Women Build in the News

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Latest press release
SEPTEMBER 2008:

Dignitaries, wives and women from six countries construct Habitat for Humanity Women Build house in Kyrgyzstan
Family of disabled man benefits from global partnership.

BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN – A construction crew of women volunteers including the wife and daughter of a U.N. representative, Peace Corps members, and Kumtor Gold Mining executives, as well as representatives from the International Women Club, joined forces to help a family of seven build a Habitat for Humanity home.

A group of 20 local women helped the construction crew to mix cement, plaster walls, glue wallpaper and construct and sand floors that will accommodate the wheelchair of Aziz Balkibekova, the 22-year-old son of the future homeowners. The women volunteers visiting Kyrgyzstan worked on the three-room structure – that initially included only walls and a roof – as part of Habitat for Humanity International’s Global Village program. The project is known as a Women Build, and this is the second Women Build project held in Bishkek.

Habitat for Humanity International’s Women Build program, underwritten by Lowe’s, brings women from all walks of life together to learn construction skills and then use those skills to be part of the solution to poverty housing.

Homeowner Balkibekova Tamara is looking forward to completing her family’s new home. Her husband is a taxi driver, while Tamara works as a part-time accountant in a private organization. She and her daughters are traditional hand makers, and a significant part of the family’s income is spent on treatment for Aziz. The family’s younger children, sons Tilek (11) and Erjan (8), and daughter, Jyldyz (15), attend school, while the eldest daughter, 20-year-old Cholpon, works in a factory and has no opportunities to study.

Since last year the family has been living in two rooms of their incomplete house. The house had only a roof and walls, separating the space into three rooms. One room, added recently by the family, was incomplete, leaving all seven people to eat, sleep and live in just a two-room space. Aziz was able to bathe at a neighbor’s house while the rest of the family went to a common bath. An outhouse is located in their yard.

In the winter, their living conditions worsened, as unfinished rooms were inefficiently heated. Often, Aziz was crippled with cold, and the younger children were taken ill throughout the season. Tamara knows this will all change with the improvements recently made to her home. She dreams of the day the old house is just a memory.

“After finishing the house we can live in good facilities,” she says, “My children will have their own rooms, and there will be more place to move.”

Work on Tamara’s house was a comprehensive effort, with opening ceremonies attended by village residents and district governmental representatives who committed to donate the family 10 000 som ($280 USD). Habitat Global Village volunteers travelling from the six countries donated $3,200, while Habitat’s Women Build program donated another $2,200. An individual donation of $450, as well as the family’s mortgage of $2,300, rounded out the costs for construction. The build closed with International Women Club volunteers donating clothes and footwear for the family.

Lisa Nickerson, associate director of the Women Build program, hopes more women will join Global Village trips for Women Build projects internationally.

“Habitat has very passionate and dedicated women volunteers throughout the world,” Nickerson said. “The fact that they can come together from several different countries, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds to help resolve the crisis of poverty housing across the globe is remarkable. I hope the success of this one group helping this one family can inspire others to consider what they can do – in their own communities and beyond.”

National Women Build Week 2008: In the news
National Women Build Week took place May 4-10, 2008, with 150 Habitat affiliates participating throughout the United States. Take a look at a sampling of the media reports on the nationwide event – and then see if you want to get involved with the Women Build program!

May 1, 2008
Habitat for Humanity ladies will seize the day
The Daily News Online (Longview, WA)

May 2, 2008
Habitat and Lowe’s call on women volunteers
The Oak Ridger (Oak Ridge, TN)

Habitat to highlight Women Build Week
Lawrence Journal-World & News (Lawrence, KS)

May 3, 2008
All-women crew sought to kick off Monday Habitat for Humanity build in Hemlock
The Saginaw News (Saginaw, MI)

May 4, 2008
National Women Build Week marked in Tucson
FOX11 AZ (Tucson, AZ)

May 5, 2008
Family gets a house of hope
Jacksonville Daily News (Jacksonville, FL)

May 6, 2008
Hemlock Habitat build features 48 female volunteers
The Saginaw News (Saginaw, MI)

May 7, 2008
Riverside celebrates women, affordable housing
Inland News Today (Riverside, CA)

Women build for Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity
South Coast Today (South Coast, MA)

Women pitch in at Habitat project
Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)

May 8, 2008
Aloha Habitat homes get a hand from crew of women volunteers
The Beaverton Valley Times (Portland, OR)

Women help build homes
The Reporter (NJ)

May 10, 2008
All female group helps build Habitat for Humanity home
CFNews13 (Orlando, FL)

Habitat for Humanity
Fox 12 KTRV (Idaho)

Habitat for Humanity creates a very happy Mother’s Day
NBC6 News (Corpus Christi, TX)

Woman gets a home thanks to Habitat for Humanity
KNDO (Yakima, WA)

Women come together for National Women Build Week
Capital News 9 (NY)

May 11, 2008
Habitat for Humanity Women Build Week
WTVY News4 (Dothan, AL)

Women helping women
The Reporter-Herald (Loveland, CO)

‘Women Build’ for Habitat for Humanity challenge
The West Side Leader (Akron, OH)