Global Village Project — Mission to Ethiopia

Harpenden Methodist Church is joining the Global Village Trip to Ethiopia in July, organised by Habitat for Humanity.

Starting from 12th-20th June, Premier Radio will follow Harpenden Methodist Church for interviews and profiles. It would be a channel for those who are interested to get involved with Mission.

Habitat for Humanity, a non-denominational Christian housing charity, has been dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide, helping to construct simple and low-cost houses around the world and in Ethiopia since 1990. It works around the world with volunteers from all backgrounds, races and religions to build homes together with families in need.

The vast majority of Ethiopians live in sub standard housing. 85% of houses have mud, stick or thatch walls, only 8% of houses have stone walls. Moreover, only 27% of Ethiopians have access to safe water to drink and only 10% have access to sanitation facilities.

Since the establishment of Habitat for Humanity in 1976, it has built over 150,000 homes, giving 750,000 people a lovable home to live. Now it is active in more than 90 countries worldwide, including 18 in Europe and Central Asia. The designs of the houses are fit for local settings. The cost of houses varies throughout the world, for example, it costs £1,713 to build a simple, decent three-room home for an Ethiopian family.

Volunteers can work on building houses or preparing meals for builders. They help with administrative, fundraising and organisational activities.