Omagh student to construct shelter in Ehiopia

Dearbhla McGuigan who will take time out from her summer break at University to help construct shelter for the underprivileged in Ethiopia.

A CIVIL engineering student from Omagh is prepared to get her hands dirty during her summer break to build new shelter for beleaguered people in Ethiopia.

Dearbhla McGuigan will join eight other students across the north on the trip to the deprived area of Addis Ababa for ten days next month with the Habitat for Humanity charity.

Habitat for Humanity has been working across the globe since 1976 to help people in need access simple, decent and affordable shelter.

To date 6.8 million people globally have been served through access to improved housing.

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The 22-year-old Queens University student has set up a Facebook site to accept donations for the adventure. She emphasised that the group of volunteers have paid for the cost of their own travel.

She explained, “I saw the work that the charity does on a website and applied as a volunteer and was accepted. They build homes and shelters for the homeless and we will be involved in a slum upgrading in Ethiopia.

“Habitat for Humanity sources building suppliers and get the plans on how the buildings need to be built. We have team leaders directing us on how to follow their standards. I enjoy helping people and this is  project I have been keen to join. I have been involved with St Vincent de Paul locally. It is very fulfilling to see the outcome of good work and how it can add to people’s lives and bring them together.”

Every day, Habitat for Humanity works beside families to build, renovate or repair their homes in 70 countries around the world. It advocates to improve access to affordable shelter and support funding models that enable families with limited resources make vital improvements to their homes.

Here in the North it brings people together from across the community to serve the most vulnerable and raises funds to support long-term partner programmes in some of our world’s poorest communities.

Dearbhla and her fellow volunteers will be travelling as part of the Global Volunteering Team to help transform the lives of the most vulnerable through decent shelter.

She is looking forward to the challenge of doing construction work before returning to university for her final year.
To donate visit her Facebook site: https://habitatniethopia2016.everydayhero.com/uk/dearbhla-mcguigan. Read from the source