANGKOK, 25th October 2011: Habitat for Humanity kicked off month-long celebrations of World Habitat Day with a major double milestone and a series of events in the USA, the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.
On 3rd October, Habitat marked the United Nations event by dedicating its 500,000th house in Kenya while also raising walls on its 500,001st house in New Jersey, USA.
Habitat also unveiled its 2012 Shelter Report at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. The report’s title and theme, Housing Cities After a Disaster, underscores Habitat’s experiences in post-earthquake Haiti, along the U.S. Gulf Coast after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in the Asia-Pacific region since the 2004 tsunami, and in other recent disasters.
Later in the evening of 6th October, over 550 friends and supporters of Habitat attended a dinner in the U.S. capital. “Build Hope: An Evening Honoring Humanitarian Leadership” paid a tribute to the dedicated individuals, corporations and nonprofit organizations for their support of Habitat’s mission and raised funds for the 28th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
The Carter Work Project, which marks the culmination of World Habitat Day events, will be held from 5th to 12th November in Haiti. Some 400 volunteers will build 100 earthquake-resistant homes outside of Léogâne, near the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake.
Australia: Habitat hosted a high tea for major donors and corporate partners in Sydney and encouraged the guests to hold their own High Tea for Habitat during the month of October. On 29th September, HFH Australia held a media launch during which it unveiled home partner research which showed the impact of a Habitat home in terms of sense of security, stability, health, education and employment.
Cambodia: About 120 students and residents helped to clean up the Trapaing Anhchanh community in Phnom Penh. China: In the month of October, Habitat has more than 360 volunteers going on consecutive builds in five areas – Guangdong, Shanghai, Sichuan and Yunnan in China and in Hong Kong. Learn more.
Mongolia: house dedications were held in Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet and word was spread on Habitat’s work.
Nepal: In Kathmandu, Habitat joined more than 10 other organizations in a government-organized exhibition focused on climate change.
New Zealand: Habitat launched its annual awareness/appeal week on 3rd October and those who donate NZ10 (US8) or more by 30th November are eligible to enter a draw to win LEGO family prize packs. Find out more.
Sri Lanka: Habitat’s goodwill ambassador Otara Gunewardene, founder of retail store ODEL, issued a statement calling on her fellow citizens to contribute time, labor and resources to ensure adequate housing for all. She also organized a two-day fundraising drive in aid of HFH Sri Lanka at her flagship store in the capital Colombo.
Vietnam: Shutterbugs were invited to email their photographs of how their environment had been affected by climate change or natural disasters in line with the World Habitat Day’s theme of “Cities and Climate Change”. The photography contest closed on 14th October.