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Habitat For Humanity Wins At The World Bank Development Marketplace

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  • Habitat For Humanity Wins At The World Bank Development Marketplace

    HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WINS AT THE WORLD BANK DEVELOPMENT MARKETPLACE

    Source: Habitat for Humanity International
    Reuters, UK
    May 10 2006

    BUDAPEST, Hungary (May 10) ? Habitat for Humanity Kyrgyzstan?s
    innovative Cane Reed project is one of the thirty winners at
    the prestigious World Bank Development Marketplace competition
    in Washington DC. The winners were announced Tuesday and Nurlan
    Moldosherip and Natalie Grant of Habitat for Humanity received the
    award from World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz.

    Habitat had two programs at ?Innovations in Water, Sanitation and
    Energy Services for Poor People? this week at the World Bank HQs in
    Washington, D.C. Habitat is among 118 finalists, chosen from 2,500
    applicants from 55 countries worldwide.

    Habitat qualified for Armenia?s ?Harnessing the Sun: Energy for the
    Armenian Poor?; and for Kyrgyzstan?s ?Cane Reed: 19th Century Idea,
    21st Century Solution?. Habitat Kyrgyzstan will now receive US$116,389
    from the World Bank to further fund the project.

    ?To place in this prestigious competition is quite an achievement for
    these local initiatives, and for Kyrgzstan to win is fantastic. The
    Armenian and Kyrgyz leadership and innovation of these sustainable,
    innovative projects can only enhance our mission to provide simple,
    decent, affordable homes for families in need,? said Don Haszczyn,
    Area Vice President for Habitat for Humanity?s Europe and Central
    Asia Regional Office.

    In Kyrgyzstan, where 70% of the population lives in poverty,
    innovative solutions to poverty housing are needed, so Habitat has
    combed the past, and harnessed the cane reed and clay technology used
    in the 19th century but forgotten in the 20th. These environmentally
    friendly materials keep house costs down 40%, and also serve as better
    insulators against harsh Kyrgyz winters. Habitat has coupled this
    technology with an underfloor heating system, which keeps heating
    costs down further, saving a family $60 per month in energy costs:
    that equates to 490 loaves of bread, or 20 kilos of meat, or 160
    liters of milk.

    In Armenia, where 45% of the population lives in poverty, oftentimes,
    unhealthy and dangerous forms of water heating are used, which can
    lead to illness, indoor pollution and illness, accidents and fire. To
    address these issues, Habitat for Humanity has harnessed the power
    of Armenia?s average of 300 sunny days per year, and teamed up with
    a local company to install solar panels for water heating. There is
    potential to scale this project to 10,000 homes. Solar energy saves
    a family approximately $252 per year, which could buy: 740 loaves of
    bread, 222 kilos of tomatoes, or 55.5 kilos of meat.

    Since being established in 1999, Habitat for Humanity Kyrgyzstan
    has dedicated more than 130 homes for families in need. Habitat for
    Humanity Armenia has housed more than 1,000 people in need since 2000.

    [ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and
    not of Reuters. ]
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