http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/ ja Copyright 2010 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0900 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss SCHEDULE & PLACE When: Wednesday, August 4th, from 7:30pm (No entrance fee) Where: Ben's Cafe (Takadanobana) * Drinks and food are available for purchase; please support our host. * TWP starts from 19:30, thirty minutes late than ever before. MAIN TOPIC ■ Latest Reports ! ・ Panel Discussion with Hiroshi Nakada, the former mayor of Yokohama ・ Special Build 'Blue Sky Build' in Mongolia ■ Habitat Now ! ・ [Due coming] Special Build 'EVEREST BUILD' in Nepal ・ [New ! ] Mayu Kishima (Violinist) Charity Recital by Oakwood (8/6) ・ [New ! ] Habitat Premium Night with Oakwood (8/19) ・ [Update] Habitat's disaster response in Haiti ※ The contents are subject to change. -・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・ ◆What’s "Travelers with a Purpose" Meetings ? Habitat Japan's “Travelers with a Purpose” (TWP) is an informal gathering for people (HABIBITO) to discuss and share their experiences and interests in volunteering, travelling, and other Habitat activities. We look forward to seeing you there. -・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・- ・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・ ◆The reports on the past TWP meetings: ≫Jun. 2010 meeting ≫Apr. 2010 meeting ≫Feb. 2010 meeting ≫Dec. 2009 meeting ≫Nov. 2009 meeting ]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/07/event_info_join_the_coming_twp.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/07/event_info_join_the_coming_twp.html Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Yokohama city in Japan) has entered into a partnership with Habitat for Humanity India to provide shelter to 75 socially and economically less fortunate families in Mangadu and $73,925.07 has been donated. 75 Homes of Hope project was launched on 24th April 2010 at the project site. Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama, CEO & Managing Director, Nissan Motor India laid the first brick and commenced the project in the presence of Mrs. S.P. Saruguna Pandian, chairperson, Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women, Mr. Dino L. Touthang CEO Habitat for Humanity, India and the local community and Government authorities. The project will be completed by March 2011. A Housing Deficit in India In India, there are 180 million houses. More than 60% of these houses are made from inferior materials such as mud; grass leaves reeds, bamboo and low quality materials. Most of the Indian population lives in houses that are sub-standard for living. In urban areas, people live in large numbers in slums, situated in water –conduits, garages, train and bus platforms and pavements. For the poorest of the poor, the wide expanse of the blue Indian sky is their roof. As per the 2001 census, it is estimated that 1.95 million of people are homeless, while the rural housing shortage was 14.1 million in the rural area and 10.6 million in the urban region. It is estimated that 2.5 million houses are annually added to this list. Poverty housing has truly become a part and parcel of the Indian society. In order to bridge the gap and to shelter more families in a safe environment, the Government of India through the State Governments had launched programs. There are special Housing programs for the disadvantaged groups such as Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribes and Salt Pan workers. Despite all these efforts by the Governments the housing need is increasing every year due to population increase, delay in the implementation of the programs etc. Partnership in needs In the last twenty six years, Habitat for Humanity has con­structed over 33,000 houses for the less fortunate in Indian society. Through the experience, implementation in corporation with other organizations, such as the partnership between Habitat for Humanity and Nissan, now become more essential, and will instill hope and facilitate shelter solutions to the poor and help deprived families of Mangadu. At the function organized Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama said, “Through our corporate activities all around the world, we also aim to contribute to the development of the societies where we do business. Toward these twin goals, we carry out management that combines our pursuit of sustainable profitability with our efforts to bring sustainable development to society. This project is set to improve the health and hygiene conditions of 375 individuals and we are happy to make the difference.”The project is being implemented in partnership with Women Education and Economic Development Society (WEEDS) – a local NGO, who will facilitate the community mobilization aspect. The project will be completed by March 2011. ]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/07/nissan_project.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/07/nissan_project.html Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:00:00 +0900 During the week, the volunteers’ goal was to put in insulation materials for the walls and complete the remaining portion of the brick walls and roofing works. Spread over a 1.9 ha site with land donated by the district government, the houses were built with wood frames, Styrofoam, fiberglass insulation, clay bricks, wood rafters and galvanized iron roof sheeting. On the final day, volunteers took their places at the houses they were working on, helping skilled construction workers with roof rafters, putting up galvanized iron roofing sheets or mixing mortar and laying brick walls to give a hand to families needing more help. Shortly after lunch, photo opportunities were aplenty as Habitat’s photographer went from house to house to capture the moment and simple house dedications were held. One of the house leaders, Justin Tam, a maintenance engineer from Hong Kong, was similarly satisfied. "We built friendship even though we are from different backgrounds." Tam’s team comprised first-time volunteers, including his wife Melody Lau. In addition to the international volunteers, local volunteers from Habitat’s partners including corporations and non-governmental organizations also contributed time and labor. As volunteers bid farewell to one another, some may well meet again – on another Habitat build. Hong Kong volunteer Lye Sin Wong preferred to go on Habitat builds rather than other volunteer stints such as teaching English to children in rural areas. "It is very meaningful and there are more immediate benefits. When we build a house, a family is able to live in that house after a few weeks. It is also humbling to meet people who have very little and yet can be happy." ■Photos of the Build Week■ 1st Day (June 27th)：Orientation & Pre-build 2nd Day (June 28th)：Opening ceremony & Work (Insulation installation) 3rd Day (June 29th)：Work (Brick walling & Cement making) 4th Day (June 30th)：Work (Brick walling, Cement making & Roofing) 5th Day (July 1st)：Work (Roofing & Interior work) 6th Day (July 2nd)：Work (Finalizing the build & Closing ceremony ≫Program Outline & Application is here.]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/07/the_blue_sky_build_comes_to_a.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/07/the_blue_sky_build_comes_to_a.html Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0900 The discussion was split into two parts. The first focused on the title, ' What important lessons can be learned through participation in grassroots development work? ' The student representatives were asked to summarise the Global Village program in one word. They came up with expressions like, 'Opportunity', 'Support', 'Happiness', 'Fellowship' and 'Communication', while sharing more of their experiences with Habitat. They spoke about how their own lives had been changed through the experience of building, leadership and responsibility. "We were only there for two weeks, but had such a powerful experience that we were reduced to tears when we returned a year later", "By sweating alongside the local people who would live in the house we were building, I understood the true meaning of the Global Village", "My image of volunteer work was that it required great sacrifice, but my experience was pure enjoyment", "The enjoyable experience led me to continue to volunteer and organise." These opinions and more were exchanged at the event. Mr Nakada brought all of this together, saying that, "The GV program teaches happiness and enjoyment, confidence, empathy and maturity. But in Japan, there are still too many people who lack the motivation and opportunity to put good intentions into action. GV is one way to realize those goals." The second half of the discussion was titled, 'How can these experiences be applied to the recovery and development of Japan in the future? '. As in the first part, the panelists were asked to summarise their responses to the question, ' What is the biggest problem facing Japanese society? ' They came up with answers like, 'Wealth', 'Isolation', 'Excess' and 'Lack of Leadership', as part of a wider discussion on the key issues and challenges facing modern society. Some of the key points that emerged were, "In experiencing extremely rapid development, Japan may have also forgotten important things. Looking around us, we see people passing one another without truly interacting", and, "What has happened to the bonds of trust and warmth that should bind people together?". The conversation moved on to the subject of One Piece; this is a popular manga cartoon that portrays a group of adventurers who follow their dreams. While this is seen as a simple piece of entertainment, it can also be seen as a pastiche on the Japanese people that lack such dreams in reality. In response to this, Mr Nakada said, "In the absence of individual dreams, what we need is strong leaders with the vision to recognize these problems and do what is necessary to solve them". In closing, Mr Nakada gave the following comments: "Japan today is crying out for strong Japanese people to lead it, and those needs can be filled through the young people who have shared with us today, through international volunteering and the GV experience. Mother Teresa once said that the opposite of love is not hatred, or dislike, but apathy. In order to build a brighter future for Japan, we need to combat apathy by sharing the GV experience with as many people as possible." After Mr Nakada departed, the event continued with an open forum. With a cup of fairtrade coffee in one hand, the panelists continued to introduce more about their experiences with GV while everyone had an opportunity to meet and exchange with one another.]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/06/discussion_report_hiroshi_naka.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/06/discussion_report_hiroshi_naka.html Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Habitat Nepal was established in 1997 to address the lack of decent and affordable housing in Nepal. Following a transition to a new model in 2005, Habitat Nepal has now served more than 5,800 families. Currently, Habitat Nepal hopes to reach an additional 5,000 families in the next two years. The Everest Build is a special project to celebrate more than a decade of Habitat’s work in Nepal, bringing hundreds of volunteers from all over the world and completing 50 houses. It will symbolically shine a light on the scourge of substandard housing and to physically demonstrate what can be accomplished when families, communities and nations come together in an effort to build a future where every man, woman and child has a decent place to live. ◆ Project Outline ◆ Project Schedule & Participation Fee ◆ Application Procedure ◇ [Short Movie] 'One Family's Story in Nepal' ◇ 'Habitat Nepal Completes Two Test Builds Ahead Of October's Everest Build' □■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□　　Sign up　　■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■ Please review and agree with the below-mentioned points upon applying for the Habitat's Everest Build in Nepal. To apply, please follow the directions on "participation application procedure" located on the bottom of this page. Participant Requirements: 1. Construction Skills: We do not inquire about participant's construction experience or abilities 2. Age: Any person 18 years of age or older is eligible to participate, and there is no maximum age limit. Those under 20 years of age must either be chaperoned by a guardian (or leader assigned responsibility by child's guardian in writing(*) or participate as a member of a team from a school or other club. *Please contact if you need the HFHJ staff to become a chaperone. 3. Language skills: English Fluency for speaking & writing communication required. 4. All Participants must agree with the following: ♦ Habitat is not a travel agency. Volunteers and Habitat cooperate together to create the Global Village as partners by fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of each other. ♦ The Global Village program has been developed based on the Habitat's vision "A world where everybody has a decent place to live", and is operated according to the principle of Habitat. Participation in the program means that you respect and accept the vision and policy of Habitat. ♦ Team's request may not be always fulfilled because it is necessary to keep a balance of a team's demand with the needs and the situation of the hosting country ♦ All participants must agree and sign the 'Release and Waiver of Liability Form' to participate. Travel Advisories: Please visit the sites listed below for overseas travel and visa information. • Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Japan US Department of State • British and Foreign Commonwealth Office • Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade • Canada Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade • New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Health Management: Habitat International cannot offer specific health advice, and is not in a position to recommend medications and immunizations. Nor do we have any medical requirements for participation in the Global Village program. In these situations, we should always recommend that Global Village team members consult the following websites, as well as their personal physicians, and must determine individually what preventative health measures to take. • Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Quarantine Station • Center for Disease Control Travelers' Health • British Department of Health • Travel Health Resource • World Health Organization (WHO) Safety & Security Management: Habitat Japan sends to the countries, area and construction sites where they have qualified the safety criteria. We provide orientations in the hosting countries and the volunteers would be working under supervision of the construction professional(s). Also, all participants are mandated to join the recommended medical insurance. However, all those practice doesn't promise the perfect safety. Please note that we may ask you to change the dates or the place of your trip in case of the sudden change in the safety situation of the destination. * Please review the 'Release and Waiver of Liability Form' and the travel agency for the details. Cost: 1. Included in the cost: Participation fee (including construction costs), meals (dinner on 10/2 and every meal of 10/3-9, water and etc.), accommodations (8 nights of 10/2-9 including 2 nights in Kathmandu: shared 2 people room/separated by gender), local transport (Kathmandu ⇔ Pokhara, hotel ⇔ build site), medical emergency insurance, and orientation materials (such as Everest Build original T-shirts). 2. Not included in the cost: international airfare & airport tax, travel insurance, private expenses (including R&R activities). Cancelation Fee: 1. If individual volunteers are forced to cancel... Regardless of the timing, we cannot refund the registration deposit of ¥30,000 per volunteer. Cancellations 31-60 days prior to departure will result in a ¥10,000 cancellation fee per volunteer, in addition to the above mentioned ¥30,000 per volunteer. Cancellations within 30 days of departure will not be eligible for any refund. 2. If Habitat is forced to cancel... If safety conditions worsen in the host country or community, Habitat will be forced to cancel the project. Volunteers will receive a refund, however we are unable to compensate you for any other expenses incurred. * Please refer to your travel agent for terms and conditions relating to travel expenses (air fare, hotel etc). ********************************************************************************************************************************** Sign-up procedure: Please read the items listed above and the 'Application Procedure' carefully and send an email to everest10@habitatjp.org in order to ask for the volunteer application form. ※ To avoid miscommunication by the technical difficulties, please resubmit the form if you don't hear from us within 5 business days.]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/06/everest_build_building_50_hous.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/06/everest_build_building_50_hous.html Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Latter half of the night was a casual orientation on the Everest Build, to be hosted in Pokhra, Nepal this October. This special event invites more than 500 volunteers from around the world to celebrate Habitat Nepal's 10 year anniversary and kick off its goal to work with 5,000 families in the next three years. Thanks to Mr. Nit's inspirational talk perhaps, many of the audience seem to be motivated to join the event. You can refer to many other projects by Habitat Japan such as reports from Disaster Response in Haiti, Japanese Traditional Long House Building, and the Panel Discussion "Hiroshi Nakada, Former Mayor of Yokohama & Habitat Japan" as well. The conclusion of the night was a little farewell party for one of our long term volunteer, Kristi. Kristi has been living in Japan and involved with Habitat for three years, besides her busy daily life as a teacher at one of international school in Tokyo. "Keep Building" was her last message to us. Practice makes right indeed, it was well put and reflected of her profession. The next Travelers with a Purpose meeting will be in the beginning of August. The details areto be announced on our web site. Everyone who is interested in international philanthropy and Habitat's work is welcomed. Bring your friend and family and join us next time. ◆Next Travelers with a Purpose Meeting -・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・ Date: Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 Time: 7:30pm - 9pm Venue: Ben's Cafe, Takadanobaba Admission: Free for everyone! * The details to be announced on our web site. -・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・ ◆Want reminders for the upcoming TWP meetings? Sign up (by sending a request to info@habitatjp.org) for the TWP exclusive mailing list for free to receive e-mail reminders about the Travelers with a Purpose activities. ◆What’s "Travelers with a Purpose" Meetings? Habitat for Humanity Japan's “Travelers with a Purpose” (TWP) is an informal gathering for people (HABIBITO) to discuss and share their experiences and interests in volunteering, travelling, and other Habitat activities. ◆Reports on the past TWP meetings: ≫Apr. 2010 meeting ≫Feb. 2010 meeting ≫Dec. 2009 meeting ≫Nov. 2009 meeting]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/06/june_twp_meeting_report.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/06/june_twp_meeting_report.html Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Four families are building a traditional long house (also known as rowhouse or Nagaya in Japanese) in Fujino of Sagamihara city in Kanagawa Prefecture. They aim to incorporate as "local production for local consumption", which is the construction by local carpenters with using local lumber and natural energy. Habitat Japan is taking a supportive part in this project by working with the local people and many other volunteers. We hope this project will help people aware of the splendor of Japanese traditional architecture and feel closer to it, and will revitalize local communities for a development through the local interaction between urban city and countryside. ■ The scene of the Nagaya building by volunteers. 【Upper】 Making walls with bamboo lath. 【Bottom】 Cutting bamboo for the wall lath. Project details are below. □■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□ ■ Working Schedule & Contents - July 3(Sat), 10(Sat), 11(Sun) , 17(Sat) ⇒ Walling (Laying mad on the lath) 　*Working time is 9:00-17:00. (No work in case of heavy rain) 　*Working contents are subject to change due to the condition of the day. ■ Number of Candidates： 10-60 people for each day. 　 *Open to anyone who is more than 7 years old. ■ Participation Fee： Free 　 *Each participant will be insured by volunteer insurance. ■ Meeting Place： In front of Fujino station (JR Chuo-sen) at around 9am. 　 *There will be the train arriving at 9:01am (holiday schedule) from Shinjuku area.　 ■ What to bring： Working clothes, cotton work gloves, towels, and raincoat.　 　 *Lunch will be provided to all. ■ Application： Please apply from here and send a fax to Habitat Japan. ■ The scene of the Nagaya building by volunteers (2). 【Bottom left】 Local carpenters are building while volunteers are making the bamboo lath in pairs.]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/05/lets_build_japanese_traditiona.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/05/lets_build_japanese_traditiona.html Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Donate Now As part of the second-phase of its response, Habitat has already begun to clear away debris from home sites, and ten transitional shelters are under construction in Cabaret and Leogane, two smaller towns outside the capital of Port-au-Prince. Habitat is to build 1,000 shelters in the villages. At the same time, A core homes coordinator has been hired in Cabaret and will be oriented into his role to deliver the first 30 to 50 Habitat units on land allocated by the municipality. A new resource center that will be central to carrying out Habitat's recovery work has been established in Cabaret, and an office location for another Habitat Resource Center has been identified in Leogane. ◆Back Number 2010.04.25　More 13,000 Shelter Kits Ahead of the Peak of the Rainy Season 2010.04.05　Test Builds for Transitional Shelters 2010.03.19　8,000 Shelter Kits Arriving in Haiti ! 2010.02.17　Habitat Core Houses 2010.02.10　Multi-phase Strategy of Habitat’s Response in Haiti 2010.02.05　Habitat Starts Distributing Emergency Shelter Kits 2010.01.26　Establishing Habitat Resource Centers 2010.01.21　Habitat's Response to Haiti Quake Relief 2010.01.14　Habitat Japan to Raise Funds for Haiti Quake Reliefs ]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/05/haiti10_transitional_solutions.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/05/haiti10_transitional_solutions.html Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 +0900 From 28th June to 2nd July 2010, volunteers will join families to build 30 houses in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The Blue Sky Build 2010 will also celebrate ten years of Habitat building in Mongolia, a decade that has seen more than 1,500 fami-lies enjoy transformed lives thanks to their new, safe and affordable Habitat homes. The Blue Sky Build 2010 will set the scene for the launch of a second decade with an ambitious campaign to significantly increase Habitat’s reach. The new goal is to engage volunteers and donors to support the building of 1,000 more homes in just three years, by 2012. ◆ Project Outline ◆ Project Schedule ◆ Application Procedure ◇ Blue Sky Build Volunteer Hand Book □■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□　　Sign up　　■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■ Please review and agree with the below-mentioned points upon applying for the Habitat for Humanity's Blue Sky Build in Mongolia. To apply, please follow the directions on "participation application procedure" located on the bottom of this page. Participant Requirements: 1. Construction Skills: We do not inquire about participant's construction experience or abilities 2. Age: Any person 18 years of age or older is eligible to participate, and there is no maximum age limit. Those under 20 years of age must either be chaperoned by a guardian (or leader assigned responsibility by child's guardian in writing(*) or participate as a member of a team from a school or other club. *Please contact if you need the HFHJ staff to become a chaperone. 3. Language skills: English Fluency for speaking & writing communication required. 4. All Participants must agree with the following: ♦ Habitat for Humanity is not a travel agency. Volunteers and Habitat cooperate together to create the Global Village as partners by fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of each other. ♦ The Global Village program has been developed based on the Habitat's vision "A world where everybody has a decent place to live", and is operated according to the principle of Habitat. Participation in the program means that you respect and accept the vision and policy of Habitat. ♦ Team's request may not be always fulfilled because it is necessary to keep a balance of a team's demand with the needs and the situation of the hosting country ♦ All participants must agree and sign the 'Release and Waiver of Liability Form' to participate. Travel Advisories: Please visit the sites listed below for overseas travel and visa information. • Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs • Japan US Department of State • British and Foreign Commonwealth Office • Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade • Canada Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade • New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Health Management: Habitat for Humanity International cannot offer specific health advice, and is not in a position to recommend medications and immunizations. Nor do we have any medical requirements for participation in the Global Village program. In these situations, we should always recommend that Global Village team members consult the following websites, as well as their personal physicians, and must determine individually what preventative health measures to take. • Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Quarantine Station • Center for Disease Control Travelers' Health • British Department of Health • Travel Health Resource • World Health Organization (WHO) Safety Management: Habitat for Humanity Japan sends to the countries, area and construction sites where they have qualified the safety criteria. We provide orientations in the hosting countries and the volunteers would be working under supervision of the construction professional(s). Also, all participants are mandated to join the recommended medical insurance. However, all those practice doesn't promise the perfect safety. Please note that we may ask you to change the dates or the place of your trip in case of the sudden change in the safety situation of the destination. * Please review the 'Release and Waiver of Liability Form' and the travel agency for the details. Cost: 1. Included in the cost: participation fee, meals, accommodations (7nights, shared 2~3 people room/separated by gender from June 26-July 2), transport (excluding trip participant airfare), medical emergency insurance, team coordination and orientation materials (such as Blue Sky Build T-shirts). 2. Not Included in the cost: trip participant airfare, airport tax, travel insurance, private expenses (incl. R&R activities). Cancelation Fee: 1. If individual volunteers must cancel... Regardless of the timing, we cannot refund the registration deposit of ¥50,000 per participant. Cancellation 31-60 days prior to departure will result in a ¥10,000 cancellation fee per participant, in addition to the above mentioned ¥50,000 per participant. Cancellation within 30 days of departure will result in all of your payments being retained by Habitat for Humanity. 2. If HABITAT FOR HUMANITY must cancel... In case the safety condition worsens in the hosting country or community, Habitat for Humanity will ask the participant to cancel the trip and receive a refund. We cannot compensate you for any other expenses. * Please note to refer to the travel agent for the terms and policy regarding the travel expenses (air fare and hotel, etc) related to the program participation. ********************************************************************************************************************************** Sign-up procedure: Please read the items listed above and the "Application procedure & departure preparation" carefully and send an email to ＜jrcwp09@habitatjp.org＞ in order to ask for the volunteer application form. ※ To avoid miscommunication by the technical difficulties, please resubmit the form if you don't hear from us within 5 working days.]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/join_the_blue_sky_build_in_mon.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/join_the_blue_sky_build_in_mon.html Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Habitat Chile, while continuing to evaluate needs in the affected areas, has launched a first response that aims to build 36 "progressive" houses, similar to the core houses that Habitat will be building in Haiti. ◆Back Number 2010.03.13　Habitat to Start Quake Cleanup & Reconstruction 2010.02.28　Habitat to Decide Responding to Chile Earthquake ]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/this_week.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/this_week.html Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Donate Now The United Nations' sponsored Shelter Cluster estimates that 105,000 houses were destroyed and more than 208,000 houses were damaged as a result of the 7.0-magnitue earthquake. More than 1.3 million people are homeless or displaced. Now, shelter is one of the greatest needs in Haiti, especially with the rainy season which has already begun a month earlier than usual years. Even as the third wave of shelter kits was being assembled in McDonough, distribution of the second round of kits was poised to begin in Haiti, with assistance from the United Nations, Save the Children and ADRA. This week's assembly near Atlanta will result in 13,250 more kits being shipped and distributed in the Port-au-Prince area ahead of the peak of the rainy season in May. In total, Habitat and its partners will distribute more than 21,000 kits - enough to help more than 100,000 survivors of the Haiti earthquake. ◆Back Number 2010.04.05　Test Builds for Transitional Shelters 2010.03.19　8,000 Shelter Kits Arriving in Haiti ! 2010.02.17　Habitat Core Houses 2010.02.10　Multi-phase Strategy of Habitat’s Response in Haiti 2010.02.05　Habitat Starts Distributing Emergency Shelter Kits 2010.01.26　Establishing Habitat Resource Centers 2010.01.21　Habitat's Response to Haiti Quake Relief 2010.01.14　Habitat Japan to Raise Funds for Haiti Quake Reliefs ]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/haiti9_more_13000_shelter_kits.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/haiti9_more_13000_shelter_kits.html Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0900 in ENGLISH this year. However, the material package for "being qualified as a team leader for the Global Village Program" will be provided by postal mail for each team. As your reference, the following is the brief information of the training in JAPANESE: We are welcome that you participate in those trainings, and we will fully support to make your uderstanding at the trainings. For your registration, please fill the GV Team Leader Training Application Form out and then fax it to us. When we receive your fax, you will be informed by email from us. ◇TOKYO AREA◇ Date&Time: June 12 (Sat) 10:30-15:30 Venue: Kibe hall Room 305 ( next to St. Ignatius Church in front of Sophia Univ. *One minute from the JR Yotsuya Station ) （TEL：03-6304-2543） ◇OSAKA AREA◇ Date&Time: June 20 (Sun) 10:30-15:30 Venue: Kwanse Gakuin Univ. Osaka Umeda Campus Room 1003 (move to Room 1002 after 15:30) （TEL：03-6304-2543） Participation Fee: Free Thank you ]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/a_1.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/a_1.html Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:16:49 +0900 【Left and Center】Three ASIJ students presenting 【Right】Three WHABITAT members reporting "Build-a-House Workshop" The second part of the evening was all about the charity event "Build-a-House Workshop" for Haiti. It was organized in partnership with Natural House Project, as a part of the "SPRING LOVE" at Yoyogi Koen Park on April 3rd and 4th (Details).The presenter was a part of WHABITAT, a Campus Club at Waseda University, and the special guest appearance by the Natural House Project representative. The report captivated the audience as if they are re-experiencing the event, many wanted to sign up for the next workshop. Lastly, Habitat Japan supplemented information on opportunities for those Habibito, or the travelers with purposes. They were Updates on Habitat's Disaster Response Efforts in Haiti, a couple of Special Interest Events in Mongolia(June) and Nepal (October), and scheduled panel discussion with the former mayor of Yokohama, Mr. Hiroshi Tanaka(June). The two hours were packed with hot topics, smiles and with deep thoughts. Many stayed at the venue, Ben's Cafe for relaxed and casual conversations. The next meeting is scheduled for the beginning of June. The details will be announced on our web site so please stay tuned. Everyone is welcome here! -・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・ ◆The Next "TWP meeting" Date: June 2nd, 2010 (TBD) Time: 19:30～21:00 (TBD) Venue: Ben's Cafe (Takadanobaba) Admission: Free for everyone! -・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・-・ ◆Want reminders for the upcoming TWP meetings? Sign up (by sending a request to info@habitatjp.org) for the TWP exclusive mailing list for free to receive e-mail reminders about the Travelers with a Purpose activities. ◆What’s "Travelers with a Purpose" Meetings? Habitat for Humanity Japan's “Travelers with a Purpose” (TWP) is an informal gathering for people (HABIBITO) to discuss and share their experiences and interests in volunteering, travelling, and other Habitat activities. ◆The reports on the past TWP meetings: ≫Feb. 2010 meeting ≫Dec. 2009 meeting ≫Nov. 2009 meeting]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/april_twp_meeting_report.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/april_twp_meeting_report.html Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:40:50 +0900 On April 3rd and 4th, we built a “house” at the center of Tokyo, at an event called "2010 SPRING LOVE -Harukaze-(*)" held at the Yoyogi Koen Park, Shibuya. The charity workshop for the earthquake victims in Haiti was made possible by collaboration with the Natural House Project, a Kunitachi (Tokyo) based group who builds houses with local and natural materials. Involving kids to adults, the participants experienced "house building" through making earthy blocks and laying blocks - wooden ones to model the real bricks. "It's fun to build a house," many of them shared with the booth staff. At Habitat Japan’s booth, we exhibited photos and reports from Haiti, CG movies of Habitat's core house designs, house repairing kits and materials for future house building. Viewing these reality helped many people to feel this workshop as a "real construction site" where they can learn the importance of house and contribute to the activities in a far away country like Haiti. [Top] Making earthy blocks　[Middle] Laying the wooden blocks　[Bottom] Making a donation A student booth volunteer (CC&CClub member) said, "I was surprised to see how many people wants to do something for Haiti even if they aren't usually engaged in volunteerism." It seems that it even helped the booth staff recognize the significance of their own involvement in the aid work. This workshop was driven by an initiative to call for support for Haiti through the construction of a model house and leaning the importance of having a house. Under cherry blossoms in full bloom, each block contained hopes for warm houses, families and future for the people of Haiti. A total of 115,605 yen raised during the two days will be used to aid the victims in Haiti. Thank you very much for your contribution. About Habitat's response to Haiti Earthquake, click HERE. * What’s "SPRING LOVE" ? This event is a free festival to promote the importance of peace through familiar cultures like music and art, with participation of various artists and associations, held every year in early April when the cherry blossom is full-blown in Tokyo. It attracted twenty thousands this year.]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/haiti_quake_relief_charity_bui.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/haiti_quake_relief_charity_bui.html Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0900 Donate Now With the rainy season coming on in May and hurricanes likely in August and September, families affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti need a secure place for shelter. Habitat for Humanity's initial 440 transitional-shelters will be assembled in the town of Cabaret, about 35 km. northwest of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, implemented through a Habitat Resource Center. Habitat will build transitional shelters in other affected locations, prepare foundations for up to 7,000 transitional shelters being built by a partner NGO and provide construction technical assistance for other partners. Transitional shelter is designed to bridge the gap between displacement and the restoration of permanent housing. It is based on the concept of semi-permanent shelter that can be upgraded, recycled, expanded or possibly relocated. Transitional shelter is a good example of the saying "shelter is a process, not a product." The process of doing good post-disaster transitional shelter includes community participation, avoiding displacement or minimizing its affects, continuous monitoring and improvement and ensuring that disaster vulnerability is not rebuilt. Haiti's transitional shelter design Habitat for Humanity has two designs that it is refining and testing for use in Haiti. The designs include earthquake-resistant and hurricane-resistant features. One is a wood-frame shelter and the other is a steel-frame shelter; both have a corrugated galvanized iron roof. Mitigation-by-design features include metal cross-ties and hurricane strapping in roof elements. Materials are recyclable, in the case of wood, or upgradable to permanent shelter, for steel. Five-gallon buckets filled with concrete will serve as footings for the shelter. Columns will be anchored to a steel plate embedded in the concrete. The steel version is easily disassembled if it needs to be relocated and the bucket-footings can be removed. Built on an eight-foot module with gable-end and a single-pitch roof, the shelters are extendable by adding modules or multiples, either as an open porch or enclosed room. They can be wrapped with tarps, covered with plywood or other materials. Habitat's transitional shelter designs, like most being planned for use in Haiti, have a covered area of approximately 18 sq. m. This accommodates the average Haitian family of five in compliance with the globally-accepted Sphere standard that indicates 3.5 sq. m. of covered area per person. ◆Back Number 2010.03.19　8,000 Shelter Kits Arriving in Haiti ! 2010.02.17　Habitat Core Houses 2010.02.10　Multi-phase Strategy of Habitat’s Response in Haiti 2010.02.05　Habitat Starts Distributing Emergency Shelter Kits 2010.01.26　Establishing Habitat Resource Centers 2010.01.21　Habitat's Response to Haiti Quake Relief 2010.01.14　Habitat Japan to Raise Funds for Haiti Quake Reliefs ]]> http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/haiti8_test_builds_for_transit.html http://www.habitatjp.org/enblog/2010/04/haiti8_test_builds_for_transit.html Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0900