Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:40 AM
Dec 09, 2014 News
As volunteers around the globe celebrated International Volunteer Day (IVD)
last Friday, Habitat for Humanity launched the fourth iteration of Habitat Youth BUILD, a youth-led campaign to tackle the global challenge of substandard housing.
The movement is one which expects to rally more than one million youth supporters worldwide.
“Youth are the driving force of Habitat Youth BUILD, advocating, raising funds and awareness to tackle substandard housing. Decent shelter provides a way out of poverty; it has a positive impact on health and safety, provides a place to study and promotes financial stability,” said Onika Stellingburg, Guyana’s Habitat for Humanity Youth Volunteer Programme Coordinator.
Stellingburg told Kaieteur News that Youth Build 2015, is a global advocacy project that is being driven by Habitat Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Habitat Guyana and our International Affiliates believe that housing is one of the most effective means of moving people out of poverty and young people can have a very instrumental part to play,” she told Kaieteur News.
According to Stellingburg, a home for a young person and their family not only gives them a secure place to live, but it gives them a better opportunity at succeeding in life.
The psychological ripple effects, she explained, improves their studying capacity. The physical improvements mean more space to study, more comfort. Finally, when their parents own their own home, the translation of that feeling of dignity and hope makes the youths want to aspire to that in their adult life.
The Programme Coordinator said that it is also an initiative aimed at bringing light to volunteer programmes and getting youths involved.
Stellingburg said that the message of the programme is that adequate housing is a right for all and as young people “we can be the voice in a marginalized society.” She told this newspaper that the organisation is trying to be the catalyst for people to start advocating for the rights of adequate housing for all.
Projects within the Youth Build 2015, would include ‘Projects in Streets’ and ‘Voices from Slums’; both of which are seen as advocacy projects highlighting situation of squatters’ settlement.
This year’s World Habitat’s Day 2014 theme was ‘Voices from Slums’ and that campaign was one to recognize life in slums, give voices to slum dwellers for improving quality of living conditions in existing slums.
Through this initiative, she said, young people will get involved in curating that change in their communities and neighbourhoods. “Through volunteerism and the contributions of youths they can ensure the homeless access adequate housing and affordable finance.”
Stellingburg explained that funding for this initiative is expected to come through the support of corporate Guyana and other donors.
“It’s a great opportunity for businesses to come onboard and not only support Habitat but ensure everyone in Guyana is afforded the right of adequate housing and affordable finance.”
The initiative goes until March 2015.
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