Volunteers in Kyrgyzstan use a 19th century construction method that incorporates cane reed.

Raising Cane in Kyrgyzstan

Habitat for Humanity Kyrgyzstan has found a way to leap forward--by looking back. The affiliate has been named one of 30 winners in the 2006 World Bank Development Marketplace competition, receiving an award of $116,000 to further explore its "Cane Reed: 19th Century Idea, 21st Century Solution" proposal.

The winning Kyrgyz entry described Habitat's blending of a traditional construction method--using cane reed and clay--with the technological innovation of an under-the-floor heating system. "Since 2002, Habitat Kyrgyzstan has researched various construction styles to reduce the cost of the house for poor families," says new project development manager Nurlan Moldosherip. "We decided to pay more attention to cane-reed construction because it was very easy to incorporate into our culture."

Borrowing from 19th century techniques, houses are built using locally harvested reeds that are woven to fill a timber frame and fortified with clay. Kyrgyz builders have found this construction cheaper and faster, as well as environmentally friendly and seismically stable.

Tucked away in mountainous Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan experiences harsh winters, and families often spend as much as half their income on heat. Electric heating can be dangerous due to makeshift furnaces; solid fuel heating is more common, yet can cause pollution and deforestation. But as the Kyrgyz proposal points out, "Families ignore or are unaware of the environmental and physical risks. Their main concern is to heat the house and still have enough to eat." With this in mind, the Habitat affiliate incorporated an efficient, under-floor, coiled-circuit heating system into its design.

With the grant, Habitat Kyrgyzstan will build multi-apartment houses with 10 families and then replicate the project in other areas.

The 2006 grant program awarded a total of US$5 million to agencies from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe that offered creative, easily duplicated solutions to the most basic needs of a population: clean water, energy access and sanitation services.

Thirty Years and Counting

Habitat for Humanity's 30th anniversary celebration coincided with the 2006 National Leadership Conference held in Charlotte, N.C., in August. Highlights of the conference included an executive directors' conference focusing on teambuilding, more than 140 workshops, and presentations from Habitat homeowner families from the U.S./Canada, Europe/Central Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, Africa/Middle East and Asia/Pacific regions. John Ortberg, best-selling author and pastor, offered the keynote address during a special anniversary Habitation service.

Habitat conferences occur regularly and offer valuable training and networking opportunities for affiliate and volunteers alike. If you are interested in attending a conference, contact your local affiliate for further information.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

When Peter Eaton and Kate Gleason, both in their 40s, decided to get married in September 2004, they made a decision not entirely uncommon among Habitat for Humanity supporters: They requested donations to Habitat in lieu of wedding gifts.

However, their positions--Peter is dean of Saint John's Cathedral in Denver, and Kate was a major gifts director for Habitat at the time--perhaps expanded their influence. Well-wishers contributed more than $52,000 to Habitat on their behalf.

"We asked ourselves, 'How could our marriage be a sign of hope for people around the world?'" Peter says. "Could our household be hope for us?"

Apparently so. On their anniversary, the Eatons spent time together selecting countries where they'd like to fund houses. The following countries were designated: Dominican Republic: $5,032; El Salvador: $4,934; Guatemala: $2,972; Nicaragua: $3,836; Bangladesh: $1,470; Cambodia: $2,425; East Timor: $1,090; India: $2,600; Nepal: $2,030; Pakistan: $1,230; Sri Lanka: $1,190; Thailand: $1,955; Egypt: $3,800; Kenya: $2,400; Madagascar: $2,500; Tanzania: $3,400; Uganda: $2,500; and Zimbabwe: $5,650.

Home Builders Blitz site in Wake County, N.C.

Blitz Build Bonanza

The largest blitz build in Habitat for Humanity history wrapped up a week in June with more than 400 house dedications in 130 communities around the United States. The Home Builders Blitz brought together more than 1,000 professional home builders, pairing them with Habitat affiliates to construct homes. Habitat affiliates provided the land, while the builders worked with their subcontractors to complete the homes and deliver them to new Habitat homeowner families.

Susan Fendley works for McGuyer Homebuilders Inc., in Houston, Texas. "One new homeowner stood in front of her hew house, staring at it in disbelief," Fendley wrote for Habitat's Web site. "She started to cry and said 'my home,' like she still couldn't believe it was real, that she actually was a homeowner."

"Lives have been changed, both for the builders and the new homeowners," said Kevin Campbell, director of the national Home Builders Blitz program for Habitat for Humanity. "Builders and sponsors have really helped to make a difference in communities, and we are grateful for their efforts."

The vision for Home Builders Blitz came from Tom Gipson, a custom home builder in Raleigh, N.C. He began leading a local group of professional builders in 2002 and soon proposed making the project a national event.