Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford travels the world, experiences hope being built

Habitat homes are being built every day throughout the world—in 92 countries! Now you can "travel" with Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford as he shares his travel experiences in this weblog.

May 11-13 – Hungary
One of the things that made this experience so meaningful was that we were able to travel with the entire ECA office staff and build together on site…I found Habitat’s remarkable diversity embodied in this group of people, with individuals from all over the world coming together in pursuit of a common goal.

May 9-10, 2006—Romania
Our first field visit on this trip was to a community outside Bucharest, Romania, where I was once more profoundly struck by the importance of community—both its presence when it thrives and its void when it is absent.

April 3, 2006 – Guatemala
Guatemala is a beautiful, mountainous country with a severe housing deficit: Some 1.6 million housing units are needed in rural and urban areas throughout the country.

March 15, 2006—Mexico
HFH Mexico is incorporating new “housing solutions” into their home construction across the country, reflecting the larger direction Habitat for Humanity is taking in order to serve more families.

March 13, 2006—Dominican Republic
This third leg of my “tour” to experience both the need for and the work of Habitat for Humanity carried me on Saturday to the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, whose people are as warm and colorful as the climate and island they share.

January 17-19, 2006 – Egypt
Egypt has some of the worst examples of poverty housing imaginable, but the Habitat affiliates there are making a real dent in the need.

January 13-16, 2006 –South Africa
On the first day of the South Africa trip we drove to the Ivory Park Township, just outside Johannesburg. It was like driving into another time and another world.

January 11-12, 2006 – Ghana
Last year, the proud and progressive West African nation of Ghana celebrated the completion of its 4,000th Habitat house, and they are well on their way to reaching 5,000.

Nov. 10, 2005 – Philippines
Before they hosted the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1999, HFH Philippines was building just a few hundred houses per year. This year, they will complete 3,500 houses, making them the second largest Habitat builder in the world next to the United States.

Nov. 8, 2005 – Hong Kong
This year’s spirit of “much to celebrate, more to build” is alive with HFH Hong Kong, with whom corporate sponsors have generously partnered to support growth and hope for families in need of stable housing.

Nov. 7, 2005 – Indonesia
With damage still blighting a country hit hard by the tsunami nearly a year later, the progress made in rebuilding is perhaps even more overwhelming.

Nov. 3, 2005 - Thailand
While helping dedicate five new Habitat homes, Reckford experiences a community that has come together in the rebuilding process.