Greetings! 

Sometimes when we are so focused on bringing in the funds and volunteers to help us build here in West St. Tammany, we forget that we are part of a large international organization that builds home on six continents. At the recent HFHI National Conference, I had a chance to meet staff from Habitat's Africa and Middle East office. During our meeting they expressed their thanks for our affiliate's tithe. As you may know, HFHSTW (as all Habitat affiliates) tithes to a Habitat in a developing country. Some years ago, this affiliate chose to tithe to Habitat for Humanity Uganda and since 1985 we have tithed more than $400,000. Through your financial support, we have not only built 200 homes for 200 families in West St. Tammany but we have also been able to help nearly 140 families move into homes in Uganda.

In the June 2011 issue of Habit World there is an excellent article, ANOTHER PATH HOME, about the work of Habitat Uganda. Here's an excerpt from the article:

How it works in Uganda

A pair of Habitat Uganda housing loans helped Halima Bagaaya complete her brick house.

In 2007, Habitat Uganda realized its traditional, single-family house-building model wasn't reaching enough people by itself. To help even lower-income families, they needed to broaden their methods. The solution: two additional housing options - one that focuses on homes for orphans and vulnerable children and another that offers housing microfinance. 

Andrew Sooka, Habitat Uganda's housing microfinance project manager, says the incremental building approach works well in Uganda. "Previously, we were one-size-fits-all," he explains. "We had our model, and people could take it or leave it. But now people can build as they want to, at their own pace."

With housing microfinance, sometimes change can be as dramatic as a new house that radically improves an entire family's health and quality of life. Sometimes, change is more subtle. Maybe a new roof to keep a family dry and warm. Perhaps solar panels to power a home, or new access to clean water and a sanitary toilet.

"Housing microfinance has the ability to reach lower-income people in a much more flexible way," Sooka says. "The money comes back faster, too, because these are smaller, shorter-term loans. That means more money keeps recycling through our revolving fund to help more people." 

Habitat Uganda and Habitat affiliates around the world continue to develop innovative and creative ways to tailor their services to serve families. This week our affiliate's staff are undergoing training on the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture 502 Program. This program is being utilized by other Habitat affiliates in the U.S. to accelerate asset recovery which assists in building additional homes. As we learn more about this program, we will keep you informed. In the meantime, remember your donation has an impact far beyond St. Tammany Parish. Your donation also helped Halima Bagaaya, pictured above, whose home in Uganda is located on the road pictured above.

Thanks for your support,

Jeff St. Romain,
President/CEO