Day: December 5, 2015

At Habitat for Humanity, we are continually grateful for the people who give precious time to help others. It’s your participation and support that allows Habitat to help more families build and improve places to call home.
Volunteers fuel our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. They do so by building homes with hammers and trowels — and by building relationships. Our volunteers get to see smiles on the faces of future Habitat homeowners, as they all work side by side to realize the dream of a home where a family can grow stronger and more self-reliant.
A smile, a hug, a lasting connection with communities around the world. That’s why we build. Join us this International Volunteer Day as we recognize and thank our volunteers — as we thank you — for all you do in support of Habitat for Humanity.
And consider additional ways you might lend your time, your voice and your financial support today!

Source: Habitat World Online Magazine

Are you ready to design a flag that will be seen in different countries across the Asia Pacific region?  
Do you want to win Habitat-branded merchandise or a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2?  Here’s how! 
SUBMISSION

• The Competition is open to youth aged 15-30 years old. Submission of entries starts from December 5, 2015 and closes at December 31, 2015. Entries must be submitted before 11:59PM (GMT+8) of December 31, 2015.
• Design a flag that expresses the theme: Play a part and take the lead in creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
• If you experience difficulty submitting an entry at the site, please contact us at ap_info@habitat.org
• Provide a description or explanation of your design in no more than 80 words.
• To submit your design: Register at give2habitat.org and create a support page to upload your design.
• For a step by step guide, go to this LINK.
• Share your entry to your friends in Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platform.  Invite your friends to register in give2habitat.org, donate, and vote for your entry!
• Design submissions should be in .jpg format, no larger than 3MB.

VOTING and SELECTION OF WINNERS

• Voting is done via give2habitat.org or liking the photo on Habitat Young Leaders Build Facebook Group Page or Instagram @HabitatYLB.
• The Voting Period is from January 1 to January 18, 2016. All votes must be received by  00:01 AM (GMT+8) on January 18, 2016 in Give2Habitat.org, and 12:01PM (GMT+8) in Facebook and Instagram.
• Anyone can vote!
• Each registrant/voter is allowed one vote per design.
• Votes will not count if the voter attempts to enter fraudulent data. The competition administrator reserves the right to adjust the number of votes at any point in the competition if a registrant or voter entered fraudulent data (invalid email addresses or aliases) or vote for one design multiple times.
• The Habitat for Humanity Young Leaders Build committee will select the winning design according to the following criteria (weighted):
  • Number of Votes: 50%
  • Visual appeal, creativity, expression of theme: 50%

PRIZE

• The grand prize winner will receive a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and 2 Runner-ups will receive Habitat branded merchandise Items. There will be only one winner for the grand prize.
• Winners will be notified by phone, email, and/or direct mail, and announced on February 1, 2016.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

• The challenge is open to anyone in Asia-Pacific, except for Habitat staff and their immediate family members.
• Participants should be ready to submit an official ID (with English translation) when required.
• Participants can submit up to a maximum of three designs.
• Strictly no vulgarities or profanities in the design. Habitat for Humanity reserves the right to remove designs that are deemed inappropriate.
• Only original designs can be submitted.
• The design should have aspect ratio (height to width ratio) of 2:3.
• The designer’s name, logo and/or any other personal details may not appear anywhere in the design.
• The Habitat for Humanity logo may not appear anywhere in the design

• The Habitat Young Leaders Build logo will be printed on the flag during production.
• The winner must provide their design artwork in high resolution file, such as a vector image (.ai) file.
• The winning design will be featured in various Habitat publicity channels including its online, electronic and print publications. The winner may also be interviewed by Habitat for Humanity.

– See more at: http://www.give2habitat.org/contest/HYLB16flagdesign#sthash.IwfkQ5BO.dpuf

World Toilet Day is a day to take action. It is a day to raise awareness about all people who do not have access to a toilet – despite the human right to water and sanitation. It is a day to do something about it.
Of the world’s seven billion people, 2.4 billion people do not use a basic toilet. Almost 1 billion people still defecate in the open. Without good sanitation, women and children are particularly at risk of disease and malnutrition. We can’t wait to change this situation. We must speak up and end the global sanitation crisis.

This is why the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 designated 19 November as World Toilet Day. It’s time to end this deadly crisis and to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to a clean, safe toilet.
(Source for information and image: unwater.org)

A healthy toilet means a lot more than what people might think

At Habitat for Humanity, we focus on housing. And in each new and decent home we help build, there is always a healthy toilet. Not only meeting sanitation need that a proper toilet means, but also eradicating health-related problems, providing necessary privacy and increasing community’s environment.

The family of Nguyen Ngoc Mai was one of those who had been living without a proper toilet for years. As it was a family of six including 2 elders, it was needless to say how inconvenient it was for the family.
“It was awkward using a temporary makeshift toilet,” said Mr. Mai. “We practiced open defecation in bushes surrounding the house. As a result, we had to suffer from bad odour and unhygienic environment”.
In addition to health problems it might cause, poor sanitation didn’t offer the family privacy. Women of the family could be risk being victims of rape and abuse.                                                                                                                                                                                       The old toilet that the family of Nguyen Ngoc Mai used for years
When hearing about Habitat for Humanity Vietnam’s project in Tien Phuoc district which enabled low-income families to access to loans with low interest to improve water and sanitation facilities, Mai applied for the project without any hesitation. “My family and neighbors did know that unhygienic sanitation would lead to diseases,” told Mai. “But due to awareness of older generations which considered toilet was the least important and strained financial situation, we had put aside the need for adequate toilet. Thank you for the support of Habitat for Humanity that encouraged us to obtain a safe toilet.”

Mai is content with the new and adequate bathroom with clean water.

Since the new bathroom was completed, Mai and his family have experienced the first-hand convenience that it brought. Sanitation is much more improved. The facilities offers the privacy needed. The space is ample enough for both taking shower and toilet. Safe water is available for cooking, drinking and washing thanks to a water tank.
As seeing that many low-income households are undergoing disadvantages living without hygienic water and sanitation system, Mai hopes the support of Habitat for Humanity will continue so not only will those households have improved sanitation but also community’s spirit will be increased.