For us at Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka, this day was an opportunity to reach out to more Sri Lankans in several different ways. Activities that were organized were not only conducted on the 1^st of October but extending throughout the week, including the weekend before and after.

We had a unique chance to partner with Sri Lanka Unites - a youth movement for hope and reconciliation, and involved 3 schools to participate in builds across the country. On the 29^th of September, 2012, Methodist Girls College Colombo went to assist a family in Minnuwangoda, Gampaha District. 10 girls and 2 teachers worked on Ranjith & Sheela Fernando’s house the entire day. Sheela works at Brandix, who sponsored the construction of a decent house for them. The family has been in dire need, as Ranjith is paralyzed from the waist down and they currently live with their two children Dilini 14 and Iroshan 12 in a makeshift shack that has polythene film sheets for walls. Sheela said “Habitat and Brandix are God sent. My children will soon have a safe and dry place to study in the evenings and can do well in school. I am extremely happy and grateful”. Basilica School in Gampaha also participated in builds around their vicinity during the week & the Overseas School of Colombo built in Galle.

Otara Gunawardene - the owner of ODEL, is the Goodwill Ambassador of Habitat for Humanity Sri Lanka. She joined habitat on this day in advocating for decent housing and released a statement. She also invited the staff of HFHSL to have a stall at the ODEL mega department store to raise awareness. This stall not only displayed Habitat Activities in videos, attractive pennants and brochures; but also displayed Otara’s World Habitat Day Message and our Solar Cooker in action. ODEL customers could taste the food cooked by solar power as well as judge for themselves the reality of our Soil Blocks.

The positive response that Habitat received from many ODEL customers was contagious bringing more and more people to inquire about our activities and their participation. An immediate response included a "Dipped Products PLC" employee who noticed that Habitat GV-volunteers to Sri Lanka were using DPL gloves and our logo “Hands for Humanity” contained them. DPL and Habitat are now seeking to partner on various projects.

Getting International Volunteers involved physically by providing hands on assistance is something quite unique to habitat and the same week saw volunteers from Shanghai American School, China, volunteering in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. The home-owners together with HFHSL staff also organized a religious service in a Buddhist Temple on the 3^rd of October in view of World Habitat Day.

To finish-off the exciting week, the Leo Club Negombo donated and planted 24 budded mango trees in Pattayamwate Village, Negombo. These 24 houses had been built in August 2012 by Habitat, for the Rebuild Sri Lanka 2012 program. The tree planting occasion was graced with the presence of Lakshan Madurasinghe a Habitat board member, 5 Leos and 2 Lions.