The Pacesetters really SET THE PACE on July 19-20 to build decent homes and improve educational conditions for vulnerable communities in Vietnam. This exciting initiative demonstrates their commitment to sustainability beyond their business by extending responsibility to strengthening communities.
The Pacesetters Corporate Social Responsibility program is driven by the wish to reach out communities beyond their closet geographic and social boundaries of Australia and reach as far as Shanghai, Hawaii, Philippines and Vietnam to help build strong communities. As a result, approximately 400 Australian volunteers traveled to Long An province, an estuarine area of Mekong Delta, which is regularly exposed to some of the worst impacts of climate change, particularly drought and saline intrusion. Over two days, the volunteers steadily built six disaster resilient houses for six low income households, one toilet for Long Hiep primary school and painted the classrooms for Long Hiep and Long Phuoc primary schools.
Although it was the first time for many of the volunteers to get involved in construction tasks, we couldn’t tell! Their enthusiasm and volunteer spirit motivated them to take on the challenge. Volunteers loaded and carried materials to the build site, shoveled sand and mixed mortar, and laid hours of brick under the tropical heat – all for the achievement of a common goal to provide decent homes to vulnerable families. Their hard work, sweat and dedication spoke more than words ever could to fulfil the wish of safe homes and better lives for the six families.
Thanks to the sponsorship of Pacesetters 2016, the volunteer labor will result in safe and sturdy homes for six families, improved sanitation facilities, adequate study environment for local students and ultimately improved health, greater economic opportunities, better performance at school and a brighter future.
Ms. Phan Thi Kim Le, one of the home-partners helped build house this time: “Thank you so much volunteers. We was trying to build a new house for a long time but we couldn’t. Before, we lived in a house with thatch roofing then local authorities granted us VND 5,000,000 (US$ 220) to renovate the roofing with tin sheets. Knowing we have a new house, I feel happy and grateful.”
Habitat for Humanity Vietnam greatly appreciates the effort of Pacesetters 2016 volunteers. Kelly Koch, HFH Vietnam’s Country Director said, “Thank you for engaging yourself with the home-partners and this beautiful community. I hope you also got to know each other better! I’m sure all of us will leave with happy memories of this activity when returning home. You may not have had the opportunity to really see the province, but we hope this build by itself made the trip memorable”.
Thanks to the valuable support of volunteers like Pacesetters, HFH Vietnam has been able to support more than 13,100 low income families and transform communities since 2001 by building strength, stability and self-reliance.
