Page 2163 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 May 2009
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volunteers and the eventual residents and neighbours. The houses are of bright colours and include provision for electricity and water. The cost of the homes is paid back in part by those who live in them through what is known as sweat equity: they help build the houses of others. The organisation has a bold target of 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years. This is a bold task but one that it can meet.
However, the project is more than that. It is about building communities that are sustainable in every way. Gawad Kalinga has an education program that ensures children receive a preschool, primary and vocational education. The livelihood program helps use the land to farm produce for the benefit of the community. Volunteers for Gawad Kalinga monitor the health of everyone in a village and ensure that every family member understands nutrition and hygiene.
In addition to literally building bridges, the organisation bridges the divisions separating communities: from people divided by faith to a cohesive and supportive community; from homelessness to shelter; from no hope to education and opportunity. Tony firmly believes in the concept of mutual obligation, that everything is a two-way street. Rather than the conventional model of charity, Tony believes in fostering partnerships, partnerships between donors, residents, builders, corporations, volunteers—anyone.
Travelling with Tony is John Roberts, President of the Heal the World organisation. The organisation is helping those in disadvantaged situations by providing the necessary tools to further their own development. Heal the World is a partner organisation of Gawad Kalinga. The model has been so successful it has been expanded to other countries, and funds raised in Australia have recently been used to help construct a village in Papua New Guinea.
I am grateful for the opportunity I had to meet Tony and John and to learn about their initiatives. It shows once again how individual enterprise and charity can help communities achieve significant and successful outcomes. It demonstrates that government does not always know best and that when it works with local communities through consultation and engagement it can achieve tangible results for the benefit of local communities.
I would also like to say a special thankyou to George Lemon and his colleagues from the Canberra committee. They are part of GK ANCOP, an Australian non-profit organisation that raises funds for Gawad Kalinga projects. They were the driver behind recent events which raised significant funds for the organisation. Their selfless commitment to the organisation means more and more underprivileged families can move out of the slums and into housing, have an education, work for a livelihood and, most importantly, receive care.
The Assembly adjourned at 7 pm until Monday, 11 May 2009, at 10 am.
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