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Using Volunteer Work Teams A founding principle of Habitat for Humanity is using volunteer labor to decrease the cost of building houses and to foster inter-community relations. Habitat's simple, decent houses are a perfect match for volunteers because their construction requires a great deal of unskilled labor such as excavation, foundation work, cement block production and plastering. The average tsunami-recovery house being built by Habitat in Galle requires 47.25 days or 378 man-hours of unskilled labor to complete. Since 1997, Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka's (HFHSL) Global Village program has been host to thousands of volunteers at its 12 affiliates. It is renowned for being one of Habitat for Humanity International's largest, most efficient and most popular Global Village programs. In 2005 alone, over 100 work teams from some 20 countries will build with HFHSL. Nine months after the tsunami, HFHSL is still the only NGO in Sri Lanka with a mechanism to provide a rewarding experience to large numbers of volunteers. What Volunteers Do for Habitat Speed construction: A 12-member team working 32 hours a week can provide all the unskilled labor to complete an entire house. Short-term volunteers who haul water and mix cement decrease fatigue on local paid labor, volunteers and homeowner families helping to build the houses. Save money: Not having to pay for unskilled labor can shave 5-10% from the already low house cost. Raise funds: Teams pay their own way and give a donation of money to the affiliate (local Habitat office). In addition, teams often donate much-needed resources, such as hand tools and office equipment, to the affiliates. Raise awareness: The experience of seeing poverty first hand while living in a foreign community, and directly improving people's lives is so powerful, that GV participants volunteer again and again and spread the word to others. Promote compassion and volunteerism at the grass-roots level: Habitat volunteers--who this year came from as far away as Alaska, Northern Ireland and Saudi Arabia--show future homeowners that all over the world, people do care. Their compassion inspires communities they serve to also volunteer. What Habitat Does for Volunteers In using volunteers, HFHSL follows another set of best practices. Trains its leaders: GV team leaders receive formal training and are rated; most leaders have led and been members of multiple GV trips. Recruits diversely: All ages, nationalities and religions are welcome; there are programs for churches, schools, corporate groups, individuals and special interest groups, such as Bike and Build. Provides pre-travel orientation & team building: Participants receive a detailed handbook, a CD/video and team apparel; teams communicate by e-mail and in person months before departure. Provides on-the-job training: Teams learn about safety, tools & equipment and building processes; cultural orientation helps teams work with local staff and families. Provides meaningful work: Hosting affiliates are trained to high standards; teams perform a variety of work on houses in various stages of completion, under supervision of a skilled construction manager. Encourages involvement in the local community: GV volunteers build strong bonds with partner families; they visit orphanages and schools; they attend local worship services. Celebrates its volunteers: Members take part in house dedications, end-of-mission celebrations other special events in the local community. Welcomes feedback, and uses it: Participants provide constructive criticism to both the local affiliate and the GV program; results are shared with leaders and organizers at all levels to improve programs. |
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