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Manila, 3 March 2015 – A hammer signed by former US President Jimmy Carter is starting its journey across the Asia-Pacific region, as part of the Habitat Youth BUILD 2015 campaign. As part of this annual campaign, 500,000 youth and their supporters are expected to rally against poverty housing and build homes for low income families. The #CarterHammer journey will be documented online as it travels to more than a dozen countries across the Asia-Pacific region to raise awareness for the cause, and raise funds to improve poverty housing.
“Thailand was the first country to start the #CarterHammer on its journey, there it made its first appearances to launch the campaign,” said Rick Hathaway, Habitat for Humanity Vice President for Asia-Pacific. “The hammer then travels to Japan, where its mission of ‘good works’ continues. In each country on the tour, campaign supporters will use the hammer for a good deed, such as to build or repair homes, in exchange for a donation which will go towards alleviating poverty housing.”
The Habitat Youth BUILD campaign will reach its peak on 21 March, as multitudes of supporters will join coordinated events, such as home building and mass-participation activities, aimed at drawing attention to the needs of 1.6 billion people across the globe living without adequate shelter.
Adding music to the campaign, Indonesian singer-songwriter Vanessa Theodora Mbouw, otherwise known as vanessaTM, has composed and donated a song to encourage youth of the region to join Habitat Youth BUILD. A music video featuring passionate Habitat supporters is in the works. vanessaTM is a youth ambassador for Habitat for Humanity Indonesia.
“I want to raise awareness about the need for decent housing, and encourage youth to take action together to build homes,” said vanessaTM. “Even though they are young, they can build, start the fire and light the world.”
In the months to come, the #CarterHammer will continue its journey to other countries in the region, before reaching its final destination - Nepal - for the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, where 100 houses will be built. Money raised during its Habitat Youth BUILD tour will contribute to the construction of two houses in Pokhara, Nepal.
Join the Habitat Youth BUILD 2015 community on Facebook to track #CarterHammer progress – facebook.com/groups/habitatyouthbuild.
• Photos of the hammer will be posted to social media platforms, tagged #CarterHammer, as it makes its way across the region before finally arriving in Nepal for the 32nd annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
• Former President Jimmy Carter has been a supporter of Habitat for Humanity since 1984. He continues to volunteer to build on house project sites today.
• This year in 2015, Habitat for Humanity launches the fifth iteration of Habitat Youth BUILD, a youth-led campaign to tackle the global challenge of substandard housing. The movement expects to rally more than 500,000 supporters.
• Culminating on 21 March 2015, advocacy, awareness and fund-raising activities will take place in 15 countries and one Special Administrative Region (SAR) across the Asia-Pacific region. These include: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Youth from Latin America will be joining the movement for the first time.
• In 2014, #HabitatYouthBUILD activities occurred in 11 countries across 57 project sites. The campaign supported more than 1,700 low-income families.
