Home Repair-Building Project
We are very excited to announce the launch of a home repair/building project in Gandou. We are hoping to rebuild or repair thirty-three damaged homes in our sister parish. Please help us reach our goal of $100,000 and give families in Gandou a lasting gift and hope for the future.
Need: Last fall, Hurricane Matthew damaged many homes in our sister parish. Additionally, the earthquake in 2010 damaged nearly one-third of the homes in the community. Many of these families have been unable to repair or rebuild their homes. Many families have been living in shelters that cannot keep the rain out. Following the earthquake, the UN built shelter-homes for 200 families in the area. These one-room homes were made from plywood and were never intended to serve as permanent shelters. Because they could not afford anything else, most of the families who received these shelters are still living in them. The wood has begun to rot and the shelters are no longer weather resistant.
Project: Fr. Voltaire worked with a community committee this fall to identify 33 families in dire need of home repairs or rebuilds. These families were identified by the committee as the poorest in the community with no means to repair their homes on their own. The average number of persons living in each of these homes is six.
Cost: The total cost to repair 26 homes and build 7 homes is $100,000. The simple two-room, new homes will each cost $6,000. The repairs range from $1500-$4000 each. The repairs include things such as new roofs and rebuilding outside walls.
Timeline: The initial fundraiser phase will be now through the end of the year. We have a matching gift for any donations received between now and the end of the year, up to a total match of $20,000. Donations will continue to be accepted until the project is finished. Initial construction will begin after the new year. Depending on how many of the 33 homes repairs/rebuilds we are able to fund, the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.