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Europe Unites to Combat Poverty Housing in Romania

The symbolism of a September build in Radauti, Romania, sought to capture the imagination of the entire European Union. For five days, 650 volunteers gathered in the northern Romanian town of Radauti to build Habitat houses in partnership with 27 families in need of safe, decent, affordable housing. Each of the 27 houses represents a member nation of the European Union, which Romania entered in January 2007.

The five-day build, dubbed Euro 2007 Habitat Build, brought together ambassadors, politicians, sports stars, corporate leaders and EU representatives to work side by side with Habitat homeowners and volunteers from Romania, Europe and around the world.

The September event was the culmination of events set in motion months earlier at a roundtable discussion in Bucharest titled “Aspects of Poor Housing in Romania and the EU: Present and Future.” After the discussion, the politicians, diplomats, ministers, corporate representatives and academics in attendance built the first roof truss for Euro 2007 Habitat Build, a structure then transported to Radauti to be installed in one of the 27 houses.

Earlier in the year, Habitat Romania and its partners declared Radauti to be the “European capital of volunteering” and designated it a flagship location in the ongoing fight against poverty housing. The goal of Euro 2007 Habitat Build was to raise affordable-housing awareness and to bring the effects of poverty housing into the spotlight. “We would like everyone to help us end poverty housing here in Romania, across Europe and worldwide,” says Adrian Ciorna, national director of Habitat for Humanity Romania.

“I particularly appreciate this initiative,” says EU Ambassador to Romania Donato Chiarini, “and I consider that bringing volunteers from all over the world to work together to the benefit of the families in need is a beautiful example of solidarity, a European value that the Romanians fully share.”

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United States

In early October, hundreds of volunteers from Willow Creek Community Church traveled to Bayside Park, Miss., to build seven houses with Habitat. The project was an extension of work begun last year when members of the South Barrington, Ill., church built seven houses in Bay St. Louis, Miss., following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

“Willow Creek is very committed to Waveland, Bay St. Louis and the Gulf Coast area,” says Bryan Kidd, one of the Willow Creek organizers. “Last year, we had an incredible event with an impossible time frame. This year, we were able to refine the process.

“People who go on these trips are Christ followers who have heard the command to be Christ’s hands and feet to the areas devastated by the hurricanes,” he adds. “At some point, they felt called to offer themselves, skilled or unskilled, to be part of the project to make it successful.”

In addition to the hurricane relief trips, Willow Creek volunteers have participated in Jimmy Carter Work Project teams in the United States and in other locations in recent years. This summer more than 300 volunteers from the church also completed their first local Habitat build — a two-story house that was completed in two weeks. “It generated a lot of excitement to have a project in our own backyard,” says Kidd.

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Ghana

Habitat Ghana recently celebrated the construction of more than 5,000 houses, a meaningful milestone that falls during the program’s 20th anniversary year of work in the western African nation. A day of celebrations held at the Nkwantakese affiliate in the country’s Ashanti region marked the occasion, culminating in the house dedication ceremony.

The day’s events also included a durbar, or assembly, of community members, chiefs and partner organizations to discuss the Ghana program and Habitat’s work in the Africa/Middle East area. “The chiefs donate land at a token for housing projects,” says Raphael Bokumaah, Habitat Ghana resource development and communications manager. “And therefore, the chiefs and the people are Habitat’s assets and partners. The durbar celebrates our common purpose and collective achievement with all of our partners over the past 20 years — and counting.”

Since Habitat Ghana was formed in 1987, 67 affiliates have been established; these local affiliates now are building more than 400 houses a year. Habitat Ghana constructs houses using pressed blocks or baked bricks and aluminum sheeting.

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Republic of Korea

In a five-day event spanning late July and early August, about 800 Korea Blitz Build volunteers helped build 56 houses at six sites, with volunteers hosted by Habitat Korea affiliates in Cheonan, Chuncheon, Daegu, Gunsan, Jinju and Northern Gyungi. The series of builds attracted the largest number of Habitat Korea volunteers since the country hosted the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 2001.

The volunteer builders came from different walks of life, with the majority being local university students on their summer vacation. Corporate volunteers were drawn from Korean businesses, as well as the local offices of overseas firms.

Habitat Korea’s goodwill ambassadors, television stars Lee Jae-ryong and Yoo Hojung, also built with the volunteers and home partners. At the end of the first day’s build, singer Jadu jazzed up the evening by entertaining volunteers.

Over the event’s five days, volunteers helped to build external walls, put up roofing and paint. While the volunteers completed a good part of the houses, other electrical, piping and plumbing works continued after they left, and heating systems were installed for protection against the harsh Korean winter. The 56 families moved into their new homes at the end of September, during Choo-seok, or Korea’s national thanksgiving holidays.

The Korea Blitz Build 2007 was supported by funds raised during a fashion show earlier in the year that raised more than US$291,500..

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Kyrgyzstan

Habitat Kyrgyzstan continues its emphasis on incorporating new building technologies into its homebuilding activities.

Habitat Kyrgyzstan currently is initiating a project with the international group Women in Europe for a Common Future to build eco-toilets, environmentally friendly outhouse systems that do not require central or guaranteed water systems and can be constructed with local and inexpensive materials.

Additionally, in 2007, on top of its renovation and completion of half-built houses, Habitat Kyrgyzstan was on track to construct 20 cane reed houses. This summer, Habitat Kyrgyzstan held an official groundbreaking in Bishkek for cane reed houses that were constructed with the support of the World Bank. The cane reed design — which is implemented with locally available materials and can cut heating costs by as much as 70 percent — won a Development Marketplace Innovation Award in 2006 from the international organization. The groundbreaking ceremony included a craft fair organized by Habitat Kyrgyzstan partner families and a demonstration of the cane reed building technology for local media and the public.

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Japan

In the aftermath of the March 2007 earthquake that struck the Noto peninsula, Habitat Japan’s response has extended beyond victim assistance and fund raising into new territory. Habitat staff and volunteers have worked to repair traditional warehouses made of bamboo and clay in Wajima City, a move aimed at reviving the local lacquerware industry and protecting one of the community’s age-old traditions and cultural construction methods.

Megumi Nishijima, Habitat Japan’s international program officer, traveled to Wajima City in the Ishikawa prefecture to join a team of American volunteers from Misawa Air Force Base and the members of a local committee called Support Activity for Restoration of Traditional Warehouses. The team helped repair an earthquake-damaged two-story warehouse used for storing Wajima-nuri, a famed Japanese lacquerware. “These traditional warehouses are really valuable in terms of community renovation because they are used as workshops for traditional activities,” says Nishijima.

Nishijima’s volunteer experience in Wajima City has paved the way for the involvement of others; Habitat Japan, a full-scale national office with affiliates in Tokyo and Osaka, recently called for volunteers to spend 11 days repairing traditional warehouses.

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