Students From Bangladesh Head To India For Reciprocal
“Across The Border Build”
* * * *
Four-Day International Build Follows Up On Successful 2003 Build in India

NEW DELHI, November 1st, 2004 – Senior school and university students from Bangladesh
brought new homes – and new hope -- to five families in need in the eastern Indian state of
Orissa during a four-day “Across The Border” international volunteer build.

Fourteen students from Bangladesh Youth First Concern, Student Christian Movement of
Bangladesh and Hunger Free World joined 25 Indian students from the New Stewart School campus chapter, Cuttack, in the first such west-bound trip. Last year’s “Across The Border Build” saw Indian students traveling to Bangladesh to build homes.


Crossing borders: students from Bangladesh and India bring new hope to five families of farmers from Nimura
in the eastern Indian state of Orissa

The Orissa build took place in Nimura, a farming village by the Bay of Bengal. The volunteers
laid and completed concrete floors in all five houses under the auspices of HFH Cuttack, the
local Habitat affiliate volunteer group.

“Across the Border Build” is part of Habitat for Humanity’s campus chapter and youth program
It is designed to allow young people to discover how they can make an impact and change
the world.

This year’s theme "Youth Assets- Making a Difference” attracted “a tremendous response from
young people and we quickly signed up all the places,” said Jayanta Chowdhury, Program
Advisor for Habitat’s Asia-Pacific campus chapter and youth program.

“Students and young people not only build homes, they meet and share in the lives of the
home owners they are building for. The youngsters from two countries also share a common
ecumenical and get to bring all these experiences home.”

“Across the Border Build” allows young people to travel to travel to what seems an exotic
destination, the country next to them.

Said Prince Sanjay, Youth Co-ordinator for Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh, last year’s event
made a great difference by to several families in Bangladesh and “we are delighted to be able
to reciprocate this time.”

There are 28 Habitat for Humanity campus chapters and four youth groups operating in the
Asia-Pacific region.