Indian Superstar John Abraham Joins Habitat for Humanity In Campaign for Affordable Housing in India
John’s Brigade Encourages Indians And NRIs To Get Involved
MUMBAI, 10th October 2006: Indian superstar John Abraham has joined Habitat for Humanity in a campaign to end poverty housing in India and around the world.
Through a public awareness and volunteer program titled John’s Brigade, the movie star and youth icon is encouraging Indian residents and non-resident Indians around the world to support Habitat for Humanity’s indiaBUILDS campaign.
The goal of the five-year indiaBUILDS campaign is to put more than 250,000 low-income people in India into safe, decent and affordable homes and to inspire others to champion innovative solutions for the estimated 315 million Indians who lack a decent place to call home. The program also aims to mobilize 1 million volunteers from India and beyond and raise US100 million to build affordable housing in India long into the future.
Through public service announcements, Abraham is asking his fans and supporters to join John’s Brigade by volunteering their time to build homes and lend their financial support to meet the indiaBUILDS goal.
“I believe to be happy in life you need a home. You need to go back to something. You need to go back to those four walls which belong to you, which you belong to,” Abraham said. “We have more than 300 million people in India who lack proper shelter. Habitat for Humanity has come in at the right time and, with the help of John’s Brigade, Habitat for Humanity is going to help us build a lot more homes for a lot more people.”
Each year indiaBUILDS will feature a headline event to focus attention on poverty housing. This year’s event will be Habitat for Humanity’s international annual Jimmy Carter Work Project. For one week in October, thousands of volunteers from India and around the world will join former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn in a village in Lonavala, Maharashtra, to build houses with local families in need of decent, affordable housing. Some of the more than 2,000 volunteers that week will be members of John’s Brigade.
John Abraham is a well-known name and face to those familiar with Indian cinema. As a result of his starring roles in movies such “Jism,” “Dhoom,” and most recently his starring role in “Taxi 9211,” Abraham is considered one of India’s top film stars in India and around the world. His most recent English language release is the critically acclaimed “Water,” directed by Deepa Mehta.
In addition to his acting career, Abraham is recognized for his support of nonprofit organizations that address issues of concern to him, and for his endorsements of lifestyle brands that fit his profile, such as Castrol, Clinic All Clear, Diet Pepsi, Fastrack, Wrangler and Yamaha. Abraham is also the entertainment industry’s recipient of the ninth Annual Rajiv Gandhi Awards, which honors young leaders who are inspired by Rajiv Gandhi’s dream of a modern, developed and vibrant India.
John’s Brigade aims to mobilize Abraham’s target audience to join Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to build houses, donate and support the cause of ending poverty housing in India and around the world. The broadcast and print announcements featuring Abraham will be distributed in India and North America.
“We are thrilled to have the support of John Abraham,” said Felix A Fernandes, chief operating officer of Habitat for Humanity India. “He reaches a group of people that we do not ordinarily reach, but who have enormous power to make a difference in the lives of their fellow countrymen and women.”
“John sincerely believes in our mission to end poverty housing in India. Through John’s Brigade, I am confident we can make a difference and build a brighter future for many of the poor in India.”
Habitat for Humanity India was formed in 1983 in Khammam, Andhra Pradesh. Since then, it has built more than 12,000 houses and provided shelter to more than 100,000 people. It has emerged as one of Habitat for Humanity’s largest country programs in the world. With offices in Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai, and entities working in the south, east and west, Habitat for Humanity India is intensifying its work. New partnerships are being formed with corporate supporters and non-governmental organizations to extend Habitat’s reach in northern India.