Be a Blogger for Habitat Youth Build

I remember the time when I was called to a meeting for a big project to be initiated by young people. We just finished the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1999 that garnered a huge number of volunteers and partners. We had to keep the excitement building…or in building (homes). It was then when we hatched the idea of a Youth Build by Habitat for Humanity Philippines.

After several years and a few jobs after, I was back working for this organization and I was again tasked to handle the youth build, in the form of the 1K for 1Day. This time, it was led by a group of young volunteers, called the Habitat Youth Council, founded and chaired by Alex Eduque, who started her serious volunteer work with Habitat at the age of 16.

HYC Founder Alex Eduque (3rd from left) with Habitat supporters (L-R) Matteo Guidicelli, Paul Foster, and Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco.

Because of its huge success, the Youth Build is going Asia-Pacific wide this 2012. It will be participated by Habitat for Humanity country affiliates in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. It hopes to gather 5,000 youth volunteers building simultaneously on May 12, 2012. The Philippines alone is targeting 2,000 volunteers for this day.

What makes Youth Build 2012 even extraordinary is that this will be a first youth-led Habitat disaster response Re-BUILD program. The site is in Navotas and the 200 houses that will be built for this event project are for families left homeless by typhoon Pedring who are now living in evacuation centers.

The coastline of Navotas after the storm. Hundreds of houses were washed away by the water.

It has been four months since the typhoon hit this city and the families are looking forward to be moved to a temporary shelter, and soon, to a permanent structure. At present, they have to contend with living in a dilapidated basketball court with no roof, as it has been damaged by the typhoon, divided only by tarpaulins and blankets and shared with hundred others making the place unsuitable and unhealthy, especially for children.

Although not everyone may be able to go on that day to physically build the houses. Everyone all over the globe can support the 2,000 youth contingent through online initiatives. Habitat for Humanity Philippines has partnered with the Philippine Blog Awards, Inc. to help raise one house, called the “Bahay Blogger” or Blogger House. As a travel blogger, I see how we can participate in this movement.

You can be a Blogger for Habitat’s Youth Build 2012. All you have to do is paste the code to your blog which will direct your readers to the blogger page in the Habitat Youth Build site. We are counting on you. If you want to support this cause and help families transfer to a more decent home and community, drop me an e-mail at [email protected] with subject “Blogger for Habitat Youth Build” and I will send you the code and other information about this project. You can also copy the code below.

Or, you can make your help travel all the way to the Philippines by simply supporting the page, like visiting it, referring it to friends, and making a donation online.

Help shape today’s builders into tomorrow’s leaders. Help one family own a home and live in a safer community.