A few months ago, I wrote a report on Habitat for Humanity, a volunteer group dedicated to providing proper shelter for the poor and needy in countries all over the world. This winter, I participated in another one of their volunteer programs. By taking part in this meaningful activity, I not only had the chance to build a house, but learned that the group actually contributed to saving the environment in some ways.

           First of all, the project was much more complicated than other usual ones. Unlike other projects which just ?repair? a part of a house, this project actually constructed a house from the very beginning. We started by taking down a house that was near to collapsing. It was a built about 50 years ago, in a mix of both traditional and modern architectural methods. The problem was that the tenant was not affluent enough to repair the house, so it was a risky mix of add-ons and saggy ceiling.

The other problem was that there wasn?t a proper bathroom facility, which was not only a hindrance but also a possible pollutant of the groundwater near the house. After taking the house down, I took part in improving the groundwork. I participated in digging the ground out for the proper installation of sewage pipes, which would solve the problem of water pollution.

It took about a whole day to just finish the digging, but I felt proud at the fact that I had done something not only for the needy, but for the prevention of possible groundwater pollution. Although I did not take part in other parts of the volunteer project, I later learned that new home was also furbished with solar panels for cheaper supply of electricity.

It was quite interesting that we could save the environment in some ways just by providing proper shelter for those in need.