Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the cost to build a home?
The total cost to build one brand new home is $10,000.
By pledging your support at either $2,500 for half a home or $5,000 for a full home, your donation is matched to ensure a deserving family is provided for.
Why are we focusing on building homes when these people need so much more?
Families where there exists a disability, whether in the adult or a child are often exiled from their family and community. In many cases, caring for one with a disability requires full time care and supervision. As a result, there is limited ability to for families to find proper work and earn income.
The only option families have is to rent a house in their community however, they can barely be considered a house. They are structures made of mud and thatch and by all measures, unsafe. The walls are on the verge of collapsing at any moment and during the rainy season, families live in a very real fear of the house coming down on them. However, they have no other choice.
Providing a family living with disabilities is a cornerstone of support. It allows them to have dignity and more importantly regain hope.
In addition to the home, families will receive the proper medical care and support necessary to assist with the disability. Whether treatment is possible, Hope and Healing will work with the family to ensure access to doctors and medications. Where the disability is permanent, they will work with the family on a continuous basis to ensure the best possible quality of life.
Families will have the support of our partnership on their journey through their current state to self-sufficiency. We walk alongside our beneficiaries until they have the same access and opportunities as their able bodied neighbors.
Through partners such as Hope and Healing Canada that have multiple pillars of support, families have support and a partner to holistically to determine how best to meet their needs for access and opportunity to ongoing health care, education, micro-financing livelihoods, social engagement and empowerment.
It is also important to understand the poverty-disability cycle. Poverty and disability are inextricably linked. If you’re poor you’re 2Xs more likely to have a disability because of a lack of access to basic medical care. If you have a disability you’re 2Xs more likely to be poor because of a lack of access to support systems such as education, employment, medical care, clean water, shelter, etc. It’s a vicious cycle that sucks whole families into deeper and deeper suffering and need. There are 800 million people in the world who are trapped in the cycle of poverty and disability.
Why Africa?
Our vision is to support families in the poorest countries of the world. We’re focused on Africa at the moment based on a few factors. In what started as a pilot program and partnership across Homes4Hope, Hope and Healing and Habitat for Humanity, we identified communities where aid is required however, not served. From there, we looked to where we can extend existing and established infrastructure to go into new communities. We identified Fitche, Ethiopia as our inaugural project and have since been able to expand to Salima, Malawi.
How were the families selected to receive a home?
We rely on the great work from local community workers and village leaders. They have deep knowledge and awareness the members of the community and uniquely understand which families are in need of support. They identify families, and each family is reviewed by both Hope and Healing and Habitat. Families selected have been identified as having a disability, in desperate financial need and poor, unsafe living conditions. They are the forgotten ones in their communities with no other means to support.
Who is Hope and Healing?
Hope and Healing is the world’s largest development organization working specifically with the world’s most vulnerable people – those trapped in the cycle of poverty and disability. They reach over 45 million people annually with their work. Hope and Healing has been doing so for more than 100 years and is considered the leading expert on poverty, disability and development.
Who is Habitat for Humanity?
Habitat for Humanity is the world’s leading non-profit organization promoting home ownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty. Habitat is committed to mobilizing volunteers and community partners to build affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity Canada works with Habitat International, and together over 600,000 homes have been built worldwide providing safe and affordable shelter for over 3 million people.
Can I go to Africa to build a house?
Each year, Homes4Hope donors can make the trek to Africa to participate in a build project. This is a separate tax receiptable cost from the actual donation. Please email info@homes4hope.ca for additional details.
Do I get a tax receipt on my donation?
Yes. Donors are issued a tax receipt from Hope and Healing Canada as both charities are registered charities in Canada. The receipt will be sent to the name, address indicated on the donation.
Is there someone at Homes4Hope, Hope and Healing and/or Habitat that I can speak with?
Yes, we have representatives from all organizations who are more than happy to speak with you. Please email info@homes4hope.ca and we will direct you to the right resource.
How do I know that the money I give will be used to support those who need it most?
Homes4Hope is financially supported by its board thus ensuring donations go towards cause. Hope and Healing Canada and Habitat for Humanity is proud to report that they both receive A+ grade through audit and independent reports as a Canadian charity on an international stage.