ETA Star helps build homes for 4000 families as part of its 'Home for the Homeless' initiative

The houses are in various stages of construction in Ethiopia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

ETA Star and its partners, Dubai Lifestyle City, Homes r Us and Star Cement, have partnered with the Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), a not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Georgia, USA, dedicated to eliminating poverty housing, for its Homes for the Homeless initiative.

The Homes for the Homeless initiative, started in the holy month of Ramadan in 2007, aims to provide shelter for the impoverished. In the first year of the programme, ETA Star and its partners donated a percentage of their total sales raised during the Holy month of Ramadan towards the noble initiative.

In 2008, the partners made a contribution of Dhs2m to Habitat for Humanity International at an impressive fund raising event held in Dubai which was graced by Indian actor John Abraham, who is also the goodwill ambassador for Habitat of Humanity.

Ms. Thamina Begum, an Indian national living in Mumbai, a beneficiary of the programme, said, "Owning a two-room house was beyond our reach. It was a dream. Today, the dream is becoming a reality, thanks to the Homes for Homeless programme. It is difficult for me to state how happy we are."

"Before this house was constructed, I had sleepless nights especially when it rained, I had to wake up in the middle of the night to clean the house and remove the stagnant water from the room so that we could sleep well. There was also the fear of fire, since the roof was only of plastic sheet. But now, I am comfortable as we now have a secure house," said Rahima, a 32 year old mother.

Commenting on the Habitat for Humanity initiative with HFHI, Mr. Abid Junaid, Executive Director, ETA Star Properties, said,

"Our partnership with HFHI is an extension of their on-going efforts to provide security, increased health and quality of life to vulnerable families made homeless either by the socio economic conditions or by natural disasters. We are very proud of our association. It give in immense pleasure to see our efforts being fruitful and thus helping at least some of the homeless realize their dream of having a roof over their heads."

The project implementation in all the countries commenced in 2009 and is expected to be completed in November 2009.

Habitat for Humanity has built more than 250,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1m people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, and affordable shelter. Through volunteer labour and donations of money and materials,

Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.

Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labour — sweat equity — into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. Some of Habitat's

star volunteers include former US President Jimmy Carter, musician Jon Bon Jovi and actors Brad Pitt and John Abraham.