As our three year strategic plan comes to an end we reflect on the many achievements that have helped our communities both in Australia and overseas.
In Australia we achieved the accreditation of Community Housing Provider allowing us to serve and house those that need our help in the light of the current housing crisis. We are proud that this year in partnership with DV West we finished the construction of a 9 bedroom Domestic Violence (DV) refuge that will provide a safe haven for 1,000 aboriginal women and children over the next 15 years. We are grateful to continue to do this work with the building of a second, even bigger, centre. We also launched our Subsidized Affordable Rental Program (SHARP) which thanks to the generosity of our partners is providing stable accommodation to women and children, who after spending time in transitional DV centres are ready to rebuild their lives.
Habitat Women, our social enterprise continues to grow. We have now graduated a total of 65 women since the start of the program, a large number of which are being hired by Habitat for Humanity Australia to assist with the repair and maintenance of Domestic Violence and Community Housing, providing a more welcoming environment to those that need it most.
Our Bushfire Program has unfortunately come to an end, but we are proud to say that during the last 2 years we helped over 300 property owners—many of whom are elderly and socially isolated—rebuild, recover and prepare their properties. Not only did we provide practical assistance, but we also gave them much needed emotional support and connection.
Overseas we continue to help many communities in need, not only through housing but assisting them to address the challenges that a changing climate is bringing. We continue to support our partners to deliver high impact programs in Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Fiji and given the growing needs in the Pacific we are now also working in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, both with the government and at a local level with communities.
Our volunteers as always are a key pillar to what we do both in Australia through our Brush with Kindness program and overseas, with Global Village. This year, as travel resumed, we were encouraged to see such a high interest from volunteers in helping communities overseas.
On a personal note, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to build a house for a family of 4 orphans in Cambodia. The experience was life-changing, both for myself and for the family we worked alongside.
Every accomplishment we have achieved is a testament to the passion and commitment of our donors, volunteers, Board, staff and the communities we work with. It is the belief that together, we can create a better world. I am deeply grateful to each of you, and I can’t wait to see what we will achieve next.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Nicole Stanmore
Our Key Impact Figures for 2024:
- 11,868 lives transformed through housing, water, sanitation, and disaster resilience programs.
- 2,267 volunteers mobilized across Australia and the Asia-Pacific.
- 300 elderly and vulnerable individuals assisted through bushfire preparedness.
- 32 women graduated from the Habitat Women program.
- Over 136 activity days conducted within our Brush with Kindness program.
