Habitat Young Leaders Build
Launched in 2012, Habitat for Humanity’s Young Leaders Build was the largest youth movement in the Asia-Pacific region. The annual campaign brought together youth from across the region to support families in need of decent, affordable housing.
The campaign motivated young people to take the lead in building homes, raising awareness online through their social networks, and advocating for sustainable cities and communities.
Habitat Young Leaders Build was launched every year on December 5, marking International Volunteer Day. Typically, the multi-month campaign peaked in April with young people taking part in simultaneous volunteer activities — such as house builds, community facility repair, water, sanitation and hygiene projects, and awareness-raising sessions — across the Asia-Pacific region. Many also support the campaign online and raise funds to support Habitat’s projects.
Youth supporters have been engaged through more than a dozen Habitat national organizations in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam.
In support of Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, young leaders:
- spoke out offline and online by sharing about the need for adequate housing in Asia-Pacific.
- joined the HYLB community online: https://bit.ly/HabitatYLB
- organized creative fundraising activities that help future Habitat homeowners build sustainable homes and communities.
- volunteered with Habitat to engage other young leaders in bringing attention to the systemic causes of the housing crisis.
- partnered with their friends and other youth organizations to strengthen young people’s voices on housing issues.
In the 13 years since the campaign was launched, more than 17 million supporters have partnered with almost 37,000 families to build strength and stability through shelter in Asia and the Pacific.
Supporters of the campaign will continue to be engaged through Home Equals, Habitat’s global advocacy campaign for equitable access to adequate housing in informal settlements.
In 2025, Habitat for Humanity will deepen our partnership with young leaders and enhance support for innovative, youth-led housing solutions through a three-strand youth engagement initiative in the Asia-Pacific region.
Young leaders have been implementing youth-led solutions that address housing needs in local communities. These solutions include those proposed by the winners of the 2023 Youth Solutions Micro-grant, an initiative of the 2023 Asia-Pacific Youth Assembly.
Join the Habitat Young Leaders Build community on Facebook bit.ly/HabitatYLB. Post on social media with the hashtag #HabitatYLB. Follow on Instagram @HabitatYLB and Twitter @HabitatYLB.
Watch a video about what supporters of Habitat Young Leaders Build have learned.
