'Generation Now' gets chance to give hope

MANILA, Philippines - Fairy Malong, 24, took up Civil Engineering specifically to work for Habitat for Humanity. Why? Because 12 years ago, Habitat gave her a new home, a new hope.

In 2000, when Malong was 12, her family received a home from the Habitat Global Build in Quezon City. Up to this day, Fairy, her parents and four siblings live in that home. And now, Habitat for Humanity Project Engineer Fairy Malong works to pay it forward.

The Habitat experience built her character, she says.

She recalls that when she was younger, around 11 years old, when she saw their home being built, she would meet and speak with the volunteers — some Filipinos, some foreigners — who would come to build their homes and sometimes live with them in the process of immersion. She would just take peeks, wondering what they’re doing. “But when you see people giving to you, helping you even if they don’t know you, you grow up to be giving and helpful too.”

Tomorrow, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2000 student volunteers will converge to build homes for 200 more families who lost their homes when typhoons Pedring and Sendong hit Navotas and Cagayan de Oro. These families have lived in tents and evacuation centers for months and years, and Habitat wants to help.

Called the Habitat Youth Build 2012, the unprecedented action is actually Asia Pacific-wide with simultaneous builds happening in Thailand, India, Indonesia, China and the Philippines led involving 5,000 youth members in helping 500 families.

The Filipino youth are invited to join Fernando Zobel de Ayala, the Habitat Youth Council and Generation Now build cities, build the Philippines starting with the Habitat Youth Build on Saturday, May 12, 2012.

And there, they will see Fairy Malong, helping them build homes.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.habitatyouthbuild.org/philippines or email [email protected] .ph or call +632 846-2177. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/habitatphilippines and Twitter at @habitatphils #HabitatYouthBuild.