House Building in Africa for The Christian Charity Habitat for Humanity

Bored-Stupid

Ok people I want a good response from this.....Im leading a group of young people (over 21) to Malawi for 2 weeks next July and im looking for around 10 people from who can make meetings in Dundalk or Armagh to come with us. It is for the house building charity Habitat for Humanity which is a cross community, christian organisation which strives to provide proper shelter for the more unfortunate people in the world. I was a volunteer on a similar trip in Uganda in the summer just passed and the experience was unreal and as well as building 4 houses in 7 working days, we had serious craic...(really I couldnt do it justice by trying to describe it) and as such ive decided to do it next year! So if you want more information or would like to meet me for an application form then please send me a message and I would be delighted to hear from you! Thanks for reading

Puck

How much funding would one have to raise to do this?

Bored-Stupid

Overall the cost per person is €2500. €750 of that is a personal contribution and the rest is through fundraising. It may seem like a lot to raise but it isnt. I did it last year and made €5000 doing a table quiz and €1000 through a bag pack.

Puck

Do they provide a fundraising kit?

Bored-Stupid

Well they provided all the help we needed last year and the leaders came along to help me out on my fundraising night and I promise I would do the same. If you were to do a bag pack we would provide buckets and Habitat T-Shirts. If you want any other questions answered let me know and I will send them on to the Head Office! Otherwise I could post you out an application form.

Bored-Stupid

Just to let you know that the deadline for people wanting to put their name forward for next year is friday Nov 30th. There are still 4 places left.

Thank you!

PDN

This is something I can heartily recommend. We sponsored a girl from our church to do this in Madagascar a couple of years ago and it was a great experience for her.

Puck

It's something I've wanted to do for a while. There's no way I could afford it though, especially this year.

Bored-Stupid

Hi Puck,

We want anyone who is interested in going to go regarless of your ability to afford the personal subscriptions, injections, medicine, etc. If your physically fit to go, are willing to work hard and are willing to help others on the team and go to meetings then we will find a way around any other obstacles we may come across!

SubjectSean

Malawians can build their own houses they're a really skillful people and have been bulding homes in Malawi since the Bantu migrations. For 2,500 euros they could easily buld two houses. Why don't you just give them the money?

Bored-Stupid

Thanks Sean,

Well the slogan for th charity is "Building homes, building community, building hope". We are going out their not just to help save the natives in building houses and to help them build houses but to spread the christian ethos and to bring our own sense of community and well-being to interact with theirs. I made the same mistake as yourself by thinking it was just for the sole purpose of stacking bricks on top of one another and believe me after Uganda last year I can assure you it isnt.

Puck

Bored-Stupid wrote: »

Hi Puck,

We want anyone who is interested in going to go regarless of your ability to afford the personal subscriptions, injections, medicine, etc. If your physically fit to go, are willing to work hard and are willing to help others on the team and go to meetings then we will find a way around any other obstacles we may come across!

How exactly? I couldn't afford the personal contribution even if it was half of what it is.

Bored-Stupid

Well I would make a provision for those who couldnt afford the contribution, that the excess made from fundraising would go towards anyone who couldnt help. Any personal donations by people to you can be used as a personal donation!

SubjectSean

Bored-Stupid wrote: »

Thanks Sean,

Well the slogan for th charity is "Building homes, building community, building hope". We are going out their not just to help save the natives in building houses and to help them build houses but to spread the christian ethos and to bring our own sense of community and well-being to interact with theirs. I made the same mistake as yourself by thinking it was just for the sole purpose of stacking bricks on top of one another and believe me after Uganda last year I can assure you it isnt.

I'm not so sure we have the right to go and impose our sense of community on other people to try and influence theirs. IMHO Africa as a whole right now is suffering from too much "Christian" ethos and for every decent Pastor there are a dozen charlatans misleading the uneducated. Poor people will flock to your project no doubt. However I think if your organisation really cared about the people and not about its own aims then it would just send them the money. What they are doing is a waste of resources so far as building houses is concerned. Presumably the "hope" in your organisations slogan is the Christian message. As you see from history when the great mass of Europeans were poor and uneducated the so-called Christian message was used by their monarchs and leaders to help keep them that way. The exact same thing is happening in Africa today. Between the pastors and the politicians the people are getting stitched up. From what I have seen our African friends need to be encouraged to concentrate on this world and not the next one.

BrianCalgary

SubjectSean wrote: »

I'm not so sure we have the right to go and impose our sense of community on other people to try and influence theirs. IMHO Africa as a whole right now is suffering from too much "Christian" ethos and for every decent Pastor there are a dozen charlatans misleading the uneducated. Poor people will flock to your project no doubt. However I think if your organisation really cared about the people and not about its own aims then it would just send them the money. What they are doing is a waste of resources so far as building houses is concerned. Presumably the "hope" in your organisations slogan is the Christian message. As you see from history when the great mass of Europeans were poor and uneducated the so-called Christian message was used by their monarchs and leaders to help keep them that way. The exact same thing is happening in Africa today. Between the pastors and the politicians the people are getting stitched up. From what I have seen our African friends need to be encouraged to concentrate on this world and not the next one.

Have you ever done a trip like this?

I have, to Guatemala. The people in Guatemala are in tears with the homes they are getting.

The kids get sponsored to receive an education.

The people who go from here get the opportunity to build relationship with the people of that region.

It isn't all about numbers and money. It is about health, education and most importantly relationship.

PDN

Millions of Africans seem happy to embrace Christianity. The recipients of Habitat for Humanity homes are usually delighted at the help they receive. Where's the problem?

SubjectSean

BrianCalgary wrote: »

Have you ever done a trip like this?

I have, to Guatemala. The people in Guatemala are in tears with the homes they are getting.

The kids get sponsored to receive an education.

The people who go from here get the opportunity to build relationship with the people of that region.

It isn't all about numbers and money. It is about health, education and most importantly relationship.

I'm not long back from 2 years away, a year in Swaziland and a year in Kwa-Zulu and Transkei. I came back to try to set up a community education project. See www.lobamba.org the site isn't finished yet and we're not accepting donations until we get charity status but you can get the drift. So far as I can tell fom my time out there Brian it's all about the money and I'd question any waste of it because out there even a little drop of it can be a human life. With Bored-Stupid's project the Malawians are getting maybe one house for the price of two. Judging by what Bored-Stupid says about the previous project it may be even less than that.

One thing Africans already have really alot of is religion, and religion is very much in bed with politics. A very high percentage of the religion is conducted by charlatans trying to get-rich-quick. There is a miracle a day in Africa and even now people are being cursed, or resurrected from the dead, by living "disciples". At a time when Africans need to be holding their leaders responsible some sections of the Christian church are actively discouraging this. Some sections of the Christian church are also actively discouragng the use of condoms. All sections of the church are preaching forgiveness. The last thing Africans need to be right now is forgiving of their leaders.

If people want to build relationships with Africans they should certainly. I just don't think they should unpack their dogma until they've taken long enough to speak a language and see what is going on there. Even more so in light of the damage historically wrought by Christian missionaries. "Saving the natives" , as Bored-Stupid puts it, might well entail saving them from their Pastors.

BrianCalgary

Very impressive project. I love th eeducation bit.

That is how the ministry in Guatemala started. It then developed into a full fledged social agency that educates, feeds, houses and cares for the people of that region.

It is all Christ centred and supported by the genorousity of North Americans and Europeans.

There is also medical care and the odd trip from dentists.

The house building aspect of the ministry allows North Americans to see first hand the needs and where the money goes, prevents corruption when there is accountabilitry. As a result of my trips I spoke about the ministry at a high school last week. Their spanish classes are writing and making childrens books for the school.

The reason they do it is because someone from here went there. Without us going and seeing the need first hand it is difficult to passionately speak of the need and to get others on board.

I wish you greta success in your venture. We had a nurse go to Swaziland two years ago and is goingback. We are also in the process of sending nurses to Zimbabwe.

SubjectSean

PDN wrote: »

Millions of Africans seem happy to embrace Christianity. The recipients of Habitat for Humanity homes are usually delighted at the help they receive. Where's the problem?

I'm inclined to the notion that there could be very many more happy recipients if Habitat for Humanity didn't send hordes of unskilled builders half way across the globe. It doesn't seem very economical IMHO.

BrianCalgary

SubjectSean wrote: »

I'm inclined to the notion that there could be very many more happy recipients if Habitat for Humanity didn't send hordes of unskilled builders half way across the globe. It doesn't seem very economical IMHO.

Money isn't everything. Without people going, there are fewer people talking about the work and possibly far less given.

Once your project starts, people are going to want to go and help out. What are your plans for this?

SubjectSean

BrianCalgary wrote: »

Very impressive project. I love th eeducation bit.

That is how the ministry in Guatemala started. It then developed into a full fledged social agency that educates, feeds, houses and cares for the people of that region.

It is all Christ centred and supported by the genorousity of North Americans and Europeans.

There is also medical care and the odd trip from dentists.

The house building aspect of the ministry allows North Americans to see first hand the needs and where the money goes, prevents corruption when there is accountabilitry. As a result of my trips I spoke about the ministry at a high school last week. Their spanish classes are writing and making childrens books for the school.

The reason they do it is because someone from here went there. Without us going and seeing the need first hand it is difficult to passionately speak of the need and to get others on board.

I wish you greta success in your venture. We had a nurse go to Swaziland two years ago and is goingback. We are also in the process of sending nurses to Zimbabwe.

Thanks Brian. I'd say Guatemala is interesting. Swaziland is a good place to be, it's surreal sometimes, the week I arrived King Mswati was warning the nation about all the Demons running loose in the kingdom. I really miss it, Bertie would never blame his troubles on Demons. The King's pronouncement was headline news, treated seriously by the press and backed up by I don't know how many Churches. Poor Zim, it is so sad, I wish you'd send some revolutionaries although doubtless nurses will be welcome. African countries haemorrhage their trained medical staff to the west.

PDN

SubjectSean wrote: »

I'm inclined to the notion that there could be very many more happy recipients if Habitat for Humanity didn't send hordes of unskilled builders half way across the globe. It doesn't seem very economical IMHO.

Human nature being what it is, teenagers are much more inclined to raise money to go on a humanitarian trip than they would be to send donations. Habitat for Humanity does an excellent job of tapping into young people's desire for adventure and so enables houses to be built that otherwise would never be built.

Also, young people who go on such trips tend to be impacted by what they see and go on to raise and give much more to charities over their lifetimes than those who never travel to a developing world country.

PDN

SubjectSean wrote: »

Poor Zim, it is so sad, I wish you'd send some revolutionaries although doubtless nurses will be welcome. African countries haemorrhage their trained medical staff to the west.

More revolutionaries for Zim? After the mess the last lot have made?

SubjectSean

BrianCalgary wrote: »

Without people going, there are fewer people talking about the work and possibly far less given.

Point taken it would seem to make sense and what is already being given is far less than that which is being taken away.

[/QUOTE]Once your project starts, people are going to want to go and help out. What are your plans for this?[/QUOTE]

Brian this may sound harsh and somewhat schizoid on my part but we don't want the project to turn into a place associated with belungu (Europeans) Quite simply people will think it is to be taken advantage of, and not in a good way as intended but in a very very cheeky way. Tall tales will be told to the European staff and locally the project will most likely become all about milking the project. I've seen projects like this elsewhere. My co-directors and founders are Swazi and as far as possible we want to use Swazi staff. I'd say to anybody who wants to help our neighbours in Africa that they should just go and sit in any populated place on the continent and look around; and see what they, with whatever cash they can spare/raise and their highly educated European skillset, can do to help. They could find something to last two weeks or something to last a lifetime I am sure. I'm sure if people ever approached me and they wanted to help out I can think of lots of other projects big and small that need doing.

SubjectSean

PDN wrote: »

More revolutionaries for Zim? After the mess the last lot have made?

The last lot were very much helped into that whole mess IMO and most Africans know this as fact. I do not think the regeime will go quietly. People are leaving and dying in number and still the country is quiet like a beaten child. Unfortunately only men with guns can solve this problem as the dialogue of the state is only violence. I don't see SA, the African Union or anybody else moving. Viva la revolucion, the suffering must stop.

Excelsior

SubjectSean wrote: »

I'm inclined to the notion that there could be very many more happy recipients if Habitat for Humanity didn't send hordes of unskilled builders half way across the globe. It doesn't seem very economical IMHO.

Your work rocks. I think there would be churches in Ireland interested in supporting it.

But surely with Habitat you can accept that the likelihood is statistically proven- when someone, even a primary school teacher with no building site experience or a journalist who has never held a saw before, go out to these developing countries, they come back committed to financially supporting aid and development work for the rest of their lives, motivated to lobby for political change and much less likely to hold silly, patronising ideas about "Dark Africa"?

SubjectSean

Excelsior wrote: »

Your work rocks. I think there would be churches in Ireland interested in supporting it.

But surely with Habitat you can accept that the likelihood is statistically proven- when someone, even a primary school teacher with no building site experience or a journalist who has never held a saw before, go out to these developing countries, they come back committed to financially supporting aid and development work for the rest of their lives, motivated to lobby for political change and much less likely to hold silly, patronising ideas about "Dark Africa"?

You are of course right, I had a hasty knee jerk reaction to Bored-Stupid's original post and could see only 'wasted' money. Sorry for that.

BrianCalgary

SubjectSean wrote: »

Brian this may sound harsh and somewhat schizoid on my part but we don't want the project to turn into a place associated with belungu (Europeans) Quite simply people will think it is to be taken advantage of, and not in a good way as intended but in a very very cheeky way. Tall tales will be told to the European staff and locally the project will most likely become all about milking the project. I've seen projects like this elsewhere. My co-directors and founders are Swazi and as far as possible we want to use Swazi staff. I'd say to anybody who wants to help our neighbours in Africa that they should just go and sit in any populated place on the continent and look around; and see what they, with whatever cash they can spare/raise and their highly educated European skillset, can do to help. They could find something to last two weeks or something to last a lifetime I am sure. I'm sure if people ever approached me and they wanted to help out I can think of lots of other projects big and small that need doing.

Not harsh at all. I completely understand and you know the culture and th eopportunities far better than I.

I have seen North Americans bollox stuff up in South and Central America with not just helping but imposing.

lostexpectation

pics of previous housing projects ? bored? the one you did?

Bored-Stupid

Just a few pics. I would have put more up but the page stopped responding!!