Letters & Speeches
Ambassador Blake's Remarks at Habitat for Humanity 10,000 Houses Celebration Ceremony
January 28, 2009
Directors and volunteers of Habitat for Humanity, friends,
I am so pleased to join you here this evening to celebrate the completion of Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka’s ten thousandth house – a great achievement in your fourteen year history here. Your tireless work in the southern, central, western and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka stands as a shining example of Habitat for Humanity International’s ongoing goal to provide simple, decent, affordable housing to people in need everywhere.
Since its establishment in 1976 Habitat for Humanity International has become recognized worldwide as a leader in addressing issues of poverty housing, not only in developing countries but in distressed areas of the first world as well. Habitat currently works in 100 countries, including all 50 states of the United States, and the District of Columbia. I’ve heard it said that somewhere in the world, Habitat beneficiaries and volunteers are building a house for a needy family every 26 minutes. At the beginning of this year, Habitat houses were sheltering 1.5 million people in more than 300,000 houses in more than 3,000 communities worldwide. This is truly an amazing achievement. You should be justifiably proud of Sri Lanka’s contribution to these figures.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has been a leading force with Habitat for Humanity since 1984 when he and his wife led a work group to New York City to help renovate a six-story building with 19 families in need of decent, affordable shelter. Each year since, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter give a week of their time—along with their construction skills—to build homes and raise awareness of the critical need for affordable housing.
We at the U.S. Embassy here in Colombo have been proud to follow former President Carter’s example and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka on several building projects in recent years. The widespread destruction of the 2004 tsunami left thousands homeless, proving how vital the work of Habitat for Humanity is, and how readily your organization responds when emergency strikes. My predecessor, Ambassador Lunstead, led an Embassy team of volunteers to work with Habitat staff and tsunami victims to rebuild homes in two coastal communities south of Colombo.
I have also had the pleasure of working alongside our Embassy volunteers and Habitat team members on home building projects in both Negombo and Moratuwa in the last two years. The Negombo project was part of the innovative Save and Build program, under which families band together to borrow capital and build homes for themselves and their neighbors. It is through programs like this – programs that bring neighbors together, that partner with NGOs and other organizations – that Habitat for Humanity’s simple housing projects in Sri Lanka become part of larger community transformation efforts that result in improved livelihood, education and social services.
Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka also deserves praise for choosing its homeowner beneficiaries regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, and for your continued partnership with people and groups, from Sri Lanka and abroad, from all walks of life, from all faiths and races, to build communities with needy Sri Lankans in which they can live, grow and build a peaceful future for this wonderful country.
Today, we indeed have much to celebrate. But we also have much more to do. I wish Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka continuing success in the years ahead.
Thank you.