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Lions Clubs To Finance New Homes
For Disabled In South Korea & The Philippines
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Grants Worth Nearly US$150,000
To Help 48 Families In Need |
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MANILA & SEOUL, 26th April 2004: Households with severely
disabled family members in the Philippines and South Korea are
set to have new homes thanks to the generosity of Lions Club
International Foundation, the charitable arm of Lions Clubs
International, a worldwide voluntary service club organization.
Habitat for Humanity South Korea and the Davao Del Sur affiliate
of Habitat
for Humanity Philippines successfully applied for financing
under a global partnership between Lions Club International
and Habitat for Humanity International.
Habitat for Humanity South Korea and Lions Districts 354A and
354F received a US$100,000 grant to build eight units in a single
building complex.
The Davao Del Sur affiliate is to receive more than US$48,000
to build 40 houses at Indangan, Davao City.
The Lions Club Foundation grant covers half the project costs
in Korea, which is considered a more developed economy. The
local Lions and Habitat entities must raise the remainder.
For the Philippines, the Lions Club Foundation grant covers
three-quarters of the project costs.
The grants assure disabled individuals or families with disabled
children or adults, have a decent, safe and affordable home.
The Philippine units will feature wider doors to accommodate
wheel chair access and ramps instead of steps.
The Davao del Sur affiliate has completed its family selection
process.
Documentation for the land, which can accommodate seventy-five
housing units, is being processed. Details for implementing
the Korean project are still being determined.
Families have to meet normal Habitat criteria including a willingness
to invest hundreds of hours of “sweat equity” working
on their own and other Habitat homes. Physically impaired or
disabled homepartners fulfill their sweat equity requirement
by be working on lighter activities during the construction
period,
These are the latest grants to be awarded to applicants from
the Asia-Pacific region under a three-year global partnership
between Lions Club International and Habitat for Humanity International
designed to build 500 low-cost homes for families living with
serious physical and mental disabilities.
Since June 2000, Lions Clubs International has provided grants
for building 156 homes in Australia, India, New Zealand, the
Philippines South Korea and Vanuatu, plus other homes in North
and South America, Africa and Europe. Three projects have previously
been financed in South Korea and two in the Philippines.
As the world's largest service club organization, Lions Clubs
International has 46,000 clubs serving 193 countries and geographical
areas; providing global reach with local impact. Founded in
1917, Lions Clubs International -- recognized worldwide for
its service to the blind and visually impaired -- also dedicates
itself to helping those less fortunate in communities around
the world. Involving members in projects as local as cleaning
up an area park or as far-reaching as bringing sight to the
world's blind, Lions clubs provide innovative service to their
communities
In 2002-03, Lions Clubs International's nearly 1.4 million members
worldwide donated an estimated 65 million hours and an estimated
US$667 million. The average number of hours donated per club
worldwide is estimated to be nearly 1,500. In the US and its
affiliate countries, Lions Clubs members donated an estimated
12 million hours and an estimated US$167 million. |
