HFHI strives to eradicate housing and poverty problems

Patan, Oct 31 (UNI) Habitat for Humanity India (HFHI) CEO Peter Selvarajan today said the ongoing Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) is just the foundation stone for its ambitious five-year 'India Build' campaign, aimed to fight poverty and provide quality housing to the needy here.

Talking to UNI here at Patan, Mr Selvarajan said Habitat-India is determined in its mission to eradicate poverty and housing problems for the needy. For the next five-years, HFHI will strive to draw attention of the world to the plight of millions of people in India, who lack affordable, decent and safe housing, he said.

He disclosed that Patan was chosen for the large scale JCWP project, in memory of the mother of former US President Jimmy Carter, who had served in the 'Peace Corps' as a nurse at the nearby Vikroli village some five decades ago.

Mr Selvarajan explained that strict HFH standards are followed to select deserving families to be given homes. HFHI has selected 100 families from 13 villages spread across the Maval Taluka, and all the families are members of the local self-help group Abinav, he said.

He pointed out that there is a misconception among a large section of the people in the country, that HFH builds homes to give as charity. On the contrary, we filter Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, and see to it that they cultivate a healthy culture of saving's, he stressed.

JCWP is an annual feature of the HFHI held in countries around the globe. Prior to their Indian debut, JCWP were executed in Latin America, Africa, South Korea, United States and the Philippines.

HFHI came to India in 1983, and built it's first Habitat home in Khamam district of Andhra Pradesh in 1986.

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