Jimmy Carter to visit housing volunteers

OYG volunteers build community housing in Oudong in July this year. PHOTO SUPPLIED

(POst by CAAI News Media)

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 15:00 OU MOM

Former US president Jimmy Carter is to visit young volunteers building houses for families relocating from the Stung Meanchey dump site, according to aid organisation Habitat for Humanity.

With the help of 300 local and international volunteers, Habitat hopes to build 21 houses in five days at Oudong for 21 families from the former municipal dump site. The work is part of the Habitat’s Mekong Build 2009 project that will take place on November 15-20.

The Outstanding Youth Group of Cambodia (OYG) are looking for young volunteers to take part.

“We will recruit about three or four volunteers in each school so that we can get a diversity of people to work together,” said OYG member Bun Ang.

Habitat resource development and communication officer Melissa Cronin said as well as the presidential visit, volunteers would engage in leadership and cultural exchange activities.

“The former US President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn will visit the Oudong build site in Cambodia after the build to view the houses and meet the families and the volunteers that worked so hard to build them,” Cronin said.

She said the first 10 readers of The Phnom Penh Post to contact Habitat may be eligible for a one-week volunteer sponsorship. To apply, contact Melissa Cronin on 092 763 257 or email mcronin@habitatcambodia.org and mention this article.

To be eligible, you must be Cambodian, aged 18-25, and willing to build houses in Oudong during the week of the project. No special skills are required.