Mr Le Van Hien decided to use the photo with President Jimmy Carter as the first decoration item in his new house   Thirty-two families in Dong Xa village in Hai Duong province, now own a decent place to call home. On 19 January 2010, the home dedication ceremony took place with all homeowners, government partners and members of the Habitat Vietnam staff.   Mr. Cao Van Chung said with gratitude from his heart: “I don’t know what to say but thank you, thank you and thank you.” After years of waiting and months of hard work, together with his fellow villagers, Mr. Chung can now proudly start a new chapter in his life. The families are very happy to be in their homes before Lunar New Year, Tet, the most important holiday of the year in Vietnam.   Earlier last week, with the final touch-ups by a Global Village Team led by Wanda Smith, we were able to handover the community centre to the village. Ms. Smith said on her last day in Vietnam, to the homeowners, “in a few hours, I am going very far from here, but please remember that you will always be here in my heart.” The team also finished the preparation to lay the foundation for a new kindergarten in Dong Xa. Along with a new playground located next to the community center, the children of Dong Xa village will not have to cross the river to attend school any longer.   For more post CWP photos, please click here.  

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010—just 10 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Thousands of buildings and homes were destroyed, and the number of those affected is in the millions. Habitat’s response in HaitiAlthough the full toll of homes severely damaged or destroyed is not yet known, Habitat has begun to respond by addressing immediate relief efforts and long-term shelter solutions for low-income families. Habitat’s early response to the earthquake is threefold: Cleanup To clear the way for home repair and construction, Habitat will assist in the cleanup by mobilizing people to remove debris and salvage materials that can be recycled in new shelter. Shelter kits Shelter kits include building materials and tools and are designed to help families and neighborhoods make immediate repairs to damaged homes. The kits typically include items such as wall panels, roofing sheets, hurricane straps and a hammer and nails. Habitat also has a cadre of certified masons and carpenters to assist families with immediate repairs. Transitional shelter Small transitional shelters can be built quickly and provide permanent base structures that can be expanded over time. The shelters will meet humanitarian standards of adequate living space and provision of water and sanitation. The structures will also be designed with hurricane- and earthquake-resistant features. Immediate response to the disaster will include working with Habitat Haiti to restore its capacity to fully participate in the recovery efforts. Through all aspects of the work, Habitat will cultivate partnerships with local residents and other humanitarian organizations that can multiply the effectiveness of the response.

Photo: Habitat's Water & Sanitation Senior Specialist Mr. Do Dinh Phuc receives the grant from Unilever Vietnam.    Habitat for Humanity Vietnam has been awarded with Unilever International’s grant for 361,600,000 VND (20,000 USD) for construction of a piped water supply scheme in U Minh Thuong district in Kien Giang province.  This project will provide about 500 people with access to clean water.   An award ceremony was held in Hanoi by Unilever International Vietnam on 7th January, 2010, during which a memorandum of understanding was signed by Mr. Marijn Van Tiggelen, Unilever’s General Director, and Ms. Sara Coppler, Habitat Vietnam’s National Director.  This year, Unilever granted 20 Vietnam-based organizations, working in the areas of clean water, health & sanitation,  solid waste and environmental protection,  with 4,770,000,000 VND (265,000 USD).  Among 175 applications, our proposal was selected based on its “originality and creativity, impact on the community, sustainability, transmissibility and high commitment to achieve success”, as these are Unilever’s criteria to receive funding. Habitat for Humanity Vietnam was awarded with the third highest amount of funding out of the 20 grant recipients.