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Habitat for Humanity invests in Cambodian water-access startup TapEffect

indie
4 minutes

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug 11, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Habitat for Humanity's Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter announced today a US$300,000 equity investment in TapEffect, a Cambodia-based startup which provides clean and affordable tap water to underserved rural and semi-rural communities. The investment also marks the fifth anniversary of Habitat's Shelter Venture Fund, launched in 2017 to accelerate innovative startups tackling affordable housing challenges worldwide.It is estimated that 110 million people in Southeast Asia lack access to safe drinking water. In Cambodia, one third of the population rely on water from impure sources. TapEffect, founded in 2018, started from the desire to bring safe water to rural communities in Cambodia, while addressing the systemic barriers often faced by local providers, such as set-up costs and ongoing maintenance. The company designs, builds and operates self-sustaining piped water systems that can each support more than 10,000 people, and uses Internet of Things technology for remote monitoring and payment management, which reduces cost and increases operational efficiencies. TapEffect offers a market-based sol...

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Habitat for Humanity’s youth supporters in Asia-Pacific return to on-site volunteering for the first time in two years

indie
4 minutes

MANILA, Apr 25, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Supporters across the Asia-Pacific region started volunteering over the weekend on Habitat for Humanity sites in their home countries to mark the culmination of its 2022 Young Leaders Build campaign. This marks the first time the housing nonprofit hosted in-person youth volunteers in its build sites since the coronavirus pandemic began.Cambodia – Young volunteers and Habitat staff take HYLB on a campus tour to raise awareness about the campaign and the need for decent, affordable housingPhilippines – Members of the Habitat for Humanity campus chapter in De La Salle University in the Philippines visited the Pasig 2 Habitat Housing community to work alongside homeowners on community gardens."Over the last two years, the youth responded creatively as the health and economic fallouts due to the global pandemic took a toll on everyone. Working virtually with Habitat for Humanity, they helped vulnerable families and communities to stay safe in decent shelter. We are excited to welcome young volunteers back on our build sites, following local health protocols in areas where the spread of the pandemic is controlled, to build and rep...

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Habitat for Humanity Report: Construction is Vast Source of Jobs in Emerging Markets

indie
4 minutes

ATLANTA, GA, Oct 4, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The construction industry -- led by homebuilding -- is a large, often-overlooked source of jobs in emerging market economies, according to a report (https://www.habitat.org/sites/default/files/documents/A-Ladder-Up_Report.pdf) released today by Habitat for Humanity to mark World Habitat Day. Every $1 million in construction output creates an average of 97 jobs in emerging markets, economists at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the University of Washington found in the report commissioned by Habitat for Humanity's Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter. That compares to 81 jobs created per $1 million in agricultural output and 96 jobs per $1 million in output in the accommodation and food services sector, according to the report, which focuses on 9 countries: Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, and Uganda. Graphics below."Investment in residential construction represents a potential win-win-win in emerging markets because it creates such a large number of jobs locally, helps close stubborn gaps in affordable housing and stimulates...

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Habitat for Humanity to hold Asia-Pacific Housing Forum in Thailand for the third time

indie
4 minutes

BANGKOK, Aug 5, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Habitat for Humanity announced that the eighth Asia-Pacific Housing Forum with the theme, "Building forward better for inclusive housing", will be held in Bangkok from December 7 to 9. This will be the third time that the affordable housing forum will be held in Thailand. The strategic location of the country, presence of a strong and vibrant international development community in Bangkok, and Habitat for Humanity's 23-year history of building homes in Thailand, were the key considerations for the choice of venue for the biennial event."The focus for this year's Asia-Pacific Housing Forum centers on how affordable and sustainable housing solutions can bring an inclusive future for vulnerable and low-income families through greener, safer, and more resilient approaches," said Luis Noda, area vice president of Habitat for Humanity in the Asia-Pacific region.Globally, the health and economic impacts of the ongoing pandemic have exacerbated the housing crisis and made clear how crucial having safe, secure, and adequate housing is to one's health, wellbeing, and even survival. Around the world, approximately 1.6 billion people li...

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UN youth envoy to open volunteer conference supporting Habitat for Humanity’s COVID-19 response

indie
4 minutes

MANILA, Apr 23, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy for Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake, will deliver the opening remarks during the "Youth from Home for Homes" virtual conference, the peak of the 2021 Habitat for Humanity Young Leaders Build campaign. Over a hundred youth from the Asia-Pacific region have registered for the event, which also marks a decade of youth volunteerism for the cause of safe, affordable housing."Young people are the backbone of society, and our only hope in creating a better world and a better future for all. But youth cannot do it alone. It is pivotal that young people be included as full-fledged partners in all decision and policy-making that affects their lives and futures, including SDG 11, target 1 on access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services," said Wickramanayake.Joining the UN youth envoy for the conference on April 24 are young leaders who will present highlights from their community-based projects in support of Habitat's work during the pandemic. These include raising funds to build core houses in Sri Lanka and advocating for affordable housing among local governmen...

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At a time when a safe and healthy home has never been more important, Habitat for Humanity serves 5.9 million more people through new or improved housing

indie
5 minutes

MANILA, Nov 18, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - A safe, decent, and healthy home has been the first line of defense for families around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the work of Habitat for Humanity, more than 5.9 million people accessed better housing in the last year, according to the global nonprofit's fiscal year 2020 annual report released today. In Asia and the Pacific region, Habitat has helped more than 1.9 million people have access to better housing.The report highlights how the organization addressed the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter worldwide, under mounting headwinds from the pandemic that restricted some of the ways Habitat traditionally executes its mission. With many of the organization's usual activities affected by the spread of COVID-19 over the course of the fiscal year (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020), its affiliated organizations in more than 70 countries and 1,100 communities across the United States found ways to adapt and continue serving."While this year has brought many challenges and heartaches to communities we serve across the world, I'm grateful that Habitat has had an opportunity to serve so many families when they needed it ...