New homes, new hope from student builders

MANILA, Philippines—A home away from home.

Fairy Malong, 24, has found a home in Habitat for Humanity after the ecumenical Christian housing organization gave her a new hope, a new place to live 12 years ago.

In 2000, Malong, then 12, was witness to the turnover of a house from the Habitat Global Build in Quezon City to her family. To this day, Malong, her parents and four siblings live in that home.

Now a project engineer for Habitat, she wants to pay it forward.

“We were given hope,” Malong said in Filipino, noting that the Habitat experience helped build her character. “If you see the person who helped you, you would want to pass on the good deed to others.”

She remembered how hard it was to even think of school 12 years ago. “If you live in a depressed area, you will be depressed. It will be your only wish to have a home,” she said, recalling how she saw their home slowly being built by Filipino and foreign volunteers.

Malong said their house is still simple, with no paint or finishing, just like it was in 2000. Her father’s priority is her siblings’ education, which is why she is helping send three of her siblings to college. Her father, Francisco, is a tricycle driver.

New volunteers

Now, a new generation of youth volunteers will give hope and homes to the homeless through the Youth Build 2012 in Navotas and Cagayan de Oro.

On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2,000 student volunteers will converge to build houses for 200 more families who lost their homes when Typhoon “Pedring” and Tropical Storm “Sendong” hit Navotas and Cagayan de Oro. These families have lived in tents and evacuation centers since the “extreme weather events.”

Called the Habitat Youth Build 2012, the event is Asia Pacific-wide, with simultaneous construction happening in Thailand, India, Indonesia, China and the Philippines involving 5,000 youth members serving 500 families.

In the Philippines, the Youth Build will be led Habitat Capital Campaign chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala, the Habitat Youth Council led by chair and founder Alexandra “Alex” Eduque and Generation Now, a group of students from all schools and walks of life.

Celebrities supporting the campaign include: world boxing champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao; international star Jet Li; Hong Kong actor and singer-songwriter Karen Mok; Bollywood actress Aditi Rao Hydari; Filipino actor Matteo Guidicelli; Hong Kong actor Michael Wong; Indian-American actor Omi Vaidya;Hong Kong entrepreneur Christie Wo; and upcoming Thai singer Looksorn Bhandhukravi.

Young people are invited to join the Habitat Youth Council and Generation Now to build homes starting with the Habitat Youth Build on Sunday. Those who cannot be on site to physically build the houses can be virtual volunteers who will spread the word online.

Interested volunteers may visit www.habitatyouthbuild.org/philippines,e-mail [email protected] or call 846-2177. They can also log in on Facebook at www.facebook.com/habitatphilippines and Twitter at @habitatphils #HabitatYouthBuild.