1,000 Habitat For Humanity Volunteers Set To Take Part In ‘Big Build’ Events In South Asia

December 5th, 2011

84 Houses Will Be Built Alongside Low-Income Families In Nepal, Sri Lanka And Bangladesh

SINGAPORE, 5th December 2011: Today, on International Volunteer Day, Habitat for Humanity announces that more than 1,000 volunteers are set to visit Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh in three ‘Big Build’ events in 2012, to build homes alongside local families.

The ‘Big Build’ events bring together Habitat volunteers and supporters to show how building homes and communities breaks the cycle of poverty.

Rick Hathaway, Asia-Pacific vice-president for Habitat for Humanity International, said:

“These volunteers will help us raise money and shine a spotlight on the substandard housing situation in South Asia, as well as physically building homes and changing the lives of low-income families in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.”

“A decent home can help transform lives. It opens the doors to improved health, better performance in school for children, greater economic opportunities and increased community spirit. These volunteers will play a part in a very special experience.”

The three South Asia ‘Big Build’ events planned for 2012 build on the success of similar events to support families low-income families achieve safe, decent and affordable housing. Twenty-four homes are scheduled to be built in Sri Lanka in August, 40 homes in Nepal in October and 20 homes in Bangladesh in December.

Volunteers from the United States, New Zealand, Japan and Korea are expected to take part and will work with homeowner families, to build environmentally-friendly homes using sun-dried soil blocks.