On September 01, 2013 a news reporter named Asupak of a very popular vernacular daily, the Malayala Manorama, visited the site of one of our homeowners (Wilson and family) and published an extensive write-up on the Trivandrum Fuller Center for Housing and the Global Builders Team led by Kat Williams. Since the article is in Malayalam, a translation is given under it.
2013 September 1
Sunday Malayala Manorama
16 Houses in the District alone;
6 under construction:
An
organization for the poor!
Interest-free loan to the land-owning homeless;
Repayable in 5 years!
Vembayam. The Trivandrum Fuller
Center for Housing, engaged in helping the poor to build their own homes, sets
an example by demonstrating that serving humanity does not become complete only
with financial help, but it should be supplemented by human labor as well.
The organization, which is a unity that helps the
low-wage-earners who are struggling to find a shelter to lay their heads under,
on return from their hard labour in the evening, is headquartered in
Thiruvananthapuram and is working in collaboration with the Fuller Center for
Housing, USA.
Houses have been built for 16 families in Trivandrum district
alone, and for four families in other districts. Six houses are under
construction now.
The organization provides interest-free loans for a house of
500-600 Sft, repayable in five
years, to those who have their own land, but are unable to build a shelter for
themselves since they are below the poverty line. The Center renders manual
labor as well, when possible.
As partner of an international organization, the Center
welcomes volunteers from different countries who are willing to render
free service. The arrival of a team from America to work on the house being
built for the family of Wilson at Kuttiyani was an exciting experience for the
local folk. Under Kat Williams' leadership, Lesylee
Hodge, Caroline Reynolds, Norman Neece, Kelly Green, Angie Baker, Michelle
Eiland, Brent Hamilton and Susan Wise arrived at Kuttiyani the other day. These
team members, who worked with the family from 9 AM to 5 PM, filled up the
foundation with earth, levelled the ground, fixed the doors etc. Earlier, they
had also gone to work for another applicant in the roof concrete work.
Team leader
Kat Williams said that while helping to build a home for a family, we also
establish personal bonds and mould a strong community, envisioning thereby an
excellent society. The Trust, chaired by Advocate T H Lawrence, is composed of
Father Mathew Thundathil, K Johnson, B Beddyson, Abraham P Mathew, N Vijayan and
Sr Erasma who are leading the activities in India.
According
to Chairman Adv T H Lawrence the Center has received many applications on the
basis of information shared by the existing homeowners and such applications are
considered for the assistance only after detailed verification, and loans are
sanctioned to those below the poverty line for completing their unfinished
houses as well as for building their new houses.
Footnote
of the picture: The members of the American team and the Trivandrum
Fuller Center for Housing are engaged in the construction work of a house at
Kuttiyani.
