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Largest Paper Brick House set world record for HFH
[July 14] SINGAPORE-- The world's largest display house made
of Tetra pack drink packets was raised in Singapore by the Build4Hope,
a Habitat for Humanity Project, to commemorate the completion of
the 1,500th tsunami relief huse in Meulaboh in Aceh, Indonesia.
Made of more than 45,500 Tetrapak drink packs, the houses were part
of Habitat for Humanity Singapore’s Build4Hope advocacy and fundraising
event. Build4Hope was also a curtain raiser for the completion of
the 1,500th house in Meulaboh town, along the northwestern coast
of Indonesia’s Sumatra island, under HFH Singapore’s tsunami recovery
project.
The frames and roofs for the houses, designed
to resemble the houses in Meulaboh, were put up at Vivocity’s open-air
plaza by volunteers from the Singapore Polytechnic. Each day, some
200 students who were on vacation worked in shifts to build the
houses’ walls with MARIGOLD drink packs, donated by Malaysia Dairy
Industries.
Measuring five by two and a half metres each,
the "houses" were carefully constructed from 45,528 empty drink
packets. The houses, each measuring five metres by 2.5 metres, resembled
those built for the tsunami victims in Meulaboh Aceh Indonesia.
First-time Habitat volunteer Tan Sheue Ying,
an 18-year-old student from Victoria Junior College, said: “The
event is a good idea – the ‘houses’ are big, visible and attract
attention.”
The completion of the Tetrapak houses was due
to the generosity of the public and business corporations who donated
S$2 (US$1.30) per “brick”. Many people also walked up to HFH Singapore’s
booth to drop tens and even hundreds of Singapore dollars into the
collection boxes. Those who made greater contributions also took
part in a donation draw with the air ticket prizes donated by Cathay
Pacific.
At Vivocity’s indoor atrium, HFH Singapore also
mounted a photo exhibition of its work in tsunami recovery projects
in Meulaboh as well as Habitat’s work around the Asia-Pacific region.
The vivid photos contrasted the grim reality of poverty housing
with the bright smiles of Habitat home partner families who were
assisted by HFH Singapore and its partner, the Singapore Red Cross.
Build4Hope was opened by Vivian Balakrishnan,
Singapore’s minister for community development, youth and sports.
Offering his congratulations to HFH Singapore and the Singapore
Red Cross, Balakrishnan said: “Singapore is proof that a tiny nation
can have a big heart. We are a society that not only takes care
of our own, but also those who live around us and beyond.”
He added that S$70 million of the more than $80 million
raised by the Singapore Red Cross’ Tidal Waves Asia Fund has been
committed to recovery work for tsunami relief. The people of Singapore
donated about S$14.3 million (nearly US$8.7 million) to the Singapore
Red Cross, which will pay four-fifths of the costs for Habitat tsunami
projects in western Aceh.
The event was closed by S. Dhanabalan, a former Singapore
minister and patron of HFH Singapore. HFH Singapore national director
Yong Teck Meng said: “Operationally, it has been a great success.
We received very good media coverage as well.”
Build4Hope was covered by Singapore’s major daily
newspapers in four languages as well as broadcast by local television
networks Channel News Asia and Channel 8, and radio station 93.8.
Links:
Habitat
For Humanity Singapore
Build4Hope.org
Source: Habitat for Humanity for World Record Academy
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