Our partnership with Habitat began in 2008 when we funded Habitat’s Orphans and Vulnerable Children project in Uganda, Mozambique, and Zambia. This initial investment was the beginning of a rich history of working together, driven by Habitat’s motto of ‘a hand up, not a hand-out’ which strongly aligns with our own values. Habitat believes that a safe place to call home is the catalyst to getting people out of poverty and over the years our projects have had this goal at the core.
Our microfinance loan programme enabled families in Uganda to access small loans to build or improve their homes incrementally and the more recent Empty Spaces to Homes programme in the UK aims to reduce homelessness by utilising unused buildings and office space. The projects often have an impact on the larger communities, where the current Urban Slum Upgrade Project will help over 15,000 individuals with improved housing and communal facilities. Our support has also extended to some disaster relief where necessary, following an earthquake in Haiti and hospital treatment in India following the effects of Covid.
Outside the projects the Foundation and COINS staff have also volunteered their time and energy into the partnership and Habitat’s projects. Dating back to 2008, teams have participated in fundraising events, local builds, and team builds, more recently in India and Honduras. Furthermore, we have also supported Habitat via:
- Organisational and operational support
- Relationship development – utilising COINS’ contacts and networking opportunities to create further partnerships in the construction and housebuilding sector.
- Provision of office space, helping Habitat to minimize operational costs and therefore increase their financial resources that can be used within their projects.
- Capturing video content around their projects.
To see the full playlist of Habitat videos and find out more about the projects, please see their playlist here.
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