Mormons donate $1.5m in equipment to local NGO (with CNC3 video)

Providing houses and restoration work for needy citizens are part of the mandate of NGO Habitat For Humanity which, for the first time in its 15 years of operations in T&T, has US$250,000 worth of equipment to assist 2500 people.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) made the donation at Habitat For Humanity’s office in El Socorro, yesterday. The equipment includes generators, compressors, cement mixers, wheelbarrows, circular saws, drills and scaffolds.  

Emrol Gould of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explained: “The mission is to help humanity to help people through service. “It has been found that children do better in school if they have a home. The society would be a better place if there is a sense of hope. We are glad to be able to make a contribution and cement that relationship with Habitat For Humanity. Homes and families are important to God. The home is a place of refuge and sanctuary.”

Jennifer Massiah, national director of Habitat for Humanity, spoke about the need to tackle T&T’s huge housing deficit. “The Minister of Housing said 159,000 people are awaiting houses. Think about the undocumented stats. That’s a huge amount in the context of the population. We are lending a helping hand to governments across the world. We are making a dent into poverty, housing and homelessness. We are hoping to ramp it up to 500 in five years.” 

Massiah said the NGO has been able to get volunteers to donate “sweat equity,” and write cheques. “For the first time in 15 years, Habitat for Humanity has its own equipment. We are excited about this partnership with the Church of the Latter-Day Saints.”  

At the handing over ceremony were Habitat for Humanity volunteer Seeta Sahatoo and Latter Day volunteers Marsha and Val Cook. The Cooks are from Utah in the United States but live in Suriname and have been doing humanitarian work in the region.

Local NGO and Church form partnership to provide housing