why Habitat for Humanity? why Cambodia?

at the beginning of 2012 i announced to myself and to anyone who reads “where in the world is lola?” that i was going to go to Cambodia in late August through early September to participate in a Habitat for Humanity house build. if you missed this post or are a recent reader, now you know my late summer plans.

i’m sure some of you are wondering why i chose to do this and why go there? there are plenty of places in the world that could use a hand in building homes & better lives for people in poverty. even here in the USA. well, it was a combination of things that led me to this decision.

1. i know the team leader organizing this build and feel better about going to a new country and participating in a new kind of activity for myself knowing someone in the group who has done this before.
2. i want to participate in a Habitat for Humanity house build because it’s a good thing to do. i know i’m so fortunate to be able to travel and want to give back in a way that ties into my passion. doing this will make me proud of myself and i feel that it will not only broaden my horizons but also those who know me.
3. i didn’t seek out Cambodia, the location was already picked by the team leader. to be honest, i never even considered traveling there before this opportunity came across my radar. that was part of the reason it was so appealing to me. i thought, why not? why wouldn’t i want to go to Cambodia?

i truly want to travel beyond my own thoughts and known limits and this choice seems to fit my goals. since making this announcement i have learned a little more about Cambodia and i think i’m really going to love it. people say the country is just beautiful and Angkor Wat (ancient ruins near Siem Reap) is supposedly one of the top must-see things to do in one’s lifetime.

if you like, you can donate to my fundraising minimum here:

Lauren’s Habitat for Humanity Global Village Fundraising Page

HOMEWORK – some tidbits about Cambodia & Habitat for Humanity:

Cambodia is a country in South East Asia, less than half the size of California and twice the size of Scotland. once it was the center of the ancient kingdom of the Khmer, and its capital was Angkor, famous for its 12th century temples. between the fall of Angkor and the rise of Communism, Cambodia has a complicated and sad history. in 1970 a communist guerrilla group known as the Khmer Rouge emerged and created strife in Cambodia. along with civil war, the Vietnam War and a period known as “three years, eight months, and 28 days” of tyranny, more than 2 million people lost their lives, many through the act of genocide.

Khmer Rouge embarked on an organized mission: they ruthlessly imposed an extremist program to reconstruct Cambodia. so, at short notice and under threat of death, the inhabitants of towns and cities were forced to leave them. all political and civil rights were abolished. children were taken from their parents and placed in separate forced labor camps. factories, schools and universities were shut down; so were hospitals. lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, scientists and professional people in any field (including the army) were murdered, together with their extended families. religion was banned, all leading Buddhist monks were killed and almost all temples destroyed. music and radio sets were also banned. it was possible for people to be shot simply for knowing a foreign language, wearing glasses, laughing, or crying. one Khmer slogan ran ‘to spare you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss.’

in the wake of this devastation, Cambodia is now looking to overcome its misfortunes. according to the 2010 Human Development Report published by the UN – about 26% of the population lives on less than $1.25 US dollars a day. in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, 20% of the population lives in squatter settlements or slums. people lack secure living quarters or basic services.

Habitat for Humanity’s vision & mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.  they believe in a world where everyone has a decent place to live. the Global Village Program is a vital part of Habitat for Humanity‘s work. one is able to be involved at a grass root level and work alongside partner communities and families. it’s an exciting opportunity to learn about another culture, travel to destinations that are off the tourist track and enhance the ongoing work of Habitat for Humanity. it also gives an insight into certain areas of international community development.

Habitat for Humanity Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Housing and Community Development Project is currently operating in 8 communities around Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city. they are delivering housing solutions through construction of houses from the ground up, repairs, renovations, water and sanitation facilities, electricity and water connections, livelihood training and construction skills training. since the program began in 2004, it has provided over 600 safe, decent houses.

community members in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. the affiliate’s selection committee selects community members based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan of approximately US$22 per month. every affiliate follows a non-discriminatory policy of community member selection. neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat houses. when community members are selected to participate in Habitat’s program they are required to meet certain conditions, for example, complete ‘sweat equity’ which is labor on Habitat work-sites helping to construct homes for others as well as their own home. this philosophy helps transform homeowners‘ lives by instilling a new sense of dignity and empowerment and promotes ownership for the partner families.

please consider helping me raise my minimum donation toward this organized build project. i’m to raise $1000 of which i have $100 so far. you can give on my donation page. THANK YOU!

Lauren’s Habitat for Humanity Global Village Fundraising Page 

no donation is too small!! XO – lola