Designated overseas contributions

Habitat Bangladesh wishes to express a special thank-you and gratitude to all our Tithe partners and global donors. From FY 2005 - FY 2008, Habitat Bangladesh received US$191,500 as Designated Tithe Donations from different US Habitat affiliates. As Tithe contributions we received US$69,723 in FY 2007/2008 alone.

Habitat Bangladesh received another US$6,185 in donations globally from individual donors and companies from December 2007 to June 2008.

Designated donations and individual contributions have exponentially increased during FY 2008. While Macomb County, Orange County and Gwinnett County remain HFHI-Bangladesh’s largest donors, HFH Victoria made a significant effort to encourage the students of Trinity school, aged from 3 - 14 years, to raise funds for HFHI Bangladesh. Though the contributions were small, the efforts were huge and we were certainly inspired seeing the compassion of these young children.

Sincere thanks to our Tithe partners for their sustained support of Habitat Bangladesh:

Camden HFH, Metropolitan, NJ

Danville, IL
Greater Cleveland HFH OH
Gwinnett County HFH, GA
Jackson County Area HFH, WI
Kent County, MI
Macomb County HFH, MI
Monadnock HFH, NH
Orange County Inc, HFH, CA
Portage County, OH
Rochester Area HFH, MN
University of Wisconsin Whitewater HFH CC, WI
Victoria HFH, TX
Warren County HFH, VA

In country fundraising

Habitat Bangladesh also wishes to acknowledge all our local donors, Global Village and local volunteers for their tireless effort in supporting Habitat's house building activities for low income people.

From July-September 2008, the local fundraising stands at US$11,900. Congratulations to all our volunteers for Building Homes and Changing Lives through Habitat Bangladesh.

Scholastica School Careers Day

The Scholastica School in Dhaka invited personnel from Habitat Bangladesh to speak to their senior students at a Careers Day on 8 November 2008. Sanjay Saha, Marketing and Volunteer Programs Manager and Monica Gray, Resource Development Associate attended the day. A number of students and teachers expressed their interest in Habitat Bangladesh’s meaningful work in the community. The teachers are planning to extended opportunities for the students to complete their community service requirements through Habitat Bangladesh.

Volunteer Fair at the US Embassy Dhaka

The US Embassy arranged a Volunteer Fair on 4th November at the Embassy. The Community Liaison Office (CLO) invited different NGOs to come and share their activities with the Embassy staff. It was a wonderful opportunity for different national and international NGOs to come and showcase their programs. About six to seven NGOs put up their stalls and displayed their information materials. The main objective of the fair was to inform and educate US embassy staff on the different volunteer activities available in and around Dhaka for community engagement.

Aside from the regular USAID funds, the employees, their spouses and children felt an inner call to involve themselves in different outreach programs and support the community. The Volunteer Fair provided them with a convenient platform to learn about the activities and programs of different organizations and the opportunities where their voluntary services could add value.

Over the last two years, US Embassy staff and the CLO has been instrumental in bringing volunteers and raising funds for Habitat Bangladesh. In FY 2008 the US embassy staff have taken part in 3 builds and through their initiation more than US$6,000 has been raised for Habitat Bangladesh.

Annual Fair of PTA at the International School Dhaka (ISD)

Habitat for Humanity International – Bangladesh has been busy with local advocacy in Dhaka, spreading the good news of Habitat’s work.

On Friday 21 November, staff from the PR/RD department spent the day talking about Habitat and selling merchandise at the annual fair of the International School Dhaka (ISD).

ISD has long been a supporter of Habitat and have provided many volunteer teams to build at Habitat’s sites around the country.

Despite being a long, hot day, the Habitat staff were more than happy to talk about the successes and growth of the organization. As Habitat move towards increased reliance on local fundraising and volunteers, local advocacy is an important avenue to encourage growth in programs in Bangladesh.

Global Village Team from the US visits Durgapur Satellite

US open team visited Durgapur, Bangladesh from 18 - 27 November 2008 helping Md. Khurshed and Md. Enamul Haque in building their dream homes. The team of 6 women showed great enthusiasm in helping the homeowners, learning about the local culture and mingling with the community. On 23 November, the team went to see the harvesting festival of the Garo tribe, had lunch with the community and enjoyed a tribal cultural show. The volunteers enjoyed traveling to the tribal village by crossing the river by boat and taking a rickshaw ride.

The homeowners appreciated the volunteers immensely. Homeowner, Md Enamul said, “The volunteers did a great job. It surprised me when I found out the volunteers took up the construction of my house wholeheartedly and tried their best to finish as much they could before they left”.

The volunteers spoke of Bangladesh being a beautiful country. They commented that the people of the community were very warm and hospitable. Team members were also impressed with the colorful culture and traditions of Bangladesh. Some of the comments the volunteers said “Brick by brick we built, we’ve helped you and you’ve helped us, you have changed our lives”; “Crossing the river, cold wet sand between my toes welcomed by new friends.”

International Volunteers Day – 5 December 2008

On International Volunteers Day, Habitat for Humanity International – Bangladesh held volunteer builds for Community Youth Groups (CYGs) at three satellites across the country – Mymensingh, Jessore and Satkhira.

The Habitat Bangladesh volunteers from Mymensingh satellite lend their hands to build the home of Mohammed Abul Kalam at Kaltapara, Khamar Shingjani, Dhohakhala, Gouripur, Mymensingh on International Volunteers Day on 5 December. Nine volunteers provided unskilled labor for the homeowner.

Abul Kalam is married and lives with his parents and his son in his house. He came to know about Habitat Bangladesh from other homeowner in the same area. He was very happy that volunteers were willing to help him to build his house. Both his family and neighbors were encouraged to assist in the house construction when they came to know that the young volunteers had come on their own will. The volunteers enjoyed the work very much, and had fun despite the manual labor being a little hard in the beginning. The staff at Mymensingh gave t-shirts to the volunteers as a sign of appreciation for their time and effort.


Jessore satellite celebrated International Volunteer Day (IVD) on 5 December 2008. 7 Community Youth Group (CYG) members, social workers and the entire satellite staff participated in a build. The program started with prayer at 9 am. Jessore Satellite Coordinator, Mr. Gobinda Das spoke about the significance of International Volunteer Day (IVD). Many people live in substandard houses around the world. Habitat for Humanity International is working to eliminate poverty housing from the face of the earth. Every person has the right to live in a decent and adequate house. However, it is a big challenge for the poorest of the poor to build a house. So, Habitat for Humanity International helps to minimize the cost of the house for the owner, by hosting volunteers who provide manual labor. Mr. Das saluted the volunteers for their selfless support towards meaningful development in the community.

As a part of the manual labor provided for the homeowner, volunteers moved around 2,000 bricks for the house, mixed cement and brick chips, and excavated the house foundations. Homeowner Swapna Mondol and her neighbors were very pleased with the volunteers, as they had never expected to receive such support from Habitat Bangladesh and its volunteers.

Through the activities of IVD, the community came to know about the sacrifice and dedication of the volunteers of Habitat Bangladesh. This event promoted HFH and volunteers as change making and advocacy tools for the community.

HABITAT BANGLADESH HANDED OVER 480 CORE SHELTERS TO CYCLONE SIDR AFFECTED FAMILIES AT A SPECIAL CEREMONY

One year on from the devastation of Cyclone Sidr, Habitat Bangladesh has announced that the construction of 480 transitional shelters and 480 hygienic sanitary latrines in the cyclone devastated areas of Mirzaganj and Bakerganj will be completed by January 2009. To celebrate the progress and process of rebuilding after the disaster, HFHI-B and its partners held a Shelter Handing-Over Ceremony at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka on 29 November 2008.

The ceremony featured speeches from Mr. Sayed Ershad Ahmed, President, American Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh, and, Mr. B.M.M. Mozharul Huq, Advisor, Humanitarian Response Team, Disaster Management Cluster, UNDP. The Chief Guest, and Guest of Honor respectively.

Mr. Ahmed explained to the audience, “I feel proud that Chevron Bangladesh and other individual donors from Bangladesh came forward generously and chose a trustworthy organization, such as Habitat for Humanity International, that was focused on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Sidr affected families.”

Mr. Shah Muhammad Nasim, Deputy Secretary from the NGO Affairs Bureau, Kelly Koch, National Director of Habitat Bangladesh, Mr. MK Aaref, National Board member, Md. Abul Bashar, CSRP Project Manager, and donor partners in the project: Chevron Bangladesh, Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) and UNICEF Bangladesh, also spoke during the ceremony.

Under the Cyclone Sidr Rehabilitation Project (CSRP) of Habitat Bangladesh, 450 houses were constructed in Mirzaganj and Amragachi Union in Patuakahli District in partnership with US based charity organization Christian Aid Ministries. Another 30 shelters were constructed in Bakerganj in the District of Barisal through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of Habitat in partnership with its longest CSR partner Chevron Bangladesh.

Along with the above-mentioned funding, HFHI entities in the Netherlands and Great Britain supported the over all shelter project and the construction of 480 hygienic toilets and the hygiene promotion training funded by UNICEF Bangladesh.

The impact of HFHI-B’s work has been significant. Shelter recipient, Aleya Begum, described her family’s situation at the time of the cyclone: “My husband was not at home at that time. Only the children and I were at home. Floodwater swallowed everything and left nothing behind. Everything was lost; our entire house including plates, pillows, blankets, doors and even our livelihood of ducks, chickens.” Aleya was impressed with the work of HFHI-B and the volunteers that spent their time at the project. She said that she expects “a tremendous change in our lives,” in terms of her children’s education, the ability to lock and secure their house to live safely and improved hygiene standards with a concrete toilet.

“The impact of Habitat’s work has been huge to these families who otherwise would today still be left in inadequate shelter or worse yet, homeless – vulnerable to the multitude of effects resulting from inadequate housing as well as future severe weather conditions” said Kelly Koch, National Director, HFHI Bangladesh.

The ceremony was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the success of HFHI-B’s Disaster Response Program following the devastation of Sidr. In addition, the ceremony provided an opportunity for all those involved with the Project, and those who recognize the importance of Habitat’s work to come together and celebrate.

Message from the National Director of Habitat for Humanity International – Bangladesh:

Seasons Greetings from Habitat Bangladesh!

The last couple of months have been busy at HFHI-B with celebrations, new initiatives and of course, building new homes! One of our recent highlights was the Core Shelter Handing Over Ceremony of the Cyclone Sidr Rehabilitation Project (CSRP). The ceremony marked the official end of the CSRP that has been operating in southern Bangladesh since January 2008. We had the opportunity to hear from three shelter beneficiaries who spoke of their emotional turmoil when the cyclone struck. Their gratitude and thanksgiving reminded us at HFHI-B how our work in providing decent, affordable and safe homes for low-income people of Bangladesh is making a real difference to people’s lives.

As we approach the Christmas season, we are given the opportunity to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth was associated with homelessness and lack of shelter as his parents did not own a decent shelter where baby Jesus could be born.

Mother Mary gave birth in a stable, wrapped Jesus and laid him in a manger. Mary's helplessness can be seen today in Bangladesh where 70% of the population lives in inadequate and substandard housing.

Let us keep those in our thoughts and prayers who will spend Christmas just like any other day without a decent home to provide them with warmth, comfort and safety.

I wish you and your families a joyful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your generous support for Habitat Bangladesh and we look forward to continued partnership in 2009!

Core Shelter Handing Over Ceremony of the Cyclone Sidr Rehabilitation Project

DHAKA, 29 November 2008 – Habitat for Humanity International - Bangladesh held a Core Shelter Handing Over Ceremony of the Cyclone Sidr Rehabilitation Project (CSRP) at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

The ceremony marked the official handing over of 480 transitional shelters and 480 sanitary latrines for victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bakerganj and Mirzaganj in southern Bangladesh.

The Chief Guest for the ceremony was Mr Sayed Ershad Ahmed, President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham). AmCham have long been a supporter of Habitat Bangladesh and welcomed the opportunity to play a role on this important occasion. Habitat Bangladesh used the ceremony as an opportunity to thank its donors for the duration of the project. Donors included Christian Aid Ministries, Chevron Bangladesh and UNICEF.

During his speech, Mr Ershad Ahmed said, “I feel proud that Chevron Bangladesh and other individual donors from Bangladesh came forward generously and chose a trustworthy organization, such as Habitat for Humanity International, that was focused on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Sidr affected families.”
Chevron Bangladesh is HFHI-B’s longest running corporate donor. Mr Naser Ahmed, Director of External Affairs of Chevron, spoke proudly of the partnership between HFHI-B and Chevron. “It is great for us to have an opportunity to give back to the community through our CSR partnership with Habitat Bangladesh. As we have heard from the beneficiaries today, Cyclone Sidr caused an enormous amount of damage, and every shelter makes a difference.”

A number of other dignitaries spoke during the ceremony, including the Guest of Honor, Mr B.M.M Mozharul Huq, Advisor of the Humanitarian Response Team (HRT) of the Disaster Management Cluster of UNDP, and the chair of the Shelter Working Group. Special Guest, Mr Regis Garandeau, Consultant of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene from UNICEF, HFHI-B’s newest partner. Mr Shah Muhammad Nasim, Deputy Secretary from the NGO Affairs Bureau, Mr M.K. Aaref, HFHI-B National Board representative, Mr Arnold Eby, Bangladesh Coordinator of Christian Aid Ministries, Mr Md. Abul Bashar, Project Manager of CSRP, Ms Kelly Koch, National Director, HFHI-B, and finally, three homeowners who shared their stories among the guests.
The ceremony provided a perfect platform for HFHI-B to showcase the success of the CSRP to the business and NGO communities in Bangladesh. As Kelly Koch, National Director of HFHI-B said ““The impact of Habitat’s work has been great to these families who otherwise would today still be left in inadequate shelter or worse yet, homeless – vulnerable to the multitude of effects resulting from inadequate housing as well as future severe weather conditions.”
If the success of the CSRP is any indication, Habitat Bangladesh can expect to continue to forge fruitful partnerships into the future.

Fundraising update

We at Habitat Bangladesh, express special thank-you and gratitude to all our Tithe partners and global donors. From FY 2005 - FY 2008, Habitat Bangladesh received USD191,500 as Designated Tithe Donations from different US Habitat affiliates. As Tithe contributions we received USD 69,723 in FY 2007/2008 alone.

Habitat Bangladesh received another USD 6,185 in donations globally from individual donors and companies from December 2007 to June 2008.

Designated donations and individual contributions have exponentially increased during the last fiscal year. While Macomb County, Orange County and Gwinnett County remains our largest donors, HFH Victoria made a significant effort to encourage the students of Trinity school, aged from 3 - 14 years, to raise funds for HFHI Bangladesh. Though the contributions were small, the efforts were huge and we were certainly inspired seeing the compassion of these young kids.

Sincere thanks to our Tithe partners for their sustained support of Habitat Bangladesh:













Habitat Bangladesh also acknowledges all its local donors, Global Village and local volunteers for their tireless effort in supporting Habitat's house building activities for the low income people.

During the 1st quarter of current fiscal year or July-September 2008 the local fundraising stands at USD 11,900. Congratulations to our volunteers for Building Homes and Changing Lives through Habitat Bangladesh.

Story of the month

"We haven't seen any foreigners before. They have come from afar helping us re-build our shelters that were destroyed during Cyclone Sidr. Our children are very happy seeing and being with them (the foreigner volunteers). It is a wonderful experience seeing their passion for poor people" says 40 year old Ismail Gazi of Mirzaganj village.

Like many in the area, Ismail Gazi engages in catching fish, rickshaw-pulling and basic plumbing, to contribute to his monthly income of Tk.4500, to support his family of seven.

Ismail Gazi 's wife Bakful Begum says, "Things got only worse (when the cyclone struck) as my husband was not at home when the wind started getting hard-hitting."

When Ismail made his way home, he saw the already flooded area suddenly swell up even more in the wake of Cyclone Sidr. He fell into a pond of water and clung onto a tree, struggling
to get to the house next door. But the surge of water was so strong that it carried him further away.


He described how he left his eldest son to his fate and told him to hang onto a tree strongly. Somehow he caught hold of his two younger sons and managed to take them to a safe place. "And the next time I returned to collect my elder one, I found him somehow hanging onto the tree. Allah just kept him alive. I still get terrified remembering that dreadful night" exclaimed Ismail Gazi.

He shudders to recollect the day he saw his house uprooted, poultry blown away, fishnets thrown and tangled and life turned into a mess.

Ismail is grateful that Habitat provided him with a silver lining on his rain cloud. He got a new home where he does not need to be worry about rain wetting him, even while inside the house. "I'm very glad to get this house," he says, "Before the cyclone; we used to stay in a broken house. My children are happy. Now they have a roof over them to shelter them with a healthy environment where they can read and write."

He further explains that it would have been nice if the structure
bore an add-on of a verandah so that they could have a nice place to sit down, chit-chat and watch the rain fall.

Ismail 's wife Bakful Begum says, "An adjacent toilet will be very helpful; my children and I do not have to go here and there to find a toilet."

Ismail Gazi desires to see the anguish of people around him melt away in the same way his life has taken such a pleasant turn. Thanks to Habitat, its donors and volunteers.

Homes Built To Date

Families served:
• 1883 homes built and renovated since 2000 to September 2008;
• 402 transitional shelters constructed under the Disaster Response projects;
• 44 homes built through the Save & Build in the first quarter of FY 08 - 09.
National Repayment Rate: 81%

Volunteer Builds

From 27 September – 4 October, Habitat Bangladesh hosted a Global Village team from the Shanghai American School in China. The team was the third one to come from the school in to work with Habitat Bangladesh. The team consisted of 18 people and helped construct 3 houses in Shambhugonj in Mymensingh.

The community in Mymensingh highly appreciated the attitude and work of the Shanghai American School. People were very interested to hear why the team had come to build houses in their community. They asked many questions about Habitat for Humanity International Bangladesh.

The volunteers spoke of Bangladesh being a beautiful country, and the people of the community being very warm and hospitable. They were impressed to see the colourful culture and traditions of Bangladesh. Some of the students and one of the teachers expressed their desire to visit Bangladesh again.

“I thought the work was my high point in this trip, because I got close to the homeowners and my teammates. For me, working experience was better than the community/ cultural experience” said Chan Ju On, student.

“Building a house, interaction with the Bangladeshi volunteer & children was the highlight of my trip” Hyo Min Kim, student.

“Cultural events made our trip memorable” Geoff Peake, Team Leader.

Work that the team completed included, carrying bricks, mortar, cement, sand and brick chips. Digging, pounding floors, watering bricks, curing, making brick chips, building walls, and mixing mortar.

Finally, the team was able to be involved in various cultural events over the week.

Local Volunteers Update

Habitat Bangladesh is fortunate to receive tremendous support from local volunteers here in Bangladesh!


Recently, Dibarah Mahboob, a student from Scholastica School in Dhaka who has completed her O-levels commenced her duties as a long-term volunteer in the National Office. Dibarah will be assisting the Public Relations and Resource Development team in key communication, marketing and fundraising activities. A warm welcome to Dibarah and a big thank-you for volunteering at Habitat!


Last weekend, 35 students from the American International School - Dhaka traveled to Savar to assist in the construction of three houses. The students were warmly welcomed by the community, who were impressed with their dedication and stamina! Thank-you to the American International School, who have been a long-time supporter of Habitat Bangladesh.

Finally, the Leo Club of Dhaka went on their first build on 17 October! The Leo Club are one of Habitat Bangladesh’s newest supporters and we welcome them to the Habitat family!

Welcome to AYAD volunteer Monica Gray!

Monica Gray, you will be seeing her sitting quietly on her computer busy either in writing or researching onto something. She has a strong commitment to fulfil any tasks given to her. Monica is the newest volunteer from the Australian Youth Ambassador for Development or AYAD program and is working at the Public Relations and Resource Development Department (PR & RD) at the National Office as a Resource Development Associate.

Monica comes with a wide experience in the NGO and public sector. She has been in
India working with Gram Vikas, a non-government organisation in the state of Orissa, where she worked among the Dalit (untouchables) communities.

She has great passion for politics, policy development and international development. We believe she will be able to make a significant contribution to the mission and ministry of HFHIB.

Please join us in welcoming Monica to Habitat Bangladesh. Monica, wish you a happy and memorable stay in Bangladesh.

Nehemiah Award

HFH Nehemiah Award Winner 2008 for distinguished volunteer service
Mr. Curtis Hendricks
HFH Advisor, American International School/Dhaka

Congratulations Mr. Curtis Hendricks.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Mr. Curtis Hendricks, who spent the last four years spreading the word of HFHI Bangladesh. He has brought Habitat's name to the forefront.

Mr. Curtis's enthusiasm for the ministry of Habitat is exemplary. In the 2007-2008 school year, he has organized, coordinated and supervised over 50 students on Habitat builds. Over the course of the year, he initiated fund-raising campaigns that successfully exceeded targets and raised over USD $ 7,890 for HFHI Bangladesh.

This was the largest amount ever received from a youth program in Bangladesh ad represented 10% of the funds HFHI Bangladesh raised locally in fiscal year 2008. The fund were significant in jumpstarting the preparation and groundwork for the second phase of the Cyclone Sidr Rehabilitation Project (CSRP) in Patuakhali, where Habitat is engaged in constructing 480 transitional shelters for the cyclone affected people.

To donate to the CSRP sanitation project for providing families with a hygienic toilet write to the Resource Development Manager Click here!

Global Village Team in Bangladesh!

Habitat Bangladesh is hosting its first GV team for the 2008/9 building year!

16 students and 2 teachers from the Shanghai American School are currently building homes for a small community in Bangladesh, from 27 September to 5 October. The team comes to Bangladesh as part of the Global Village program. They are working in Mymensingh to build three homes in Roghurampur village, under Shombhuganj police station. The team will have the opportunity to enjoy the EID festivities in the town, visit the Garo tribal community for a unique cross-cultural experience, visit a local school and a museum.

The Shanghai American School sends many teams to developing countries as part of the Global Village program of HFHI to build homes for the people in need. Habitat Bangladesh is one of the few programs that has continuously received teams from the school over the last few years.

Photos from the team's experiences will be posted soon!

If you are interested in volunteering at Habitat Bangladesh, please contact Sanjay, our Volunteer Programs Manager at sanjay@habitatbangladesh.org

International Day of Prayer 2008

Habitat for Humanity International –Bangladesh (HFHIB) organized a prayer meeting for Christian pastors at the YWCA Conference Hall, Dhaka on 17th September 2008. Thirty-seven pastors and leaders from different Christian denominations and organizations gathered for the prayer.

As Master of Ceremonies, the Volunteer Programs Manager, Mr. Prince Sanjay Saha welcomed all of the participants. The work of HFHIB was then presented to the audience by the Public Relations and Resource Development Manager, Emelda Mullick.

In her presentation on Habitat Bangladesh, she highlighted how HFHIB is working in Bangladesh in its regular ‘Save and Build’ Program, Disaster Response Program, Volunteer Programs and Church Relations Program. She also explained about the plans of Habitat Bangladesh for the 2009 fiscal year.


The National Director, Ms. Kelly Koch welcomed everyone in the room. She especially thanked everyone for choosing to spend their time with Habitat Bangladesh, to pray for people living in substandard housing in Bangladesh. She explained HFHIB’s mission as an Ecumenical housing ministry and the partnership and role that churches can play in the organization.

Rev. Sourave Folia from the Church of Bangladesh conducted the prayer and Pastor Robinson Mondol from the Seventh Day Adventist Church of Bangladesh delivered the sermon. He spoke about the parable of Zacchaeus from the gospel of Luke. As Jesus went and mingled with people from all walks of life, so can the leaders of Christian communities of Bangladesh go out of their circle to reach the poor and show the love of Christ through their work. Rev. Mondol encouraged everyone to come forward and take a step to help the poor.


After the sermon, the Chairman of the Board for Habitat Bangladesh, Mr. Peter Halder thanked everyone for considering HFHIB’s request to attend the prayer and also for their time with Habitat Bangladesh.

The prayer meeting finished with a prayer for people who continue to live in substandard housing and the desire that Habitat Bangladesh will be able to help these people.



Congregations in over 280 churches prayed for homeless people and HFHI at the International Day of Prayer on September 21, 2008. The National Council of Churches in Bangladesh (NCCB) delivered the prayer call of HFHI to its member churches. The Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), The Church of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship (BBF) centrally circulated the message of prayer at the HFHI’s International Day of Prayer to all its member churches. Mr. Subodh Adhikary (General Secretary of the NCCB, Rev. Sourov Folia (Pastorate Superintendent and Principal of St. Andrews Theological College) and Rev. Leor P. Sarkar (General Secretary of BBF), Pastor Dulal Mitra (Dhaka district Pastor of SDA) lead to deliver the message and prayer call to their respective churches. All of these denominations have over 100 houses of worship and churches in the country.

Farewell to Pierre Johannessen

Pierre Soheil Johannessen walks into the conference room of Habitat Bangladesh dressed in a Big Bangs t-shirt - the community-based basketball charity that two Frenchmen, a Bangladeshi and himself founded. He is here to discuss the last 12 months he as spent in Dhaka, Bangladesh as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development (AYAD) working in the National Office of Habitat for Humanity International Bangladesh (HFHIB).

Pierre had no preconceived ideas on Bangladesh before arriving in September 2007. He reflects that he was "not in the mind-frame" for coming to Bangladesh, and, frankly, does not look in the mind-frame to be leaving. the work completed, the experiences had, and most importantly, the relationships made, are hard to leave behind.

Arriving in the country two months before Cyclone Sidr struck southern Bangladesh, Pierre also witnessed HFHIB commencing its first Disaster Response project in Bhuapur Tagail which built 122 transitional shelters for families who lost their homes in the September 2007 floods.

Thousands of families lost their homes in the destruction of Cyclone Sidr in southern Bangladesh, and Pierre was thrown into the deep end and was fortunate enough to join the disaster assessment team in Patuakhali. The trip brought about a swell of emotions for the young Australian. The vast destruction and desperation in the faces of people play over in his head as a constant reminder that his work as a Resource Development Associate at Habitat "concerns families, not just dollars and cents." He comments that he is impressed at what Habitat has done and continues to do in Patuakhali. "We have not abandoned the community. We are still there. We are rebuilding the houses." While mentioning his experience on the assessment trip Pierre said, "I took lots of photos and one of the

most appealing photos that I have taken is the photo that is featured in the Habitat Bangladesh 2008 calendar. This image will remain in my heart for years to come."

Pierre has had a significant impact on the Resource Development and Public Relations Department of HFHIB. Introducing accountability, new internal and external communication methods, policies and procedures, improved efficiency, and marketing techniques, were just a few outcomes achieved by Pierre.

Where Pierre differs from other AYADs, work is only one facet that makes up his experience in Bangladesh. Basketball, a lifetime passion, could not be put aside while in Bangladesh. From coaching school teams, to meeting other 'ballers', Pierre began to spend most of his time after office hours on a basketball court somewhere in Dhaka. It was on one of these courts that the Big Bangs was born. An organization that has run tournaments, entered and sponsored competitions, organized skills training workshops, run basketball camps at orphanages in and around Dhaka, and, handed out food packages and played ball with street kids in Old Dhaka.

Pierre has enjoyed his time in Bangladesh, contributing significantly to Habitat Bangladesh, playing basketball and eating Shingaras (a typical Bangladeshi snack). He came with no conceived ideas on Bangladesh and leaves with what he calls a "priceless experience". Pierre articulates his experience at HFHIB as "awesome", his favorite word. Travelling from Dhaka to Tangail, to Mirzaganj to Savar, Pierre has met with and interviewed families, taken pictures, and written stories and articles about Habitat. He emphasises that these were the most enjoyable parts of his assignment.

Despite Pierre commenting that he has experienced more personal development rather than career development, his contribution has had a positive effect on HFHIB and has encouraged the organization to raise its profile in Bangladesh and increase its confidence in engaging future international volunteers to its programs.

Pierre's final words to future volunteers - "be part of the community". A statement that certainly rings true for this Australian.

Thanks a million to Pierre!

With his talent, dedication and hard work Pierre assisted PR & RD team to stay on track and meet its goal. His willingness and creativity is much appreciated.

Pierre Soheil Johannessen was the first Australian Youth Ambassador for Development (AYAD) for HFHIB. We were blessed to have such an extraordinary talent in our team. Pierre left Bangladesh on 18th September 2008. We miss him and wish him all the best. Good luck Pierre!

Soheil and his new home

It’s been some time since I last saw little Soheil, basket in hand, carrying sand from the pile to the building site. At only 6, Soheil seemed to take the task of building his new home very seriously, offering only the rarest of smiles when one of my antics finally amused him.

In the 4 months since, Soheil and his family’s home has been completed. It’s a simple home, 2 rooms squeezed in between 2 other homes in, Degaon, a small village, some 30kms from the Bangladesh capital Dhaka.Even in such a small village, there is little space to move; in a country of 140 million, your home may be the only privacy you can have; in a country of such extreme poverty, your home may be your only real possession.

Soheil is excited to show me his new home. He still has the same serious face, but is obviously proud of his surroundings. He jumps up and down on the family bed, he points out the fan and the walls, the new windows and the cement floors.

To a western eye, the house is hardly the ideal new home; the bricks are uncovered to the outside elements, mortar seems brittle compared to what we are used to, and the moss growing along one side of the wall belies the home’s real age.

Yet it’s a far cry from the tin shack his family had been living in before. Soheil’s father, Mohammad, says before the partnership with Habitat, they had no choice but to live the way there were, himself, his wife, his son and 1 year old daughter, and his mother in a shack barely half the size of 1 room of their new home; “I needed a better environment for my children”.

While striving to provide families with new dwellings, the extent of poverty in Bangladesh equates to using the bare minimum of consumables. Painting one’s house is a luxury few can contemplate, let alone afford. Despite these obstacles, Habitat Bangladesh still adheres to a strict code of quality; though cosmetically the home is vastly different to traditional homes in the west, it is a safe, durable, affordable place of peace.

The family had heard of Habitat’s work through others in the village, and approached Habitat staff to see if he could apply for the program. A cook by trade, Mohammad knew his family could no longer afford to live in such a poor environment. I ask him if as a Muslim family they felt any apprehension about working with a Christian organization. He smiles and replies confidently that he had no concerns at all, citing the Hindu and Buddhist families Habitat has worked with in this very village. Indeed, the construction of the home itself showed how much families from different faiths and backgrounds were happy and eager to join together to help build each others homes.

Habitat’s use of international volunteers also surprised Mohammed and his family. “I never imagined this (foreign volunteers helping) could happen!” says Mohammed. His mother was particularly impressed with the female volunteers from the International School Dhaka who gave a week of their time to help build the home; “I felt very happy when I saw the girls working.”

Soheil can’t stop posing for pictures. He is smiling a lot more now, eager to show off every brick of his new home. Compared to what he used to live in, this home is a veritable palace, safe from the elements, clean, above the water level, and most of all, full of space.

As I prepare to leave the family, Mohammed shakes my hand eagerly, warmly. Being here it’s easy to see how much a home means to a family. “I never expected anything like this”, says Mohammed, saying goodbye with his daughter Shamin held in his arms, as Soheil, now beaming, head held high, waving as I walk away, promising to return.

- Story and Pictures, Pierre Johannessen

Homeowner Story: Alim Uddin

Homeowner Story: Alim Uddin, Modhupur.

Alim Uddin is 27 years old, married and has a 3 year old daughter. He is a homeowner from the Modhupur area.

In an interview Alim said he grew up with his 3 younger brothers, and his mother, they lived in the Pirozpur district in very poor conditions. It was difficult for Alim to earn money for the family, as he left school in grade 8. Alim decided to leave home and move to the Dokhala area, near Modhupur, in search for work.

Not long after arriving in Dokhala, he met with his uncle, Harun. After some discussion, his uncle offered to teach him the trade of tailoring, and motivated Alim to commence working with him. Alim excelled in tailoring and worked for 7 years with his uncle.

Alim then moved to the Pachis Mile area to start a tailoring business with his small amount of savings. In the beginning, he was traveling daily to his business from his home in Pirojpur.

This was a difficult way to for him to run the business, but at this time, he had no other option. Soon after, he married a woman from Modhupur.

A few years passed, and Alim decided to buy a piece of land closer to his business where he could build a house. Alim shared the idea to his mother in law, who in turn gave 5 decimal of land to her daughter and Alim.

The next step Alim faced was building a home on the land. While thinking about how he could afford building materials, Alim. heard of HFHI-Bangladesh who offer support by providing loans to homeowners. On hearing this, Alim went to the HFHI-Bangladesh office.

With the support of HFHI-Bangladesh, Alim built a two room house, costing BDT65,000. He never could have imagined that this would happen He stated to the Habitat staff - “How this beautiful house build with this low cost.”

Alim is now in full swing with his business and has enough time to earn money for his family. Currently, he has two staff members working for him. His wife is also helping him with tailoring. Alim’s total net income is currently BDT 7,000-8.000 per month.

Alim wishes to get another loan from HFHI-Bangladesh for an extension and a toilet. He is very grateful to HFHI-Bangladesh and the staff who helped him build his house.

You can help families like Alim's own their own home - Contact our Resource Development team to DONATE or VOLUNTEER now!

Give A Lifetime Gift

Give a Lifetime Gift - Partner with Habitat Bangladesh.

As appeared in American Chamber Of Commerce Magazine Bangladesh.

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Height Of Innovation

Check out the latest in "Habitat World" on Habitat Bangladesh's work with alternative housing solutions.

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Volunteer with Habitat Bangladesh - a message from HFHIB National Director

Greetings from Habitat Bangladesh!

Thank you for taking the opportunity to read through the Habitat Bangladesh volunteers newsletter; volunteers are the lifeblood of our program, allowing us to continue to provide safe, decent, affordable housing to over 1,700 families since 1999. To put that into perspective, since volunteers became a standard part of our operating procedure, Habitat Bangladesh has lifted its capacity to build homes from 14 in the 2000 financial year to over 600 in 2008. That’s a remarkable achievement, which is now reflected in our target of over 700 homes in 2009 alone!

This past year we have been fortunate to welcome 10 Global Village Teams, and host a further 7 Local Volunteer Teams at builds around the country. In addition, our partnership with Christian Aid Ministries for our Cyclone Rehabilitation Project sees us welcoming new groups of volunteers every 2 weeks.

Our Volunteer manager, Prince Sanjay Saha, and his team ensure the safety and comfort of every member of every team; read through some of the testimonials, and you can easily see how we constantly achieve outstanding hosting reports.

From working in villages with the poorest of the poor, playing and sharing with local children, to touring this amazing country, Habitat Bangladesh can offer you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Our volunteers are not just short term. Currently we have Pierre Johannessen, an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development, working with us in the National Office, completing the 10th month of his year-long commitment to Habitat Bangladesh, while also welcoming a new AYAD, Monica Gray. Pierre has been working with Habitat Bangladesh since September 2007, engaged in all aspects of our work, from Cyclone Assessment and Rehabilitation, to Monitoring and Evaluation, to communications and policy and procedure.

There are many opportunities to be involved with Habitat Bangladesh, it’s as easy as contacting us!

Our internship program is also developing quite quickly. Anna Allen from Singapore joined the team for 3 weeks in June, and currently Maggie DeCosse and Charlene Lee are working with the Resource Development and Public Relations team until August.

I sincerely hope you take advantage of the opportunity to volunteer for Habitat Bangladesh. We look forward to welcoming you soon!


Kelly Koch
National Director
Habitat for Humanity International, Bangladesh

Join a Global Village Team to build in Bangladesh!

Hi ! my name is Sanjay, and I am the Volunteer Programs Manager of Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh. I have experience of hosting volunteers for the last 5 years. Bangladesh is an amazing country, people are very kind and they love to host.

We need your support to eliminate homelessness from this developing country.

I salute your dedication and commitment of giving a hand to the people in need. Community and culture in Bangladesh is different from the other world. I believe you will have a life changing experience here.

You are always welcome to Bangladesh to make a difference!

Prince Sanjay Saha
Manager, Marketing & Volunteer Programs

For information on Global Village Teams, click here.

To contact the Volunteer Programs Manager, click here.

To see how you can get involved in Bangladesh, click here.

Habitat for Humanity Program Milestones 2007

Report just released on the Program Milestones of 2007.

Available for download here.

News from Habitat Asia Pacific - July 8

Habitat For Humanity CEO Visits Cyclone Response Project, Speaks At South Asia Leadership Conference In Bangladesh At Start Of Six-Country Asia Tour.



Click Here for story.

Delta Brac Housing and Habitat Bangladesh form Partnership

On April 17th, Delta Brac Housing and Habitat Bangladesh declared a partnership agreement to support Habitat's house building activities for low-income people.

In FY08, DBH has sponsored 3 homes as part of Habitat's Save and Build Program.

Mr Q.A Shariful Ala, Managing Director, and Mr Dominic D Cruze, Communications and Customer Service Manager, visited Habitat's offices to personally make the donation to Habitat's National Director.

From the signed Memorandum of Acceptance:

“DBH seeks to strengthen the society of the country by continually expanding
home ownership and participate in various events where the low income community
in general will be benefited and own a low cost decent home.”

The Save and Build Program is the core activity of Habitat Bangladesh, helping those most at need develop savings habits, purchase materials for their homes, and help build both their and their communities' homes, all under the supervision and assistance of Habitat Bangladesh.

For Corporate CSR Opportunities, please contact our Resource Development Manager.

New Habitat Bangladesh Polo Shirts

Our own wonderful Sanjay Saha, Volunteer Programs Manager, and Rocky Roy, Volunteer Programs Coordinator, model our latest Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh Polo Shirts.

Available in White and Blue, these shirts are 100% Cotton, Made In Bangladesh, and sport our Logo and Tagline: Building Homes, Changing Lives...

The shirts are available in all sizes, small to XL, and can be yours for only 200 taka each!

Contact our Public Relations and Resource Development team to order yours today!