KOICA supports 300,000USD to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Southeast Asia (English Version)

Translation of news release from local newspaper

Raksmei Kampuchea Daily Newspaper

Year 17, volume 5048, Sunday-Monday, October 15-16, 2009

Contact: 023 224605

KOICA supports 300,000USD to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project

in Southeast Asia

Phnom Penh: Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) donates 300,000 USD and dispatches 50 KOICA World Friends Korea (WFK) volunteers to join with former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter together with thousand of volunteers to support the 26^th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

The project that is facilitated by Habitat for Humanity will be implemented in Southeast Asia for 5 days from 16 to 20 November 2009 and will build and repair 175 houses. During the project, many volunteers will build houses in 5 countries along Mekong River: China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The event will launch Habitat’s five-year Mekong Build campaign to serve 50,000 families throughout the region.

According to news release of KOICA office in Phnom Penh, KOICA will donate 300,000 USD and dispatches 50 KOICA volunteers to join in this house building.  In addition to supporting the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, KOICA has worked to make simple and decent housing possible by sponsoring various Habitat for Humanity builds going on overseas over past 10 years.

According to organizer of Habitat for Humanity Cambodia, 21 decent and affordable houses will be built in Srah Pou village, Phnom Bat commune, Pulea Leu district, Kandal province, near Oudong Mountain, and will be handed over for free to 21 families who lived near Stung Meanchey dump site in Phnom Penh. These houses will be built by the hand of 400 volunteers who are international volunteers of Carter’s project, Khmer volunteers, mostly are university students, and Korea Overseas Volunteers.

Each year since 1984, the Carters have given one week of their time to build homes and raise awareness about the need for simple, decent and affordable housing.  The 2009 Carter Work Project will mark the fourth time the former U.S. president and his wife have built with Habitat for Humanity in Asia. Previous Carter Work Projects were held in India in 2006, in South Korea in 2001 and in the Philippines in 1999.