Vietnam goes green on World Habitat Day

The picture-perfect Habitat staff in the northern, central and southern parts of Vietnam.

BANGKOK (October 10, 2014) - The team from Habitat for Humanity Vietnam sported green to celebrate World Habitat Day on 6 October. On Monday, Habitat Vietnam also launched a project in Tien Phuoc district to help 56 households affected by last October’s Typhoon Nari.

The first Monday in October is designated as World Habitat Day by the United Nations to highlight the need for adequate housing.

Long-serving Habitat staff in Vietnam also shared their thoughts. After nine years in his job, construction supervisor Thach Thanh Minh is still touched each time he witnesses families’ tears of joy and smiles at the handover of houses. “I wouldn’t be able to stay in this position for such long time if there weren’t moments like this.”

His colleague Do Dinh Phuc, a senior specialist in water, sanitation and hygiene solutions, likes working directly with communities and seeing people’s happiness at having clean water to drink and to cook food.

Others marked World Habitat Day in different ways:

Australia: a report on land tenure was unveiled and an opinion piece on the global shelter crisis run in The Australian.

Cambodia: doors carrying Habitat messages were put up at malls and cinemas as well as cafes for three weeks starting 6 October.

China (Hong Kong): an article in South China Morning Post drew attention to the plight of 1.3 million Hong Kongers who live below the poverty line and lack a decent home.

Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong also re-launched two projects as part of World Habitat Day activities. One is to beautify campuses and the other, to spruce up homes of low-income households.

Sri Lanka: among the media coverage was one that called on corporates with a conscience to act. More details.

The Philippines: a participant in the Bloggers Build in Quezon City described volunteers’ connection with families in construction terms, from the roof that shelters families to the paint that colors their faces with happiness. Read on.