Fox Cities Habitat Heads to Vietnam
Fox Cities Habitat Heads to Vietnam
Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity has helped nearly 400 local families build and purchase a place to call home through our Homebuyer program. But our mission extends beyond the Fox Cities because the need for safe, affordable housing knows no borders.
Since 1994, Fox Cities Habitat has supported Habitat’s work around the world through our Tithe Program, donating 10% of unrestricted funds to international Habitat partners. Together, our community has contributed more than $1 million, helping serve more than 250 families in Mexico, Guatemala, Zambia, Vietnam and Trinidad & Tobago.
Our global impact also goes beyond financial support. Through Global Village trips, Habitat staff, volunteers and community members travel abroad to build alongside local homeowners, while learning from the people and communities they meet along the way.
Building Alongside a Family in Vietnam
This August, a group from Fox Cities Habitat traveled to Vietnam, where they experienced firsthand a simple but powerful reminder: while our communities and cultures may look different, the need for a safe place to call home connects us all.
One of the volunteers on this trip was Sophia, a senior in college studying Global Health and the daughter of Amy, Fox Cities Habitat VP of Philanthropy and Donor Relations. For Sophia, traveling to Vietnam offered a unique opportunity to see the connection between housing and health firsthand. Before leaving, she knew she wanted the trip to give her something she couldn’t bring home in a suitcase, perspective.
Below is Sophia’s perspective from her trip to Vietnam:
As a college student studying public health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I have spent countless hours examining the ways health and housing are deeply intertwined. This August I was able to see the impacts of substandard housing on health and well-being firsthand, as I joined Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village Build in Vietnam, one of Habitat Fox Cities’ partners in the tithe program. A team of over 100 volunteers came together to build 9 homes in Quế Sơn and Quế Sơn Trung regions. These homes fostered stability and economic mobility for 16 families between the two regions, in one of the most disaster-prone areas of Vietnam.
Because of Quế Sơn and Quế Sơn Trung’s proximity to the coast and seasonal weather, housing must stand against heavy flooding and typhoons. Many poor and near-poor families in the region also experience limited access to safe water, proper drainage, and sanitation, all of which weigh on mental and physical health.
The Home Design
The family we had the privilege of working with while in Vietnam was living in a house built in 1990. It was a brick house with tarps for walls in some areas, and the family was growing increasingly worried it would not stand through the next few storms. In addition to any danger their failing home would cause to their physical health and economic stability, it was posing them a significant mental burden to feel that things could fall apart at any moment.
Despite these hardships, on the first day of the build I was met with the most joyous, hardworking, and hopeful couple. The son and daughter-in-law of the household were able to show us throughout the week the kind of people they are through actions, laughs, and smiles, as we all only knew a few words in each other’s language. As our group leader stated on the first day, we started the build as strangers but would end as friends and family, and I don’t think any of us knew how true that would become.
On day one, we had a strong introduction to the weather of the week, 98 degrees and humid, as we filled the foundation of the house. We shoveled and tamped down dirt as we got to know each other, and by lunchtime we had many laughs, stories, and a few blisters. By day two, we were laying brick, which ended up being a significant portion of the rest of our days. The son of the household was a mason and was endlessly patient with us as he taught us to lay brick through only demonstration and a thumbs up or a “no, no, no!” I came into this build event knowing I would not know the best way to operate within this culture, so like any type of international service, it was hugely beneficial to have strong local guidance. The homeowner, in addition to Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, was able to give our efforts maximum impact and direction, and it was a blessing to be led by the person who would live in our work long after we are gone.
Unsurprisingly, immense construction progress was probably not the most impactful thing we offered as volunteers. We worked hard, don’t get me wrong, but we were no match for the homeowner’s 30+ years of experience. He basically laid bricks in circles around us! What we did offer was community and support, which we received back twofold from the family. One of my favorite things to leave a trip with is new relationships and perspectives, and it’s safe to say that this experience delivered. Having never been to Asia, I was very excited to venture further than I ever had, in distance and cultural difference. I learned what it was like to walk into the cross traffic of a main road and maintain a constant speed so that cars and scooters would move around me. I learned why people in Vietnam wear long sleeves and pants despite the heat. I learned what that feels like (hot!) and through everyday things, I was reminded that the world is so big and vast and different. As I made relationships with the homeowners throughout the week,
Biggest Takeaway
I was reminded that at our core we are all the same. We all want the best for our family and ourselves, we want to be healthy and happy, and we all deserve safe, stable housing.
The homeowner showed her kindness through hugs every day, the brightest smile, and the jokes she cracked through hand motions alone. She was impressively able to move us to tears at the end of the week with a speech spoken entirely in Vietnamese. We created a community with our partners in Vietnam that transcends language.
The people in Quế Sơn and Quế Sơn Trung live in housing conditions I have heard of and seen pictured plenty of times in the past, but I couldn’t seem to grasp the gravity of before spending time learning the stories of the families that live in them. Although I feel I got more out of this experience than homeowners did, I hope that they feel uplifted by their community in Wisconsin, and I hope their new home at the very least brings them peace of mind as they enter the next rainy season.
A Foundation for Something More
At the closing ceremony, the national director of Habitat Vietnam shared with us that there is a saying in Vietnamese that translates to “settle down and thrive.” Housing is the foundation for a strong community and nation, and before this basic need is met, it becomes difficult to thrive in other aspects of life. Safe housing gives families an economic foothold, protects mental and physical health, gives children a safe place to do homework, and families a safe place to grow relationships.”
Sophia’s message transcends borders. Whether we are raising walls in the Fox Cities or laying bricks on a home that’s an ocean away, the foundation of Habitat for Humanity’s work remains the same.
Everyone deserves a safe, decent place to call home.
And when we work alongside one another, listen to one another and recognize what connects us, we aren’t just building stronger homes. We’re building a stronger, more connected world.