At home, personal touches such as a framed wedding photo can be seen. A few drawings of her eight-year-old daughter Karos Malasari are on the walls as well as their bedroom’s door. While her daughter likes to draw, her ambition lies elsewhere. “I want to be a football player,” says Karos Malasari who came home from playing football with children from the village.

Tasnih had used her savings of 40 million rupiah (about US$2,270) to build a bigger kitchen in 2025 that allowed her to expand her home-based business. She says, “I decided to sell it (fermented cassava) because there was no competitor. Others started but they didn’t continue because of the long process.”

Now she employs four workers from the community. They wash, dry, peel and cut the cassava that Tasnih’s husband buys from the market each day. Due to the long fermentation process, she starts at 9 a.m. and ends at midnight. She says, “Patience is key.”

Surprisingly — or not — the kitchen is her favorite part of her home. “I’m proud of my products. Whenever I get bulk orders, I would take photos and post online.”

Looking back on her entrepreneurship journey, Tasnih is proud of what she has achieved. “From zero to boss,” she says.

According to Santo, a construction supervisor with Habitat Indonesia, the design of the rooftop garden provides a two-layer insulation against external heat. The soil of the planters provides thermal mass which absorbs the sun’s radiant heat and dissipates it slowly, and the planters rest on a metallic structure built above a sloped zinc roof, which then eliminates the heat conducting down to the living space below. Additionally, evapotranspiration by the plants and soil produces a natural cooling action, lowering local air and surface temperatures

Kartina and her husband Muhaeni built a new home in 2023 under a partnership between Habitat Indonesia and Habitat Singapore. Before they partnered with Habitat, they were living in a house made of wood that made one feel warm just staying indoors. Muhaeni said. “Previously, we had to use a standing fan and turn on the ceiling fan daily. Now, not every day.”

A village leader for 12 years, Muhaeni said he knows all the 450 families in Kampung Sukadamai. Two years after moving into their new home, he built a veranda with a tiled floor. That’s where he, his wife and their son Mohamad Wahid could relax, chat and have snacks.

Ways of supporting Habitat
In Hong Kong, one could help to improve living conditions in public housing or subdivided units. “Hong Kong is a very wealthy city. At the same time, the income disparity is huge. Often, people look at Hong Kong and see all the wonderful roads, public transport, people can move around easily, everything works. People don’t realize that within the city, there are still people living in poverty and in less-than-optimal housing units. Building that awareness and educating people is so important. Then we offer opportunities for individuals to work within a community.” 

Acknowledging that people are busy, Olivia thinks it’s possible to go out and work in a community. “I think people can always squeeze out a few hours on a weekend because once you step out of your own comfort zone into a community that we don’t normally see, it brings a very different perspective.”

Olivia is also thinking about how to get the next generation excited about Habitat’s work. Whether it’s Generation Z or Generation Alpha, every generation is different. “How do we have those conversations with them so they understand how they can actually make a difference and not feel defeated?”

When it comes to advocating, one doesn’t have to be an industry leader. Olivia says, “Even if you are a young person in school, in the universities, you can advocate for the work that Habitat is doing, within the student union, within the network that you’re in. For those of us who are in the corporate space, we advocate when we have an opportunity with our colleagues or when we are sitting on panels, talking about social impact.”

Natural born storyteller
Olivia puts her storytelling skills to good use when furthering the cause of Habitat. While she remembers each family with whom she has built alongside, there are some families who left an indelible impression. One of them was a family on Batam island, Indonesia, that she helped to raise funds for home construction through a half-marathon fundraiser. As she was living and working in Singapore — about an hour’s ride by ferry from Batam — she worked on a build in early 2006 on Batam as part of an all-women volunteer team. 

When Olivia returned to Batam a few weeks later, to build in another village, she was invited to the new home of the homeowner whom she met during her previous build. The homeowner said, “We don’t have much and I don’t have a gift for you. The only gift I can give you is this glass of water. I just wanted to tell you how much I really appreciate you and your friends. I cannot believe that 12 women managed to finish my floor so that we can move in and have a safe home.”

Another memorable story came from the 2011 Cambodia Big Build in a village in Oudong, Kandal province, about 40 kilometers from the capital of Phnom Penh. By the end of the weeklong build, Olivia and her fellow volunteers had finished nearly all the work including the roof. As soon as the ribbon was cut and the home dedication ceremony was over, the homeowner family moved in. The volunteers who worked alongside the family were invited to come into the house, sit on the floor, share stories. But first, they had to take off their shoes. “Because now we’re stepping into her home. For me, that’s really powerful — to watch the family being able to move in on the spot and the homeowner making sure that we’re treating her home with respect.”

A privilege to serve
As a long-time volunteer and supporter, she considers it a privilege to contribute as a board member. “Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong’s board was the first board that I had ever sat on. It helped me to understand the role of board versus management and how the board is there to support the organization through the contribution of expertise, time, and resources.

She adds, “While on Habitat for Humanity International’s board, I have gained a better understanding of how a very reputable nonprofit is able to raise the amount of resources and do the work that they do. It is comparable to any large commercial for-profit organizations in home building, for example.”

When she joined Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors in March 2020, she asked herself, “What can I bring to the table? The other board members are industry leaders and top of their field.” Having served on both the Hong Kong and international boards, she said, “They are just amazing. All of us have passion for the work that Habitat is doing and I think that makes it easier.” Being in different time zones can be challenging when it comes to staying up late or getting up early for virtual meetings with Habitat’s international board. It helps that Olivia is known both as an early bird and a night owl among the international board members.

So much more to do
Whichever hat she’s wearing, Olivia has seen how Habitat’s work is increasingly complex. As a volunteer, she recalled using thick heavy bricks that served to insulate households during the harsh winter in Mongolia (where Habitat used to operate). As a member of Habitat for Humanity International’s board, she is better informed about the ways that Habitat incorporates energy efficiency through solar panels in Asia to energy-efficient homes in the United States and Europe. “Even before those buzz words came about, I think Habitat has been looking at building homes that are not only climate-resilient but also energy-efficient. Now, with the technology, we’re able to make sure that we do a lot more of that.”

When asked if Habitat is closer to realizing its bold vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, Olivia considers herself to be an eternal optimist. That said, the reality is there are still 838 million people who lived in extreme poverty in 2025, surviving on less than US$3 per day (World Bank, 2025). Low-income families are also disproportionately affected by the global housing crisis. At the end of 2025, 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Olivia concludes, “We’ve definitely come a long way. On the other hand, in the volatile world that we live in, we still have so much more work to do.”

In the midst of uncertainties, Olivia says, “We cannot afford to lose hope that we can make a difference. If we allow that to happen, then we stop doing what’s right. We may also start to be indifferent to injustice thinking ‘I should just look after myself, my family and my friends.” She adds, “We need to make sure that we can open the door to hope, kindness and empathy.”

Her passion for Habitat is also rooted in her faith. “I love Habitat and I love working with Habitat. We demonstrate Christ’s love through our actions. If you think about the builds that we do around the world, I would say our common language is love. I’m here because I love you. You’re my neighbor. I think that’s the beauty of the work that we do in Habitat.”

Eight years after moving in, Sophal said her family is friendly with other families who are also Habitat homeowners. She shares, “We feel a sense of belonging in this community.”

Since 2003, Habitat for Humanity Cambodia has been working with families like Sophal to build or improve a place they call home. Through multisector partnerships, Habitat builds resilient homes with communities, act as a voice for policy changes and implements programs to make housing markets more inclusive. Learn more. https://habitatcambodia.org/en/

What keeps someone coming back

Over the next two decades, Alvin’s relationship with Habitat Singapore deepened. He continued as a volunteer, served on the board, and today is the organization’s acting board chair and treasurer. In his professional life, he is senior economist at United Overseas Bank Limited, dealing with data, markets, systems and policy. At Habitat, he found the human consequences behind them.

On paper, the connection makes sense: an economist keeping the books for a nonprofit. But what’s kept him is something he learned early as a volunteer, that a house is never just four walls and a roof. 

Ask him what a home really is and he’ll tell you: safety, sanitation, dignity, belonging. It is the foundation everything else gets built on: education, health, opportunity, a shot at stability.

“Seeing families receive or improve their homes really reframed my understanding of how fundamental housing is to human potential,” he says.

The housing problem you don’t see

That belief changed how he saw the housing need in Singapore too.

In a country with one of the highest home ownership rates in the world, it is easy to assume that housing hardship happens only in disaster zones, villages, and where poverty is easy to spot. Project HomeWorks, Habitat Singapore’s local home rehabilitation program that helps vulnerable individuals and families maintain safer, cleaner living conditions, put a dent in that assumption.

It showed him that housing challenges exist even in a developed society like Singapore. They may be less visible, tucked behind the doors of rental flats and aging homes, carried by lower-income families, residents who are older adults and people already living with other forms of vulnerability.

The invisible work

That’s part of why Alvin cares so much about staying power. He believes showing up, again and again, is what moves things. Volunteering gave him a close-up view of the work. Leadership meant he could help decide where the organization was headed, and stick around long enough to see it through.

It also showed him the hard work behind the scenes.

Most people see the finished house, the ribbon-cutting, the headline number of families helped. Almost nobody sees what it took to get there: the fundraising calls, the volunteer schedules stitched together, the partnerships built slowly, the governance nobody thanks you for, and the sheer discipline of keeping a mission alive.

“The builds and events are the visible outcomes of a very dedicated and hardworking team of people in Habitat Singapore, doing their best day in and day out,” he says. “I am very grateful and proud to be working with them.”

The next door

After more than 20 years, what gives Alvin hope is the next generation of volunteers. Younger volunteers, he says, are paying closer attention to housing and inequality, at home and abroad. They show up with energy, ideas and a sense of purpose.

For Habitat Singapore, he hopes the next chapter will be about deepening its role as a connector: bringing together communities, corporates and individuals to take on housing challenges together. 

Expanded impact, new partnerships, a real commitment to the people still falling through the cracks — that’s the door he wants to see opened next.

From city boy to build site

Minh describes his younger self as a “city boy”. In Habitat’s early days in Vietnam, he had not fully understood the poverty and daily challenges faced by families living in peri-urban communities.

That changed during his first volunteer engagement, when he found himself working alongside students, local community members and families. He saw families contributing their own time, strength and sweat to build better homes for themselves.

It was partnership, shoulder to shoulder.

For Minh, Habitat’s mission moved from words into something he could see and feel, in the efforts of families building their own future with their own hands.

Over the years, he would meet families carrying more than one hardship at once: a home that couldn’t withstand a storm, an elderly parent, a child with a disability, or several layers of vulnerability under one roof.

And yet, it is often the home dedications that move him most deeply.

Families, volunteers, partners and staff would gather at a newly completed home. There would be speeches and celebration. And almost always, tears.

“You could feel that the house meant much more than a physical structure,” Minh says. “It meant safety, dignity and a brighter future.”

A changing Vietnam

Minh’s home country has changed tremendously since he first joined Habitat. Vietnam’s cities have grown, its economy has developed and the communities have shifted. The meaning of home has changed too.

In the early years, home often meant basic protection: a strong roof, dry floors, safety from storms and a healthier place for children. Today, families are also weighing affordability, climate resilience, access to services, inclusion, and whether their home can support education and livelihoods.

“Home is no longer only a shelter,” Minh says. “It is a foundation for families to live with dignity, participate in Vietnam’s development and build a better future.”

That understanding shaped his years as national director of Habitat for Humanity Vietnam. Leadership, Minh learned, was about stewardship.

In difficult seasons, it meant staying close to the mission, listening carefully, protecting trust and using limited resources responsibly. Every decision carried weight because, somewhere down the line, it affected families.

A global view

After many years in Vietnam, Minh moved into a regional role with Habitat for Humanity’s Asia-Pacific Area Office. The view widened. 

Every country he encountered had its own version of the housing challenge: different disaster risks, markets, policy environments, cultures and community structures. But underneath it all ran the same thread. Decent, affordable and resilient housing remained deeply connected to dignity and opportunity. 

His regional work also showed him that strong local impact needs strong systems behind it. 

Strategy, he says, helps Habitat ask whether it is solving the right problems, reaching the right communities and adapting to the realities families face. Governance helps ensure decisions are responsible, resources are used well, risks are managed and the mission remains strong. 

Still opening doors

Returning to Vietnam as interim national director has been meaningful for Minh. It is where much of his Habitat story began. But Vietnam is not the same country it was when he first joined. The challenges are more layered now. Affordability, climate resilience, migration, urbanization, inclusion and access to services are all connected.

He has seen the organization change over 25 years. Habitat for Humanity has become more strategic, more evidence-based and more focused on systems change, advocacy, housing finance, climate resilience and partnerships.

But there is one belief he hopes will never change: that families and communities are partners, not beneficiaries.

“The door to a better future often begins with the door to a safe home,” says Minh. “I hope Habitat continues opening that door for many more families.”

The housing crisis

Back then, the housing need in parts of New Zealand was stark. He remembers large suburbs of lower-value housing where overcrowding was common, homes were poorly maintained, and damp and mold were part of daily life. The consequences were illness, stress and exhaustion. Warren recalls “appalling health outcomes”, with asthma and rheumatic fever commonplace. Families were worn down. Parents felt overwhelmed. Some had simply “lost hope”.

Much has changed since the 1990s. Housing standards have improved, regulations have been tightened and the community housing sector has grown. But Warren is clear that the pressure has not gone away. Property values have soared. Housing affordability is now a major issue in New Zealand, not only for low-income families, but for many on ordinary incomes.

Population growth has added further strain, public housing waiting lists remain high, and overcrowding has not disappeared. Housing may be healthier than it once was, but decent, affordable housing is still out of reach for too many.

The moments that stay

What has stayed with him over all these years are not the big public moments, though there have been those too. He still remembers the thrill of Habitat’s successful 1999 attempt to break the world Speedbuild record, with more than 200 volunteers building a house in three hours, 44 minutes and 59 seconds. It was, he recalls, “lots of fun” and helped build public awareness and support.

But the stories he returns to are more personal than that.

He talks about one family who had been living in “substandard, unhealthy and overcrowded conditions” before moving into their permanent home. Afterwards, things began to shift in ways that went far beyond shelter. The mother went on to earn a university degree and became a teacher. The father, a community worker, was elected to a city council community board. Their daughter, who had ongoing ear infections in their old home, stopped having them after the move.

Then there is the woman who prepared a speech for the dedication of her home she had built alongside volunteers and staff from Habitat. She laminated the page beforehand, knowing the tears would come and not wanting them to blot the words. It is a small detail that lands harder than any broad statement about impact, reminding him that when people have spent years without stability, getting the keys to a decent home can be overwhelming.

What home means

Ask Warren what home means to him, and he does not ration the answer. “It is love, safety and security, assurance, support, friendship, comfort, protection, learning, joy, laughter, belonging, nurture, growth and memory-building.” That, really, is the heart of how he sees this work. A home is the foundation for better health, more confidence, stronger educational outcomes, and families feeling less battered by life. Or, as he puts it, “The impact on the families we serve is huge and is passed on inter-generationally.”

When asked what he is proudest of, he talks about legacy: helping build something the next generation can carry forward, helping shape an organization where people are valued, respected and work as a team.

His advice to younger staff and volunteers is just as direct: “Adopt its purpose and make it your purpose.” Even now, after all these years, he remains convinced that “you can make a difference one family and one home at a time”.

In Kien Giang province, Habitat Vietnam advocated for improved construction standards in the government’s pro-poor housing program. Three affordable, durable housing models for new homes were proposed after Habitat Vietnam consulted local communities and partners. Locally available construction materials, cultural appropriateness and market prices were taken into consideration. With 30 new homes completed in Kien Giang, Habitat Vietnam aims to encourage the government to integrate more appropriate construction techniques into housing programs at the national level.

Opening the door to future advocacy

Households also gained a better understanding of land registration and inheritance processes through training on the 2024 Land Law. Such efforts open the door to future advocacy and policy dialogue on inclusive housing and land rights in Vietnam.

Over in Dong Thap province, 40 households who relocated from flood-prone areas to settle in two communes repaired their homes through grants and technical support from Habitat Vietnam. These families and the wider district communities also received training on water, sanitation, and hygiene, and how to work with local private sector actors to develop livelihood models.

Habitat Vietnam also worked with local authorities to collect data and analyze policy gaps regarding land use rights for resettled households. As a result, a support plan was developed to help families in resettlement sites obtain their land use right certificates, laying the groundwork for secure tenure and long-term stability.

Learn more about Habitat’s work in Vietnam at habitatvietnam.org.