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Asia’s youth to tackle challenge of poverty housing

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:37 GMT

Source: member // Habitat for Humanity International

Asia’s youth to tackle challenge of poverty housing

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‘YouthBUILD’ will bring together over 1 million volunteers to build homes, raise awareness and support  

Bangkok, 14 January 2012 – From today, millions of young Habitat for Humanity volunteers will use their social and digital networks to raise funds and draw attention to the dire housing situation in the Asia-Pacific region. Brought together as part of ‘YouthBUILD’, activity will peak on 12 May, when thousands of people will simultaneously build houses in China, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.

“I am going to start posting and uploading photos to my social media accounts, to make sure as many people as possible take action to tackle substandard housing. I’ll be asking people to donate and to pass on the message to their friends. It will be great to see so many young people united for a common cause. Everyone should have a decent place to call home,” said Alex Eduque, 21, from the Philippines.

YouthBUILD volunteers will be using their social and digital networks to encourage people to donate to Habitat for Humanity at habitatyouthbuild.org, to spread awareness as widely as possible, and to encourage other young people to take part in building homes on 12 May.

“Most of us are fortunate to go to sleep each night in homes that are considered comfortable and secure”, said Rick Hathaway, Asia-Pacific vice president for Habitat for Humanity International. “We need to remember those who do not enjoy such comforts; we need to make a stand for affordable housing as a basic human right.”

Habitat for Humanity expects over one million young people to get involved with YouthBUILD – raising awareness and funds through social and digital networks, and taking part in the physical building events on 12 May.

Celebrities like China’s Jet Li, Indonesia’s Delon Thamrin, India’s Jacqueline Fernandez and the Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao and Matteo Guidicelli are expected to support the campaign.

The United Nations estimates that more than 500 million people in the Asia-Pacific region live in slums, representing more than half of the world’s slum dwellers. Habitat for Humanity’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. To sign up and take part in a YouthBUILD event, or for more information, visit habitatyouthbuild.org.YouthBUILD events on 12 May 2012 will be taking place in:

• Shuiweidong, Conghua district, Guangdong province, China

• Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore, India

• Babakan Madang, near Sentul, Jakarta, Indonesia

• Barangay Tanza, Navotas, Philippines

• Klong Sam Wa, Bangkok, Thailand