September 2011 - Habitat for Humanity
Transcripción
September 2011 - Habitat for Humanity
Habitat World September 2011 Habitat partner families in Europe and Central Asia build better futures on a foundation of decent housing. [ facing forward ] IN THIS ISSUE: » The Carpenter’s Gift shares a lesson of giving » Affiliates helping affiliates Foundations From Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford Much to Celebrate E very Habitat project is a celebration. As we come together in community to serve families, we celebrate collaboration, hard work and brighter futures. Helping a family create a better life is an act of joy in which so many of you have shared. During this year, in particular — when we celebrate Habitat’s 35th anniversary — that joy overflows. This fall, we will recognize the 500,000th family served through Habitat partnerships around the world and begin work with the 500,001st. These are important milestones, and we are exceedingly grateful for the many ways in which God has blessed this ministry. But what we really celebrate is the ever-growing number of individual victories in which families all around the world have partnered with Habitat to improve their housing situations. For some families, that means laying a concrete floor, which drastically improves health conditions. For others, it means the ability to make much-needed repairs. For still others, it means receiving the keys to a brand new house. It is exciting — and necessary — to be able to offer a variety of housing options that allow us to serve families in the ways that help them most on terms they can afford. It is overwhelming, as well, to contemplate the millions of people who have played a part in making this possible all around the world. Each milestone we reach only serves to remind us of each occasion in which individuals, churches, businesses, organizations and governments have reached out to help their neighbors in need. Over the years, Habitat World has presented amazing stories of how those acts of compassion have transformed the lives of partner families and of those who gave of themselves to help. For every story we have shared, for every story we tell in these issues and on habitat.org, we know there are countless more, and we are grateful. In this issue, you can learn how Habitat affiliates and national organizations have worked together to further our mission. Rather than staunchly guarding geographic boundaries, these affiliates have demonstrated how supporting each other makes us stronger. On pages 18 and 24, we visit Europe and Central Asia to witness examples of how families’ everyday lives are affected by decent housing. This is a wonderful time, and I am so grateful for all of you who have caught the vision and are helping families have a simple, decent and safe place in which to live. We know even as we celebrate that the need exponentially outpaces our efforts, so we must continue to do more. We ask God’s continued blessings as we look ahead. Jonathan T.M. Reckford Ezra Millstein Chief Executive Officer Habitat for Humanity International 2 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g HabitatWorld The Publication of Habitat for Humanity International e x e c u t i ve e d i t o r M A N AGI N G E DITO r Ass i s ta n t E d i t o r P h o t o e d i t o r P r i n t S upe r v i s o r D E S IGn Jennifer Lindsey Shala Carlson Phillip Jordan Bob Jacob Mike Chapman Journey Group, Inc. M I S S IO N V I S IO N A world where everyone has a decent place to live. M I S S IO N S TAT E M E N T Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. WHO W E AR E Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry that works to eliminate poverty housing around the world and to make adequate housing a matter of conscience and action. Habitat World is the educational, informational and outreach publication of Habitat for Humanity International. The magazine is free to anyone who wishes to receive it. WHAT W E DO Habitat for Humanity organizations build, renovate and repair houses in partnership with people in need of adequate housing. Homeowners are selected locally by Habitat organizations based on their need for housing, ability to repay a no-profit loan and willingness to partner with Habitat. Loan repayments contribute to help build and repair additional houses. Because Habitat’s loans are no-profit, they are affordable for low-income partners. L E T U S H E AR F RO M Y O U [email protected] (800) HABITAT, (229) 924-6935 Read Habitat World online at habitat.org; visit our blog at habitat.org/blog. Printed on 100 percent recycled paper Habitat World (ISSN: 0890-958X) is published by Habitat for Humanity International, 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA, 31709-3498. Vol. 28, No. 3. September 2011. Circulation: 1,038, 681 (estimated) Copyright © 2011 Blueprints p September 2011 Your content guide to Habitat World In Khujand, Tajikistan, 5-year-old Dalerjon Hoshimov and 4-yearold Gulnorakhon Umaralieva play outside the house of their grandfather steffan hacker Tursunkul Hoshimov. FEATURES 10 12 18 24 t h e c a r p e n t e r’ s g i f t A new children’s book celebrates a real-life partnership that helps a family build a decent, affordable house each year. 18 Habitat World In Every Issue September 2011 Habitat partner families in europe and Central asia build better FO U NDATIONS : Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford looks forward to a major milestone. futures on a foundation of deCent Housing. all over the map In addition to helping the families that they serve, Habitat affiliates and national programs find ways to support each other. l i f e i n c e n t r a l a s ia Partner families in Tajikistan celebrate the everyday changes that decent shelter has brought to their lives. pa r t n e r i n g f o r p r o g r e s s Working through local organizations and microfinance institutions, Habitat Bulgaria seeks to address a variety of housing needs. [ facing forward ] Pa g e 2 IN THIS ISSUE: » The Carpenter’s Gift shares a lesson of giving » Affiliates helping affiliates ON THE CO V E R The Habitat home that Tursunkul Hoshimov lives in with his large, multigenerational family was built in 2001. Hoshimov is a well-respected elder in the community and is often referred to as the “unofficial mayor” of the Habitat neighborhood. Photo by Steffan Hacker WO R LD V IE W: The annual AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon covers seven U.S. cities; Habitat Mexico launches a new project. Pa g e 4 FIELD NOTES : Habitat St. Louis expands its efforts; preparing for the 2011 Carter Work Project in Leogane, Haiti. Pa g e 2 8 CO M ING HO M E : A Guatemalan family anticipates a brighter future. Pa g e 3 1 S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 3 4 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g [ birmingham, alaBAMA ] Serving Others April tornadoes did not deter AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon efforts by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Birmingham. Habitat Philadelphia’s Vicky Rosenzweig was one of more than 450 AmeriCorps members who participated nationwide. In Birmingham, one of seven Habitat affiliates hosting Builda-Thon events, AmeriCorps members helped with repair and weatherization projects in addition to post-storm clean-up. Ph oto by E z ra M i llstei n World View International news 5 Great Britain build provides housing and training for young people National Women Build Week involves 250 Habitat affiliates Habitat Mexico reaches out to indigenous communities 9 3 4 2 Habitat Macedonia housing complex opens to families 7 New Jersey affiliate goes solar with help from teenage volunteer Dubai art exhibit benefits Habitat 8 1 Habitat and local tradition weave together in Afghanistan 6 Cambodia hosts Khmer Harvest Build Habitat Madagascar fights fires, slum conditions Picturing a new future for vulnerable children lawrette mcfarlane 1 Brother and sister Tumelo and Nthoto Molefi live outside Maseru in Lesotho, where Habitat for Humanity builds homes for orphaned and vulnerable children who are in need of decent shelter. 6 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g [ unITED ARAB EMIRATES ] In early April, The Ara Gallery opened in downtown Dubai with a powerful exhibition highlighting the work of Habitat Lesotho. The grand opening featured a charity-driven art auction led by Christie’s in which six artists donated pieces to help raise more than $44,000 for Habitat Lesotho’s efforts to provide homes for orphans and vulnerable children. The auctioned artwork came from the gallery’s inaugural exhibition, “Through the Eyes of Africa’s Children,” which was put together in partnership with Habitat. Last year, more than 50 children who had received assistance from Habitat Lesotho were asked to take photographs of what makes them happy. The pictures were used by Emirati artists to portray their understanding of the lives of these children. The $44,000 raised is enough to provide comprehensive housing assistance to 10 households caring for an estimated 50 orphans and vulnerable children. The gallery also has produced a book, The Children of Lesotho: Through Their Eyes, featuring the children who inspired the exhibition and benefiting Habitat’s work. Vulnerable children in Lesotho — those under 18 years old who have lost one or both parents or whose caregiver is unable to provide adequate care — face many hardships, among them the lack of decent shelter. Artists helped raise more than $44,000 for Habitat Lesotho’s shelter efforts. 2 [ macedonia ] In 2009, Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors, joined by CEO Jonathan Reckford, gathered to lay foundations for a housing complex in the central Macedonian city of Veles. The goal of the project: create 11 buildings that would provide affordable homes for 90 families. Today, four buildings are in the final stages of construction. They will house 24 families who have taken an active part in the construction alongside local volunteers and more than 500 Global Village volunteers from the United States, Canada and Europe. Earlier this summer, Habitat Macedonia and its partner families signed formal contracts, paving the way for families to move into each of the new homes as they are completed. The ceremony featured the mayor of Veles, Goran Petrov, as well as the U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia, Phillip Reeker. After the formalities, partner families, volunteers and dignitaries spent the day building together on site. 3 [ mexico ] Indigenous communities make up the most poverty-stricken demographic within Mexico. Of the nearly 14 million indigenous people in this nation of cultural contrast and diversity, an estimated 80 percent suffer from “high” or “very high” levels of marginalization. Habitat Mexico has launched a long-term project to serve rural and semi-urban indigenous communities in seven states. Housing services include new construction, roofing repairs and other house improvements. Extra housing solutions — “eco-stoves” and finished flooring — also have been developed to address common challenges. All are accompanied by education in community development and financial literacy. “I am a Raramuri woman and single mother,” says Alicia Villaloboz Ruiz, who lives in the northern state of Chihuahua. “Habitat helped me to build my house. It is an organization that helps people who have few resources but a lot of willingness to change how we are living.” 4 [ great britain ] A 10-home build in Banbury will provide housing and training opportunities for local young people without access to education, employment or training. The enhanced arrangement is possible thanks to partnerships with several local agencies, including the Cherwell District Council and Oxford and Cherwell Valley College. The joint enterprise has also attracted funding from the nation’s affordable housing program. The main task of the local Southwark Habitat affiliate is managing the construction site and ensuring that high-quality training opportunities are provided during the construction process. Ten one-bedroom flats are being built with a mixture of skilled subcontractors and young people, who can earn a national-level college award through the experience. Each young volunteer also will be assisted by a college tutor and a life-skills mentor provided by another local agency, Connexions. 5 [ united states ] The first week of May once again proved to be a busy one for thousands of Habitat’s women volunteers. Leading up to the Mother’s Day holiday in the United States, 250 Habitat affiliates celebrated the annual Lowe’s-sponsored National Women Build Week. In New York City, women and girls painted a community center as part of the local affiliate’s A Brush with Kindness program. In Orlando, Florida, more than 450 women volunteered on five homes throughout the week. Oregon’s Habitat Portland/Metro East affiliate held a Mother’s Day build. Sara Moskovitz braved the mud to work alongside her mother, Gloria Harper, installing siding. Moskovitz says she signed-up because “it was what my mom said she wanted for Mother’s Day.” The week generated considerable attention Windows on the Work [ tulsa, oklahoma ] Age doesn’t matter The “Tuesday Morning Miracle Worker” Age: 74 Craft: Cabinetry Number of Builds: 40 Families served: 22/year Heart size: Huge Tulsa Habitat’s “Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers” will soon begin work on their 40th build. For two decades, the group — 35 men, at an average age of 74 — has aided Tulsa Habitat by building cabinets in the winter and completing houses in warm months. “Their spirit of giving is very contagious,” says Jamie Cox, the affiliate’s director of volunteers. “These men have huge hearts, and they are a big part of why we are where we are today — serving 22 families a year.” [ detroit, michigan ] Silver anniversary Habitat Detroit has bold plans for its 25th anniversary: serve 25 families in one year. To accomplish its goal, the affiliate added a pair of large-scale blitz builds with volunteers this summer. It also has opened a third ReStore in the area. At the same time, the affiliate’s getting a boost from a hometown marketing effort. Habitat Detroit is one of four nonprofits selected to receive merchandise proceeds from Chrysler’s national “Imported from Detroit” marketing campaign. S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 7 World View from some high-profile volunteers, too. Actress Emily Bergl built in Charlotte, North Carolina, and actress/author Lisa Whelchel joined the action in San Angelo, Texas. [ cambodia ] 7 [ afghanistan ] In the northern village of Ali Abad, the lives of Habitat partner families are intertwined with the age-old tradition of carpet weaving. The intricate craftsmanship of Afghan carpets reflects the rich heritage of an art long passed from generation to generation. Eighteen-year-old student Zahra Husain grew up joining her mother, sister-in-law and younger sister in weaving carpets to supplement the daily wages her father brought home as a laborer. “After my mother passed away, we chose to shell peas for a living. Shelling peas is not a decentpaying job, but the fact that each of us receives 20 Afghani in cash on a daily basis is helpful,” Zahra says. Today, Zahra’s family lives in a Habitat house that means being able to resume carpet-weaving to supplement the family income. She continues to juggle work with her studies. “I am determined to press on because I am optimistic about the future,” Zahra says. “Our home will be the foundation on which my family and I can build a better life.” 8 [ madagascar ] On a quiet morning in May in the southern city of raritan valley habitat November’s five-day Khmer Harvest Build will result in 20 new houses in Oudong for families who used to live at a municipal dumpsite in the capital of Phnom Penh. The houses will be built on secure land, each with sanitation facilities, a rainwater-collection tank and solar-energy panel. Help for the event is coming from many quarters. Habitat Germany has committed 17,000 euros (USD$23,900). The United States is sending Global Village volunteers, and affiliates such as Massachusetts’ Habitat Greater Lowell and Colorado’s Habitat St. Vrain Valley have pledged $25,000 and $50,000 respectively. Habitat Cambodia also is working with International Children’s Care Australia to develop a farm next to the new houses, where partner families will be able to grow fruits and vegetables and raise chickens and fish. Raritan Valley Habitat 6 Annie Kuster examines an electrical component donated to Raritan Valley Habitat that allows solar panels to be installed on a home as a complete unit. “Our home will be the foundation on which my family can build a better life.” — Zahra Husain where we work Habitat for Humanity started in the United States in 1976, and today its work reaches around the world. Currently, Habitat is at work in all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other countries around the globe, including: Afghanistan | Argentina | Armenia | Australia Bangladesh | Bermuda | Bolivia | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Botswana | Brazil | Bulgaria | Cambodia | Cameroon | Canada | Chile | China | Colombia | Costa Rica | Cote d’Ivoire Dominican Republic | Egypt | El Salvador | Ethiopia | Fiji | France | Germany | Ghana | Great Britain | Guatemala | Guyana | Haiti | Honduras | Hungary | India | Indonesia | Jamaica | Japan Jordan | Kenya | Kyrgyzstan | Laos | Lebanon | Lesotho | Macedonia | Madagascar | Malawi | Malaysia | Mexico | Mongolia | Mozambique | Myanmar | Nepal | Netherlands | New Zealand Nicaragua | Northern Ireland | Paraguay | Peru | Philippines | Poland | Portugal | Republic of Ireland | Romania | Russia | Senegal | Serbia | Singapore | Slovakia | South Africa | South Korea Sri Lanka | Tajikistan | Tanzania | Thailand | Timor-Leste | Trinidad and Tobago | Turkey | Uganda | Ukraine | Vietnam | Zambia 8 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g Find Habitat World online at HABITAT.ORG/HW Read weekly updates at HABITAT.ORG/BLOG together in one neighborhood. Since that meeting, the high school junior has persuaded renewable energy companies in the area to donate about $150,000 in equipment and engineering. By this fall, all nine Habitat homes on Dutch Lane will be complete, with 35 solar panels atop each roof. To Kuster, the most rewarding part was getting to meet the families who would benefit. “It’s important to remember that beyond the equipment and the engineering, there are people,” she says. “They grew to be my driving force behind the project. It was about giving them the opportunity to have as fulfilling a life as possible.” Toliara, a group of residents picked through the ashes where their homes had stood the night before. In this impoverished nation off the coast of Africa, fire is one of the main enemies of the millions of slum dwellers who live in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions. Much slum housing is pieced together with wood and reeds — usually intended to be temporary structures that simply become permanent dwellings. Stanislas Manahadray’s family doesn’t have to worry about the threat of fire like they used to. Manahadray has finished the sweat equity on his new, brick Habitat home — one of 139 houses completed in the past three years and a house that will make him “stand tall and hold his head high,” he says. His two children, Marie and Mario, go to school nearby, but still have to walk through the cramped pathways of the slum area. In the rainy season, these pathways become difficult to navigate through the mud and water. To help, Habitat Madagascar paves mud-prone pathways and builds drainage channels in addition to its construction and renovation efforts. [ united states ] When 16-year-old Annie Kuster walked into Raritan Valley Habitat’s office last year, she came with a bold offer: the environmental enthusiast volunteered to raise the funds and materials needed to install solar panels on a Habitat home being built. The Bridgewater, New Jersey, affiliate’s construction director Bob Miller explained that they were working on nine homes [ ontario, canada ] ReStore-inspired decor When Geoff Zanetti decided to open a bistro this summer in Windsor, Ontario, he knew he wanted a classic pub feel. To create that backdrop, he went to the Habitat Windsor-Essex ReStore. “My light fixtures, moldings, a candle chandelier, light switch covers, and other odds and ends all came from the ReStore,” Zanetti says. “Add that to what we had, and it’s pretty magical in here.” Find the ReStore nearest you at habitat.org/restore. [ beius, romania ] Piece by peace mikel flamm 9 Windows on the Work Volunteers will help build 20 houses during November’s Khmer Harvest Build in Cambodia. Habitat Romania teamed up with Peace Corps Romania for a weeklong build in Beius this summer. More than 50 Peace Corps volunteers joined in the build, and the group raised more than $27,000 to sponsor the house. Habitat’s Beius affiliate invited the Peace Corps crew to participate as a way to celebrate Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary, as well as Peace Corps’ 20th year in Romania. H F HI W o r l d w i d e A r e a Off i c es Africa/Middle East PO Box 11179, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa. Tel. 27-12-430-9200, [email protected] Asia/Pacific Q. House, 38 Convent Road, 8th Floor, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand. Tel. 66-0-2632-0415, [email protected] Europe/Central Asia Zochova 6-8, 811 03 Bratislava, Slovakia, [email protected] Latin America/Caribbean PO Box 1513-1200 Pavas, San José, Costa Rica. Tel. (506) 296-8120, [email protected] United States 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA 31709. Tel. (800) 422-4828, (229) 924-6935, [email protected] Office of Government Relations and Advocacy 1424 K St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Tel. (202) 628-9171 Canada 40 Albert St., Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3S2. Tel. (519) 885-4565, [email protected] S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 9 The best presents are the ones you don ’ t e x pect . A new children’s book about the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a story for every season. “It had been the best day that Henry could remember, and he didn’ t want it to end. He stood before the decorated tree, enchanted. The streetlamps had just come on, and the tin cans glittered in their light. If ever there was a magic moment, Henry thought, this is it. “He decided to make a special Christmas wish. He wished that one day his family would live in a nice warm, house.” — The Carpenter’s Gift S ometimes, a simple of act of kindness takes on a life of its own. An illustrated children’s book published later this month brings that lesson home — and celebrates a real-life partnership that helps a family build a decent, affordable house each year. Written by David Rubel in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity and illustrated by Jim LaMarche, The Carpenter’s Gift tells the story of Henry, a young boy growing up in Depression-era New York. At the end of a day selling Christmas trees in Midtown Manhattan, Henry and his father give the last few to nearby construction workers. When the tallest of the leftover trees is decorated on the spot with tin cans and paper garlands, it becomes the very first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree — a tree that enchants young Henry and the first in a series of moments that end up changing his life. The construction workers, having become acquainted with Henry and his father, show up the next day to help them build a simple, decent home to replace their drafty shack with its patched walls and ill-fitting windows. At the end of their work, they leave behind a sturdy new house, a community of neighbors brought together by a building project, and a boy with new hope for the future and a hammer in his hand. As Henry grows older, he finds a wonderful way to turn the blessing he received into a blessing he can share with others. 10 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g The story of The Carpenter’s Gift celebrates the magic of an American icon, the annual Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Each year, that tree is milled into lumber that Habitat volunteers use to build a home with a family like Henry’s. The book honors this fruitful partnership and shares a lesson about the importance of generosity and helping our neighbors. “The Carpenter’s Gift is fundamentally a story about Habitat-style giving,” says Rubel. “All who take part give something emotionally of themselves, and all receive as well.” “Habitat’s mission allows people from disparate walks of life to make connections that would be unlikely, if not impossible, otherwise,” says Chris Clarke, Habitat’s senior vice president of marketing and communications. “The generous gift of lumber milled from one of the world’s most iconic holiday symbols is one such connection. And now that gift is helping us do more than build homes. It’s helping us open the eyes of young readers to a lasting message of selfless giving, a message I hope we hold as a guiding light in all we do.” Published on Sept. 27 by Random House Children’s Books, The Carpenter’s Gift will be available from major booksellers and at habitat.org. Excerpt at top from The Carpenter’s Gift by David Rubel, copyright © 2011 by David Rubel. Reprinted by permission of Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House Inc. hebes t onesyo presentsarethe udon’t expect. AGIFT FOR: WITHS PECIAL WISH ESFRO M: Thisboo kp Rockefe latewasmade fromthe llerCen ter 2 thetree ismilled ChristmasTre 010 e.Each intolum Human year, ity ber decenth volunteersuset thatHabitatf or omewit obuilda hafam s im pl e, ilylikeH enry’s. Be a part of the story. The 2010 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was milled into lumber and has been used in a home built by Habitat Greater Newburgh in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley, near the community of Mahopac where the tree grew. Parts of the tree that couldn’t be turned into lumber have been used to make special paper for a commemorative bookplate that can be placed inside your copy of The Carpenter’s Gift. To find out how to add this piece of Habitat history to your book, scan the code at right with your smartphone or visit habitat.org/ thecarpentersgift. Don’t miss the December issue. You can learn more about The Carpenter’s Gift today at habitat.org. For a look behind the scenes at the creation of The Carpenter’s Gift and to read more about the Rockefeller Center trees and the Habitat houses they have helped build, watch for the next Habitat World. S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 11 SHARING T H E BURDEN Sometimes, Habitat affiliates extend the ‘hand up’ to each other. 12 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. — G a l a t i a n s 6 : 2 E ach day, thousands of individual Habitat for Humanity donors, volunteers and advocates enable this ministry to help more families longing for home. There is, however, another layer of support that people might not notice. ¶ Habitat’s own affiliates frequently lift up and sustain each other — especially in periods of need. An offer of help could be an unexpected gift, sent at just the right moment. It could be wisdom dispensed that allows an affiliate to grow. Or it could be the power of simply standing with another affiliate during a time of personal loss. ¶ However it happens, the act of one Habitat group helping another is often what makes it possible to get through tough times — and refocus on what matters most. BY Phillip JordaN S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 13 Our Towns Habitat’s supporters never forgot that their 16th house in 2010 came courtesy of Habitat Guatemala’s gift. That following summer, as work progressed on the “Guatemala house,” Laney invited Samayoa, other Habitat Guatemala representatives and a homeowner to come work on the home and be involved in its dedication. This time, it was Laney who had a secret up his sleeve. “At our house blessing, we explained how our friends in Guatemala had made this house happen,” Laney says. “Then we presented them with an oversized check for $125,000 — the amount we owed to get us fully caught up on our tithe.” “It was a huge surprise,” Samayoa says. “We gave our tithe to them without expecting anything back. When I received the news that day, it was something I could not believe. “What is most special is that partnership we share. Part of that partnership means commitment, loyalty, perseverance and love.” In the past year, that relationship has continued to grow. Our “A b le s s i n g b o th ways” Towns Habitat now sends its tithe to Guatemala on a monthly basis, Guatemala and North Carolina groups take not quarterly as before. The affiliate is also recruiting volunteers to turns aiding each other go on two Global Village trips to Guatemala each year. On the most recent trip, North Carolinians helped Habitat GuaWh e n o u r to w n s H a b i tat began working in Davidson, North Carolina, back in 1988, the affiliate’s founders pledged to tithe 10 percent of temala launch its “smokeless stoves” project, an initiative that helps all locally raised funds to further Habitat’s work in Guatemala. The families install stoves that require much less wood and save famicommitment of funds and volunteers has helped Habitat Guatemala lies from inhaling harmful smoke inside their houses. Our Towns serve an additional 940 families. It also has established something Habitat has committed to raising $60,000 over the next two years else: a true friendship and partnership. Two years ago, Our Towns to help Habitat Guatemala serve 600 more families with these efficient, healthy stoves. Habitat discovered just how deeply that bond had grown. “Everything we do with Habitat, it’s about relationships. Some In 2009, as the worldwide economic downturn intensified, Our Towns Habitat realized it was facing an economic crisis of its own. people don’t get that,” Laney says. “People ask me, ‘Why do you go Soon, the painful decision had to be made to delay sending its tithe down there?’ If we go down to Guatemala with our hands and our hearts and just be servants, the things we bring back are the stories. to Guatemala; the money just wasn’t available. Executive director Terry Laney called Habitat Guatemala’s na- Then we can affect people here with our personal experiences. It’s a tional director, Luis Samayoa, to let him know. “I told him that we blessing both ways.” would catch up,” Laney says. “He just said, ‘That’s ok. We understand times are tough.’” By January 2010, Our Towns Habitat was at least able to undertake one of its regular volunteer trips, sending some staff and volunteers to Guatemala for a Global Village build. The trip’s participants fundraised for Habitat Guatemala and then built alongside local volunteers and partner families. There remained a different backdrop to this visit, though. Back home, Our Towns was still working to catch up financially. The first night in Guatemala, before the volunteer team started work on three houses in Puerto Barrios, Samayoa pulled Laney aside, telling him he had a surprise to share: “Our board unanimously voted to tithe $35,000 to your affiliate. We know it’s been a hard year. You have always been there for us, and now we want to be there for you.” As word of the gift spread among Our Towns’ staffers and volun- “Go d was l eading us t o t his po int” teers, the tears began to flow. “I just broke down and cried in front Neighboring affiliates blossom in Nashville of everyone,” Laney says, “including people we had brought from another affiliate that we wanted to introduce to Guatemala.” As 2 0 0 7 daw n e d , Habitat Dickson County could count 12 houses Almost immediately, he called his construction director back in built in its 13 years of existence in Middle Tennessee. Marsha HudNorth Carolina: “Put another house on the schedule.” gens had joined the rural affiliate in 2004. In three years’ time, she “But we’ve already said we can’t do more than 15 homes this year,” had already served as accountant, secretary of the board and execucame the reply. tive director. “I could name a lot of different positions,” Hudgens “We can now,” Laney answered. says with a laugh. “We all could.” 1 2 14 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g Everything we do with Habitat, it’s about relationships.” It’s easy. It’s quick. It’s free for you. — Terry Laney, Our Towns Habitat The year of her arrival, Habitat Dickson County had managed to rehab one house and build another. Since then: nothing. “Board members were burned out, and a lot of them had been there since the beginning,” Hudgens says. “We wanted to get new blood in, but nobody wanted to join without anything happening. It was just a cycle we couldn’t break through.” Local need remained evident. “Our county has roughly 52,000 people,” says Dickson director Chris Greene. “Approximately 3,000 families could immediately qualify for a Habitat house based on their need and income. More than 13 percent of our population lives in poverty.” In July 2007, Hudgens and the Dickson staff made a call to Habitat Greater Nashville, a large affiliate located in Tennessee’s state capital, just 40 miles away. To Hudgens, the call was a matter of survival. “Nashville really cared about what we were going through, and they set up a lot of other discussions with us,” Hudgens recalls. “They were so willing to talk and to help as much as they could. “Eventually, it evolved to the point where they saw the level of need we had, and they suggested merging as an option. We pretty quickly thought, ‘Oh yeah, that could work.’” In the months that followed, Habitat Greater Nashville worked with Dickson’s staff to set up an arrangement that would enable Dickson’s staff to remain at work in the county — with the support of services already established in Nashville. By year’s end, Dickson had become a division of Habitat Greater Nashville. Today, the Dickson division locally directs fundraising, volunteer engagement, family selection and education. Nashville-based staff are able to provide other services that don’t need to be duplicated: accounting, construction staff, leadership and advocacy. The results? By the end of this coming year, Habitat will likely have already built more houses in Dickson than it did in the 13 years pre-merger. The division has a new office and the first ReStore in the county. “None of this would have been possible if Nashville had not been willing to help us through this process,” Greene says, “and stuck DOUBLE YOUR DONATIONS AT NO COST TO YOU ManyemployersmatchdonationstoHabitatmade bytheiremployees,retireesoremployees’spouses. Youcoulddoubletheimpactofyourgift—atnocost toyou!Visithabitat.org/matchtofindyourcompany’s matchinggiftguidelines. Here’s how: 1 Visit habitat.org/match and search for your employer. 2 Click on the link and complete your company’s matching gift form online. OR rintandfilloutyourcompany’s P matchinggiftformandmailitto: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL ATTN: MATCHING GIFT COORDINATOR 121 HABITAT ST. AMERICUS, GA 31709 visit habitat.org/match S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 15 with Dickson to not just help it survive — but to ensure that it from watching or listening to her,” says the affiliate’s board president, Linda Holder-Beneker. “She treated every person like they would grow.” Now, Dickson’s success has emboldened Habitat Greater Nash- were the most important person on earth. She treated our families ville to start a new division in nearby Cheatham County, where like they were the most valuable people, with such respect and love.” Ehrlich’s genuine compassion also helped win over partners and there has never been an active Habitat group. The first Cheatham sponsors within the community to support Habitat’s work. “Those County house is being built this summer. “The Dickson model helps a ton,” says Ralph Knauss, Habitat relationships she built, they’re still with us,” Holder-Beneker says. Greater Nashville’s chief operating officer. “Cheatham might be “She built foundations that aren’t going to tumble.” Those foundations include strong working relationships with from scratch, but we can take what we learned from helping Dickother area affiliates. In the months before Midland County Habison when they were in need. “In both cases, we acted because our success as an affiliate, and tat could find a new executive director, calls of support came from Habitat’s success as a whole, really boils down to how many families neighboring affiliates in Saginaw and Bay County. As executive diwe’ve served. That’s the whole mission. That’s what we ask ourselves rector, Ehrlich had worked closely with Saginaw Habitat’s Cameron Brady, who made sure that Midland County’s staff knew they could to decide if what we’re doing is worth it.” A 25-year native of the area, Hudgens says Habitat now has a count on his affiliate’s help to continue. Brady met with Midland County Habitat in person at least four presence in her community like never before. “There’s really no comparison. A lot of people didn’t even know we were here before, times in the two months after the affiliate lost Ehrlich. He offered or what we were,” she says. “Now, it seems everybody in Dickson to send some of his staff to work out of their office if needed. He’s knows about Habitat or has even been involved in some way. It also taken more phone calls than Midland County’s staff can count. “He and his colleagues have sent us forms, websites, directions on was like God was leading us to this point: to ask for help when we where to go for resources we need,” Holder-Beneker says. “And we’ve needed it.” called and asked just a hundred silly little questions that Terri would know, but we didn’t. We would have sunk without Saginaw’s help.” She also points to the aid of Habitat Michigan’s state support organization — an entity that strives to help Michigan’s 77 affiliates better serve their local communities. Tom Williams is Habitat Michigan’s director of capacity building. On the day of Ehrlich’s death, he was driving to visit another affiliate in the state. He immediately changed course and made it to Midland the next day, simply to offer whatever comfort he could. “Everybody was in shock, people were still trying to get their heads around it,” Williams recalls. “Just being there was the best you can do. Habitat is a personal mission, and when you lose somebody, everyone in that mission really feels it.” Since that day, Williams has been able to assist in more concrete ways, including helping the affiliate finish vital grant applications that were in process when Ehrlich passed away. “Tom would be at “ F o u n d at i o n s t h at a r e n ’ t going to tumble” our side any minute we need it,” Holder-Beneker says. “That’s huge, and he means it.” Friends help as a Michigan There have been countless examples of similar, selfless support. affiliate recovers from loss A former treasurer came back to help in the office. Construction O c c a s i o n a l ly, t h e n e e d s o f a H a b i tat a f f i l i at e extend far beyond staff have helped in ways far beyond their job titles. Terri Ehrlich’s the construction site. Sometimes, the need stretches all the way to sister offered help when needed. One week, she made posters that were needed for an event at the affiliate’s ReStore. the heart. Beyond those examples, other projects have begun to flower In early March, Midland County Habitat’s much-loved executive director, Terri Ehrlich, died unexpectedly due to complications from seeds that Terri Ehrlich herself helped to plant. During her from a recent injury. All at once, the Michigan affiliate’s staff, vol- time at Midland County, she championed collaboration between unteers and partner families found themselves without their leader affiliates in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay region. Today, the Saginaw and Bay County affiliates are working with Midland County on — and without their close friend. “She was just a really bright light,” says Terri’s husband, Brian, several regional efforts, including an expanded, donor-supported who worked alongside his wife as Midland County Habitat’s Re- Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. “Terri left us this opportunity to join forces and share,” says SagiStore manager. “First and foremost, she was a happy, positive person. She’d talk to anybody. And she could convince most anybody naw Habitat’s Brady. “She brought a willingness to work together that just catapulted our regional efforts to a whole new level. We said we around here that things could get done — and they did.” “Whether Terri was working with a partner family or a high-up were going to help and we’re going to do that. Helping now is how we executive at a corporation, you would never know the difference can follow through on what Terri helped build.” 3 16 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g See Habitat World Beginning with a special preview in October, Habitat World will offer regular interactive content and multimedia features on habitat.org. stories come to life! See how you’re making a difference through these new online issues of Habitat World! Sign up today to receive Habitat World email updates. Just visit habitat.org/hwemail. Be among the first 100 new online subscribers and receive a Habitat World hat. 1. Enter your email address at habitat.org/hwemail. 2. Let us know you signed up. Email your name and mailing address to [email protected]. Act now! 3. Go to mailbox. Open gift. Place hat on top of head. Wear with pride! [ 18 G l i m p s e s ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g ] Families in Tajikistan build on the foundation of simple, decent housing. B y S hala C arlson | P hotos by S teffan H ac k er of life Tu r sun k u l H o s h i m o v w a i t e d ne a r l y h a l f In Khujand, Tursunkul Hoshimov, far left, looks out over the small plot of land behind his Habitat house where his family grows fruits and vegetables. In Shaydon, Gulandom Qarobeova, above right, enjoys the sunlight that streams through the windows of her newly completed Habitat house. his life for a house of his own. He says it now with a smile so deep it fills even his eyes, but he remembers almost losing hope. Working long days as a police officer in the city of Khujand, coming home to a crowded two-room apartment that housed eight members of his family. He applied to all of the appropriate government agencies to request a plot of land so he could build a house, but never made it any further than the purgatory of a crowded list of local names representing similar appeals. He waited for 30 years. Hope was hard, he says, but somehow he kept a small bit of belief alive. As he tells his story, Tursunkul serves homemade cherry juice, pouring the sweet burgundy beverage from a wide-mouthed jar into frosted golden glasses on a low table. His belief, he says, turned into the miracle of the house he now sits in. Overflowing plates of fruits and nuts and small dishes of cookies and brightly wrapped candies clink together as room is made for more — always more, in the customary warm welcome that awaits guests and visitors to the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan. From time to time, Tursunkul’s quietly basso laugh punctuates the excited chatter of children peeking into the room where their grandfather sits. Doors open and close as little ones venture out to the yard behind the house, a bare plot in today’s winter sun but a space that will, in spring, bear apples, pomegranates, apricots, potatoes and onions. For holidays and special celebrations, his extended family will come to visit the house he and his son Qahramon helped build, sleeping outside under the stars when the weather is warm. “All of this,” the 67-year-old says, “is thanks to Habitat.” sep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 19 S i n c e 1 9 9 9 , H a b i t a t f o r Hum a n i t y T a j i k i s t a n has partnered with families throughout the formerly Soviet nation. In so much of the mountainous country, life can be as difficult as the Tajik culture is colorful. In rural areas, work can be hard to find; in the cities, it’s land that can be elusive. But families everywhere hunger for a chance to make a change. In Tajikistan, that change takes different forms — new construction or the completion of half-finished houses, renovation or disastermitigating reinforcement of existing houses and apartments, the development of vocational and construction skills through building and training centers, the provision of innovative, low-cost water filters. Some families — like Tursunkul Hoshimov’s — have spent years in their Habitat houses, grown in to them as they cooked and studied and met challenges and made plans. Others — more all the time — are just starting down that road of promise and potential. Habitat’s work begins anew each morning. And so do the everyday lives of Habitat Tajikistan’s partner families. In h i s sm a l l s h o p o n t h e o u t s k i r t s o f t h e village of Shaydon, master carpenter Munin Yuldoshev is hard at work. This morning he’s making window frames, methodically planing the wood with the help of his young assistant, Suhrob. The two work quietly, only the sound of their tools and the shavings from their work filling the air. When he was a young boy, Munin remembers going to work with his father and watching him make things. From his father and grandfather, he says, he learned all of the practices of being a carpenter, but he knew he needed to understand the theory behind them. And if he ever wanted to own this shop of his, he needed official certification. Because employment and skills training can be as scarce in Shaydon as good housing, Habitat Tajikistan — with support from Habitat Canada and in partnership with the district’s Department of Education — has opened a building and training center. The facility offers construction-related and vocational training; its students generate materials that are sold to the public at affordable prices or are used in ongoing Habitat house construction and renovation projects. Graduates like Mumin are instantly positioned to find work — or to open their own businesses. One student at a time, Habitat is creating skill sets, the financial stability required for better housing and a hope that comes with finding the right path. The road that runs past Mumin’s carpentry shop continues into Shaydon and turns into a tree-lined way named Somoniyon Street. Inside the open door of her storefront, Habitat training center graduate Nigina Masharipova sits behind a gently swaying sewing table. Gingerly stretching the flowered material of a Tajik national dress, she slowly pushes down the pedal of her sewing machine with her shoe, which is adorned by a tiny black bow. The youngest child in her family, Nigina adds her income to that of her parents. She’s doing well enough to consider expanding her offerings soon. A shy 19-year-old, she’s wanted to be a tailor since she was a child, she says, dreaming of making beautiful dresses. She remembers the first one she ever sold and how she immediately used the money to buy more thread. “For me,” she shares, “to find a job is to find your way in life.” 20 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g Clockwise: Habitat Building and Training Center graduate Nigina Masharipova runs her own tailoring shop. Shoira Zoidova serves tea in her family’s freshly painted Habitat house. Munin Yuldoshev now owns a carpentry shop, thanks to the skills and certification he received at Habitat’s Building and Training Center. Farogat Zoidova and her family supplement their income by raising chickens behind their Habitat house. Watch a multimedia presentation about Habitat Tajikistan’s building and training centers online at habitat.org/hw. S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 21 W i t h eve r y t h i n g t h a t h a s c h a n g e d f o r t h e Zohidov family in the past five years, some things are still the same. Omina still resists sitting down to chat until she’s sent out all of the prepared plates from the kitchen, until she’s sure that everything is just right. Daughters Manizha and Farzona still help her, quietly hovering at the edges of the conversation. And Farukh still firmly presses his fingertips together when he’s making a point he especially wants to emphasize. His point today is all that their Habitat house has meant to his family. The Zohidovs live in a renovated apartment building at Khujand State University, part of a community of 52 Habitat families. In the five years since they first moved in, the family has been able to save, acquiring their first car and the washing machine Omina has always wanted. Their son has entered university. They have more space and a real kitchen. None of this would have happened, Farukh says, without Habitat’s help. But as much as he loves all of these improvements and the progress they represent for his family, there are intangibles that Farukh loves just as much. His friendships with his neighbors, “brothers,” he calls them. The peace of mind he feels each day when he gets home from work. The pride in something he has helped create. Sometimes, on his own, Farukh makes his way up to the roof of the Habitat building. From there, he says, “you can see the city like it was in the palm of your hand.” 22 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g Bun d l e d up a g a i ns t t h e ne w l y f a l l en sn o w , 2-year-old Najot Qobilov totters back and forth on the sturdy porch of his grandmother’s newly completed Habitat house. As he entertains everyone within range of his delighted squeals, the pompom of his knit cap bounces like a ball. He is clearly a source of unending joy for Unziyamoh Abulhaeva, who comes around the corner to watch his antics. Unziyamoh has had to search for joy, but with Habitat’s help, the foundation of her home is almost finally as strong as her determination to improve her living conditions. For 20 years, she lived in a house of increasing instability. The rocky land under her home was loose and shifting; earthquake tremors had cracked the walls and roof. She was, she says, afraid it would collapse at any time. While her husband would send home what money he could from his job in Russia — a common occurrence among residents of the Asht region — Unziyamoh knew that making a change was up to her. And so she began building a new house just up the hill, with the help of her son Foteh and their relatives. Unable to afford all of the materials required for its completion, she applied to Habitat for financial assistance after hearing about it at the school where she teaches, and now the house is almost finished. “It will be a relief for me,” she says, her voice a sigh of contentment. Her friends and neighbors, she adds with pride, have a hard time believing that she’s done so much of this by herself. By herself, she says, but not alone. “Always when I prayed,” she says, “I would say, ‘Oh, God, let me meet such people as can help me.’ As a result, He sent me Habitat. And I am so grateful.” Clockwise from left: Children from a Habitat neighborhood in Khujand play soccer. A Habitat homeowner family in Shaydon welcomes visitors with traditional Tajik hospitality, which usually includes a large meal. Two-year-old Najot Qobilov is a frequent and lively visitor at his grandmother’s Habitat house. The Zohidov family have lived in their Habitat apartment in Khujand for five years. E i g h t-ye a r - o l d M u h a mm a d j o n Z o i d o v s t a n d s in the courtyard of the Habitat house in which he’s growing up. You can see echoes of his father and his older brothers in the way he determinedly puts his hands on his hips, legs stretched wide in a confident stance. One of the families’ hens has escaped the coop, and Muhammadjon is plotting how to catch her. Catch her he does, quickly returning her to the rest of the brood, which numbers about 50 in all. He turns to lift the top of a wooden bin, reaches inside and proffers an egg with a smile. The family supplements their income by selling these eggs to neighbors. They also have room to grow grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers and more. Muhammadjon’s parents, Rajabboy and Farogat, helped build their Habitat house in 2003. The growing family had lived with Rajabboy’s parents and his brother in a small house until Farogat saw a Habitat flier at the hospital where she works as a cook. “We impatiently waited to move into our new house,” Farogat says. “Most of all, I waited for privacy, to have our own space. And also I dreamed to have land, this small farm.” Muhammadjon walks toward the gate, where friends from this neighborhood of Habitat houses are waiting. He has dreams, too. He loves math, he says, and wants to be a pilot, his hand drifting up toward the sky. A t eve r y t u r n , t h e r e a r e t h ese m o men t s . A dark-haired girl in a smart red coat celebrates a birthday in the village of Kumsangir. She smiles as the wind ruffles the fur trim around her neck, turning quickly as she plays hide-and-seek with her sister. In a nearby outbuilding, Habitat staffers help her mother install a locally made water filter, an affordable solution to the family’s lack of regular access to clean water. In Shaydon, a mother sits in her family’s Habitat house. Sunlight streams through the bigger windows that she loves so much, illuminating all of the additional space that her two children now enjoy. A math teacher for 17 years, she sees the difference that decent living conditions can make in the life of a student. She speaks proudly of her daughter’s plans to study Russian literature at university. In Khujand, a philosophy teacher stands at the front of a chilly classroom, warmed only by his enthusiasm and the rapt attention of his students. He greeted the day with his wife and children in a Habitat apartment. He was encouraged to apply by the dean of his school, an older man who likes to dole out dried apricots from his garden. There are parallels, the dean tells us, between their calling and the work of building affordable housing: Our business is about humanity. Yours is for humanity. As if to prove his point, a family of five welcomes a group of strangers from halfway around the world. The family shares a feast with their guests as they share their plans to improve the Habitat home they helped build. Generous and funny, they invite their visitors to stay longer, eat more, come back soon. Although this is their first and perhaps only meeting, in their eyes they are already all members of the same family. A family — international in scope, limitless in number — that goes by the name of Habitat. sep t em JU bN er E 2011 ha b i tat. o r g 23 A Country Profile Photos by Steffan Hacker T his time of year, the cold and damp Bulgarian winter approaches. Crowds make their way along the modern streets of ancient Sofia, a bitter wind wrapping itself around the warmth of the city lights. A heavy blanket of snow will soon cover this corner of southeastern Europe, creating a pristine postcard whose close-up reality is icy sidewalks and village lanes, frigid nighttime temperatures, and families struggling to stay warm and healthy in too-often crumbling and crowded housing. Active since 2001, Habitat for Humanity Bulgaria works to improve housing conditions from the capital city to the countryside, in partnership with local organizations and microfinance institutions. Sofia | Renovations to aging apartments Six-year-old Paulin Nikolovi plays on the floor of his family’s newly renovated apartment. Paulin’s father, Petar, was born here and inherited the declining flat from his father. Through a Habitat Bulgaria partnership with local microfinance institution Microfond, Petar took out a small, low-interest loan to perform much-needed renovations. With help from friends, he upgraded the apartment’s bathroom, replaced decaying pipes and wiring, and installed snugly fitted window frames that more effectively keep out the cold. Petar also was able to reallocate the family’s living space, creating a better kitchen for his wife, Violina, and — for the first time — a separate bedroom for Paulin and his 6-monthold sister, Toni. 24 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g Koilovtsi Housing improvements Yaroslav Milanov built his house in this village outside the community of Pleven more than 40 years ago for his growing family. Now retired, his children grown with children of their own, Yaroslav and wife, Iliyana Mihaylova, have struggled to maintain the house. When the roof began sagging three or four years ago, Iliyana constantly worried that it would collapse on the heads of her visiting grandchildren. After hearing from family members about the partnership between Habitat Bulgaria and the Pleven Community Fund, the couple took a small loan to buy materials, then happily repaired their roof with help from a neighbor. sep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 25 Koilovtsi lilyak sofia Sofia | Improving accessibility for families with disabled children When Antoaneta Petrova and her son, Dobi, first moved to Sofia, their apartment was on the 14th floor. On days when the unreliable elevator didn’t work, 19-year-old Dobi, whose muscular dystrophy means he uses a wheelchair, was a prisoner in his own home. After two years of waiting and working, the family found a first-floor apartment and relocated, but there were still at least a dozen steps to navigate at the building’s entrance. Through Habitat Bulgaria, Antoaneta has taken out a housing microfinance loan to make improvements, including the purchase of a ramp that gives Dobi more freedom. 26 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g Lilyak | Access to running water Many families in the small village of Lilyak lack access to running water. Throughout Europe, Roma communities like Lilyak are often excluded from society and struggle for equality of access and opportunity. Here, city services stop short of the Roma community, ending in nearby Targovishte. Residents often walk up to 800 meters to water sources (about a half-mile), bringing back as much as they can carry for their households. Habitat Bulgaria is partnering with the local Club of Non-Governmental Organizations in the hopes that the two groups can work with these families to find solutions. Stefan Nikolov and his wife, Asia Marinova, have borrowed 400 leva (about USD$290) through the partnership, funds the family of five used to connect their house to the closest water main. Sofia | Energy efficiency A maze of concrete high-rises sits on the residential western outskirts of Sofia. Like so many of its formerly Soviet counterparts, Bulgaria continues to struggle with districts full of these towering — and deteriorating — apartment buildings. With an eye toward helping families make repairs and increase the energy efficiency of their homes, Habitat Bulgaria has begun to assess the need and raise awareness about the types of assistance the organization could provide. Staff members have begun seeking out existing homeowners’ associations, officials from local districts and municipalities, and individual families and groups of families who might be interested in partnering. sep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 27 FieldNotes Perspectives from around Habitat’s world Affiliate Spotlight Gateway Expansion To reach new communities, Habitat St. Louis adapts its ways B y P hillip J ordan Volunteers have helped Habitat St. Louis create more than 300 homes since 1986. Beginning this fall, the affiliate ventures Habitat St. Louis into new territory to reach more families. F or nearly the entirety of Habitat for Humanity St. Louis’ existence, the affiliate has concentrated its efforts on St. Louis’ North City. Blighted land, crumbling properties and abandoned communities have provided Habitat with a chance to create substantive and visible change. Since its founding in 1986, Habitat St. Louis has built or repaired more than 300 houses in North City — safe homes for more than 1,000 parents and children in the area. Last year, more than 3,000 volunteers helped Habitat build 23 of those homes. But need exists throughout the region, and the affiliate wants to reach new places. This fall, Habitat St. Louis will begin work- 28 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g ing, for the first time, in South City. “Our biggest goal is to have a broader presence,” says Kimberly McKinney, Habitat St. Louis CEO. “We don’t want to have someone say, ‘Habitat? Oh yeah, they work in North City.’ We want to provide families with hope in every part of the city and throughout St. Louis County.” That ambition comes to life with the construction of five homes in South City’s historic Carondelet neighborhood. Over the next two years, Habitat hopes to build at least another dozen homes here. The southern section of St. Louis hasn’t suffered the scars and abandonment that have plagued North City. Its working-class neighborhoods, however, include homes in need of repairs and plenty of infill opportu- nities where new housing could be built with low-income families. In Carondelet, Habitat St. Louis enters a neighborhood with promising assets. A growing and diverse population, a reemerging business district, parks and public transit options make the neighborhood ideal for residential growth. Still, to succeed here, new challenges have forced Habitat St. Louis to learn a few new tricks. For starters, Habitat needed to collaborate with new municipalities, development agencies and, most prominently, historicpreservation groups. Carondelet was initially established as an independent village and its boundaries include some of St. Louis’ most historic homes. To build in the neighborhood, which is listed on the National Regis- Find Habitat World online at HABITAT.ORG/HW Read weekly updates at HABITAT.ORG/BLOG “Sometimes, even if something’s not broke, you still need to fix it to find better solutions!” — kimberly mckinney, Habitat St. Louis ter of Historic Places, Habitat St. Louis worked to pass three layers of design approval. Habitat also has tirelessly assured neighbors that affordable housing doesn’t have to detract from the neighborhood’s historic nature. Tom Purcell is chairman of the Carondelet Housing Corporation, a locally based group that supports efforts to preserve and develop quality housing in the community. Purcell’s group first invited Habitat to work in the neighborhood; he says Habitat’s collaborative spirit has won over skeptics. “There were some disagreements at first about how Habitat’s design fits the area, but Habitat hosted a series of meetings, made tweaks and showed a willingness to adjust,” Purcell says. “At the same time, Habitat also explained their commitment not to give up on their principles and how they’re trying to serve who they need to serve in their mission. It impressed people.” “The best thing is that the people we’re working with care deeply about making the community an even better place to live,” McKinney adds. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s made us think more creatively about how we can work.” That creativity extends to the construction site, too. Building on more constrained sites, doing infill housing and coming up with new schedules for volunteers have all been re-learning experiences. “Flexibility is huge,” McKinney says. “We’ve had to adapt in a couple of ways, especially since we’re not taking over an entire neighborhood, like we have so often in the past. “It’s making us smarter. Sometimes, even if something’s not broke, you still need to fix it to find better solutions!” Purcell says he suspects that approach might be one of the reasons Habitat continues to grow. “As a businessman, I’m impressed,” says Purcell. “I treat Habitat as a respected developer. What I’ve realized is that when Habitat comes into a community, they deal honestly with what and who is already there. “They have a vision for St. Louis and a very focused dedication on accomplishing it. But what they’ve done here — working on new designs, doing infill housing — it shows they have flexibility, too.” Be a blogger of the week! » Have you recently enjoyed a great experience on a Habitat build site? Does your affiliate or national organization have exciting news to share with the rest of the Habitat world? Do you have a personal story that speaks to the lasting benefits of simple, decent housing? Send us your stories, and we’ll consider including them on the Habitat World blog. To get started, take a look at habitat.org/blog for inspiration, then email your best 300-500 words to habitatworld@ habitat.org. If your post is selected, our editors will be in touch — and you’ll be one of our bloggers of the week! FieldNotes Find Habitat World online at HABITAT.ORG/HW Read weekly updates at HABITAT.ORG/BLOG Perspectives from around Habitat’s world Moving Forward on a Promise The 2011 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project supports local efforts in Haiti L ess than a month after the January 2010 earthquake forever altered Haiti’s landscape, Habitat for Humanity made a bold commitment. Over the next five years, Habitat would seek to serve 50,000 earthquakeaffected families, helping Haitians move toward safer, more secure, permanent places to call home. From Nov. 5-12, that pledge will take new shape, when more than 400 international volunteers work alongside Haitian families to build 100 core houses in Leogane, Haiti. The November event is the first of back-to-back Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Projects scheduled to take place in the country. Each year, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, give a week of their time to lead volunteers in building homes and raising awareness of the need for affordable housing. In 2011 and 2012, the Carter Work Project heads to Haiti. “Like the rest of the world, Rosalynn and I were heartbroken to see the devastation and despair that the earthquake brought onto a country already so impoverished,” says President Carter. “We are pleased to join Habitat volunteers and the Haitian people to rebuild homes and to bring attention to the ongoing support needed for Haiti’s recovery.” International volunteers will dedicate their time and resources to support efforts in Leogane, a town about 20 miles west of Port-au-Prince. The earthquake that flattened the country’s capital actually had its violent epicenter eight miles below the dry ground of Leogane, damaging or destroying more than 80 percent of the town’s structures and leaving thousands homeless. Since the earthquake, more than 27,000 Haitian families have partnered with 30 ha b i tat wo r l d ha b i tat. o r g jason asteros B y P hillip J ordan Habitat through a variety of construction programs: emergency shelter kits, transitional and upgradable shelters, and repairs. Habitat’s housing damage assessments and household mapping and surveying have benefited thousands more. The earthquake also left survivors without the means to rebuild and without jobs to make a living. Habitat Haiti has trained locals and provided job opportunities through the construction of upgradable and transitional shelters for those who lost everything. The 400 international volunteers supporting this year’s Carter Work Project will build with many of those Haitians trained through Habitat’s local resource center. Together, their work will help 100 families craft a new future for their resilient community. Eventually, this site will provide as many as 500 families with a healthy, secure place to heal, grow and thrive. From the very beginning, Habitat has worked in partnership with families here to envision this new community, called “Santo.” Once the land was secured, Habitat engaged potential new homeowners in the design, planning and decision-making for This fall, a field in Leogane’s Santo community will be filled with neighbors and volunteers building 100 new Habitat houses. the new neighborhood. Habitat has worked with these families to address all the needs the community might have: house designs, environmental concerns, employment opportunities, proper water and sanitation, education and infrastructure. The community also is helping Habitat identify the most vulnerable families that need to be reached first. “We are doing this right from the beginning,” says Claude Jeudy, Habitat Haiti’s national director. “If this is also in the hands of the local community from the start, we can better ensure we’re increasing self-sufficiency among the families and that we’re creating sustainable solutions.” go online » The 2011 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project travels to Haiti Nov. 5-12. Keep up to date at habitat.org/cwp/2011. ComingHome g The camera captures a moment in time BRIGHTER TIMES ahead E ight- year- old Omar Vasquez studies for school inside his family’s makeshift home in San Martin Jilote- peque, Guatemala. Omar’s textbook and face are illuminated by sunshine penetrating through cracks in the wooden shelter. For 25 years, Omar’s grandparents — Maria Teresa Ramirez and Miguel Angel Juares, pictured in the background — had lived in the same house. As their family grew to include children such as Omar’s father, Edwin Yoani Vazquez, space grew tighter. To ease the suffocating conditions, Maria and Miguel recently moved into this improvised structure with Omar, Edwin and two other grandchildren. Thankfully, their time here is temporary. Soon, Omar will have more space — and light — to study in a new, block home the family is building with Habitat Guatemala. “Omar always arrives back at the house after school and immediately asks about the volunteers,” says his grandmother, Maria Teresa. “The volunteers all work so hard, also chatting and playing with the children. We are very happy we have the opportunity to know them and to work together to build the house.” P h o t o B y E z r a M i l l s t e i n S ep t em b e r 2 0 1 1 ha b i tat. o r g 31 121 Habitat Street, Americus, GA 31709-3498 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL Give a gift that opens doors. This season, when you send a Habitat for Humanity Gift from the Heart card, you help open the door to safe, decent and affordable shelter for families around the world. When you order a Gift from the Heart for someone you care about, a donation will be made in their name. In addition, they’ll receive a memorable note card confirming your thoughtful gift.* Visit us at habitat.org/gfh, or call us at 1-800-HABITAT to learn more about how you can help open doors. *Available in e-card or postal delivery options. INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 121 Habitat Street Americus, GA 31709-3498