Building for the future in Macedonia

Macedonia is not an exception from the unbearable litany of stories about poor housing throughout the world. Due to the difficult economic situation in this Balkan country, average Macedonian families cannot afford separate homes. Many people live with their parents, making overcrowding a primary issue of inadequate living conditions.

Most residential buildings in the country were completed 30 or more years ago, and are in need of immediate reconstruction and renovation. However, local authorities hardly allocate any funds necessary to make a difference.

To address this need, Habitat for Humanity has begun construction on an entire housing complex in Veles, which is an industrial city located in the center of the country. This project will provide 11 housing units with 90 apartments over a period of three years. The build was officially launched last October, when members of Habitat’s international board of directors, headed by the organization’s chief executive officer Jonathan Reckford, gathered in Veles to lay the foundations of the new neighborhood.

This year the first 24 apartments will be completed. So far, four volunteer teams have worked on the build site alongside the future homeowners. One such team of volunteers was a 40-strong group of Whirlpool employees. Edda Laudi, the product communication and sponsorship manager at Whirlpool Europe said, “I am very happy to be working with the families that these homes are meant for. This is a great way to stimulate people’s dedication and corporate responsibility to the community”.

The Gichevi family has applied for one of the Habitat houses in Veles. Simeon Gichevi runs a small farm with his father. His wife, Gabriela, works in a textile factory in a nearby town, and must commute to and from work every day. They have a 4-year-old daughter Marija. The three of them share one room in Simeon's parents' house. “It is going to be a dream come true for us. After all, it is the ultimate goal of every family – to get a home of their own. So, this would make my entire family happy. And that is really all that matters in life”, said Simeon.

Whirlpool has supported Habitat for Humanity and its fight against poverty housing for a decade and has expanded this partnership to initiatives across Europe since 2004; the year in which Whirlpool also introduced the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour to the collaborative charitable work.  

Since then, Whirlpool has contributed to the construction, renovation, and rehabilitation of almost 6,500 homes in Europe and Central Asia. On top of almost €450,000 in donations that Whirlpool has contributed to Habitat in Europe and Central Asia, the company has also made available an additional €18,000 to support the build in Veles.