Oh. My. Goodness. How can 6 months have passed since my last post? I’ve had so many amazing and wonderful adventures…I guess I just get caught up in experiencing the moment rather than writing about it. Forgive me – stories to follow, I promise. 🙂
It’s time to make some changes, starting with this unplanned, in the moment post! I can’t think of a more appropriate time …let me explain.
I am currently spending my last night (on this trip!) in Americus, Georgia. Where’s that? Yeah…you’ll need to check the map. 🙂 Americus is a quiet but lovely town in southwestern Georgia. Look!
I arrived over a week ago right ahead of Hurricane Irma (it literally started raining as I unpacked the car…). I have spent the past week at the headquarters of Habitat for Humanity. It’s been fantastic!
During the first few days, I spent time in the office with some great people preparing for the big moment… On Thursday, the event started! This was the first of several sessions where Habitat for Humanity Global Village Volunteer Team leaders are coming together to meet, talk, learn, share and recommit to serving the mission of this organization. We were given an extra special reception at the historic Rylander Theatre downtown:
On that first night, the initial 17 team leaders to attend recertification training got to know each other and learn more about the roots of Habitat. We were treated to a special showing of “Briars in the Cotton Patch” – a movie describing the roots of Habitat set in the Civil Rights era. I had no idea…definitely worth a watch., look for it
Over the next two days, we attended talks that ranged in content but had the overall impact of bringing this group of individuals together as one cohesive unit with a common goal. I feel so privileged to be a part of this crowd! And it is reaffirming in a multitude of ways
So this day seems fitting to kick off a renewed commitment to posting updates, as I am reenergized about the future and my renewed commitment. I can’t wait to be the best I can be, to serve to the best of my ability, and to make the most of every moment that life grants me.
Thanks for joining me on the journey and having faith. Our best is yet to come. ❤️
In November 2017, 250+ volunteers joined together to build 29 homes during Habitat for Humanity‘s BIG BUILD in Cambodia! Read on for more information about the project. Details on the need for housing in Cambodia are below!
Housing Need in Cambodia
While poverty has decreased significantly in recent years, many Cambodian families are hovering only just above the poverty line of US$1.25 per day. Nearly three quarters of Cambodia’s population was still living on less than US$3 a day in 2011, according to the World Bank. Poverty is largely concentrated in the rural areas though urban poverty may be rising. Habitat for Humanity Cambodia seeks to break the cycle of poverty through safe, durable, affordable housing solutions and innovations. Since 2003, HFH Cambodia has enabled more than 18,000 families to build strength, stability and self‐reliance through innovative housing and human settlements interventions.
The BIG BUILD!
Once per year, Habitat for Humanity sponsors a “Big Build”, focusing the efforts of a large number of volunteers on one location. For 2017’s special build, approximately 200 volunteers will join HFH Cambodia for one week in Battambang Province to build at least 15 safe, quality and affordable houses with home partner families. Battambang is located in the northwestern part of Cambodia, approximately 300 km from Phnom Penh. This city has 14 Districts, 102 communes and 799 villages, with approximately 235,000 households and a total population of just over 1 million.
The 15 houses will be built during this effort primarily using Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB), a building material that is made mainly from damp soil compressed at high pressure to form blocks. The CEB technology has been developed for low‐cost construction, as an alternative to adobe to promote the use of eco‐friendly construction materials within communities.
Government approved design of Compressed Earth Block homesCompressed Earth Block productionCompleted home from Compressed Earth Blocks
This post contains information provided by Habitat for Humanity International and Habitat for Humanity Cambodia. Their help and support is much appreciated.
In February I had the opportunity to lead a team of 9 volunteers on a one week Global Village build with Habitat for Humanity in Yunnan Province, China. What a fantastic experience! Everything about this trip – the location, the culture, the team, the community, the food – was so much more than I expected. I’m excited to introduce you to Mr. Long and his family, who we worked side by side with for 5 days.
Mr. Long belongs to the Miao minority and has lived in Yunnan Province for his entire life. Being the youngest son in the family (he has 4 older sisters and 1 older brother), it is his responsibility to care for his parents as they age. Living in his household are his parents, his wife, and their three children. Soon his wife’s parents will also come to live with the family. The house where they have been living contains just 4 rooms: a kitchen, an attic storage area, a dedicated bedroom and a combo living room/bedroom. The house has been deemed “uninhabitable” by the government due to its age and the fact that it sustained severe damage in an earthquake a few years ago.
Photos of the Long Family’s current home. Clockwise from top left: the outside of the house (2), the attic storage and drying area, the living room/main bedroom, the second bedroom, the living room/main bedroom, the kitchen.
The family was able to build a temporary home, but they could only afford a small, 3-room basic structure. There is no steel reinforcement within the walls and the home is built of hollow bricks, which will collapse easily in the case of another earthquake. For these reasons, the government has also deemed this house unsuitable for permanent residence.
Take a minute to imagine, really picture in your mind, living in such conditions as a family of 9… There is no security or safety for you or your belongings, no privacy, limited conveniences (intermittent electricity, no running water or indoor bathrooms)…and the prospect of another earthquake which could destroy your home is ever present.
Habitat for Humanity China provides help to low/middle income families throughout several provinces. There are government programs to help the poorest of the poor in China, so the families that HFH China helps have stable jobs and can afford to make small payments on their home, but need a little extra help. I chose to take this trip to Yunnan because it offers an excellent cultural immersion. I actually had no idea what I was getting into! In a good way, of course. 🙂
Our team arrived in Kunming and traveled by bus to a small town called Gaoqiao. The guesthouse was basic…including squat toilets…and special rules? 🙂 This would be our home for the next week and we ate well in town, but our work was in an even more rural location.
Each day, we set out by bus for 30 minutes and then on foot for a 45 minute hike to reach Mr Long and his family. The hike was no walk in the park, with an up and down path and overall elevation gain of almost 1000 feet over one mile! The setting was beautiful though so in between gasping for air we all enjoyed the scenery.
When we first arrived, we found our project already started. Mr. Long and his community had already completed the first floor (3 rooms) of the new home!
Our tasks for the next 5 days were to pour a porch on the first level and begin building the walls upstairs. This meant lots of mixing of concrete and mortar, moving materials, and laying bricks! On the first day, we mixed concrete (with an actual mixer – a luxury on a build like this!) and poured the porch floor.
Everyday, Mrs. Long and other members of the community prepared a delicious home cooked meal for us at lunchtime. What a treat! Chopstick skills required. 🙂
For the next 4 days, we sifted sand, carried countless buckets of sifted sand and water upstairs, mixed mortar by hand and laid bricks to build up the walls.
The family worked with us everyday – they were unstoppable and their pride in their new home was obvious. Even before we arrived, the 7-year old daughter in the family could not wait to enjoy her new home! “Though the windows and doors on the first floor weren’t installed, she took a straw mat and quilt to the new house and slept there alone. So happy was she in these days.” says Mr. Long. Decent and safe housing not only means an improvement of living environment, but also means self-confidence and hope.
On the last day, rain prevented us from continuing our work but it could not dampen our spirits. We joined together with the family for a memorable lunch and celebration, wishing each other well in the future and congratulating everyone on the progress. Our celebration started with an indoor BBQ – yet another fabulous meal.
Mr. Long is an active member of his church and a quartet performed several songs for us to kick off the official farewell ceremony!
He also gave a short speech which left not a dry eye in the audience. We all received certificates from Jerry, the staff coordinator of HFH China, and said our goodbyes after a typical Chinese fireworks display!
We made great progress in the week and the Long Family hopes to complete their home and move in before the summer.
Reflecting on our week with this family, I know that we made a huge impact on the lives of the Long family. However, I would argue that they made an even greater impact on mine. Thank you, Long family, for your friendship and hard work. You welcomed us into your community and your family – for that we will be forever grateful. ❤️️
For more photos from this build, check out my photo album!
This post contains some facts and quotes shared with me by Habitat for Humanity China. Their help and support is appreciated.
We built with indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico, where families need a hand up to improve their shelter situation.
San Cristóbal de Las Casas, one of Mexico’s best preserved Spanish colonial towns. was the setting for this build. A beautiful and touristic city, but 76 percent of the indigenous people there live in poverty. Our team built decent, sturdy homes using cement blocks.
This community does not often encounter outsiders, so the build was a great opportunity to see inside of a unique culture. Our volunteers learned as much as we contributed and strived for a true person-to-person exchange.
What a fantastic experience! I’ve been to China several times, but never this far out in the rural area. Working for one week with a fabulous team, a wonderful staff, and a family who was so kind and generous brings with it a whole new perspective on this great country. Please check out some recaps of our trip in this blog post: A Home for the Long Family
For more information about Habitat for Humanity’s work in China through the Global Village program and beyond, please visit the Habitat for Humanity China homepage. Additional information about the housing need in China is also included below. Thanks for your support!
Housing Need
Over the past three decades, living standards have dramatically improved for many of China’s more than 1.4 billion residents, but inequality has also sharply increased. About 150 million Chinese still live on less than $1 a day. Many of the poor lack access to affordable housing, shut out by soaring land and house prices.
Established in 2000, Habitat for Humanity China was galvanized by the devastating May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan. To date, Habitat China has built homes and assisted nearly 1,000 families in half a dozen Sichuan communities, including many built during the 2009 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Habitat China has also worked in partnership with Leprosy Mission International to improve homes for people afflicted with leprosy.
China has hosted Global Village trips from 12 countries. Your donation to a Global Village trip supports Habitat’s mission of building simple, decent, affordable housing in China.
Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity has grown from a grassroots effort that began on a community farm in southern Georgia in 1976 to a global nonprofit housing organization in nearly 1,400 communities across the U.S. and in over 70 countries. People partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.
This post contains information provided by Habitat for Humanity International and Habitat for Humanity China. Their help and support is much appreciated.
Exploring and learning while enjoying life and doing my part. Here, there and everywhere…
