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HABITAT for Humanity Guyana Inc. is currently operating with a new programme model, which is based on a diversification of its guiding intervention principles and which is yielding good results for beneficiaries to date. Habitat for Humanity Guyana Inc. is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting adequate housing for marginalised families by partnering with communities, the private sector, the Government of Guyana, civil society and families.
A media release from the organisation disclosed that from 1995 up to recently, the non-profit organisation had been a direct provider of affordable, self-help housing development.
During that period, the organisation had also facilitated knowledge and technology transfer to enhance housing and livelihood development amongst partnering families, though its concrete block making factory, the provision of courses on financial literacy, disaster risk reduction and housing quality standards.
It was recently, however, that the organisation decided that a market development orientation, guided by the Participatory Market System Development (PMSD) approach would, in addition, best enable the organisation to respond to changing dynamics in the local housing sector which has significantly evolved since 1997.
Habitat’s new programme model is underscored by four key market development principles that determine the organisation’s primary intervention functions, namely: facilitate, stimulate, educate, and inform.
In addition to being a group of action-oriented principles, they enable Habitat for Humanity Guyana to respond to different needs based on clearly defined needs and objectives, the organisation disclosed.
“More importantly, the principles ensure that our partners are at the centre of the intervention working in partnership with other actors to produce the desired change,” the NGO recently disclosed.
Along with this diversification of guiding intervention principles, the organisation’s services and programme areas have also evolved.
Recently introduced programme areas include: community and housing development – focusing on underserved populations such as persons with disabilities, informal land occupants and indigenous communities; secure tenure for the most vulnerable; disaster risk reduction –training, mobilization and planning with a focus on youth engagement and social action and awareness through volunteerism.
Each programme area is being operationalised with the establishment of a Habitat Volunteer Programme, regional and community-driven Habitat Resource Centres, and establishing partnerships in a way that connects, ideas, people and resources to create shared value.
Habitat for Humanity said that piloting this new approach has already produced some results worth building on.
Examples include the completion of Habitat’s first indigenous housing project in partnership with volunteer members of Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), Guyana and the village of Nappi, in Region 9 (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu); partnership with the Ministry of Human Services to complete a disability friendly home; the Habitat for Humanity Guyana and Scotia Bank Guyana Build-a-home project; and the Beharry Group of Companies housing pilot programme.
A media release from the organisation disclosed that from 1995 up to recently, the non-profit organisation had been a direct provider of affordable, self-help housing development.
During that period, the organisation had also facilitated knowledge and technology transfer to enhance housing and livelihood development amongst partnering families, though its concrete block making factory, the provision of courses on financial literacy, disaster risk reduction and housing quality standards.
It was recently, however, that the organisation decided that a market development orientation, guided by the Participatory Market System Development (PMSD) approach would, in addition, best enable the organisation to respond to changing dynamics in the local housing sector which has significantly evolved since 1997.
Habitat’s new programme model is underscored by four key market development principles that determine the organisation’s primary intervention functions, namely: facilitate, stimulate, educate, and inform.
In addition to being a group of action-oriented principles, they enable Habitat for Humanity Guyana to respond to different needs based on clearly defined needs and objectives, the organisation disclosed.
“More importantly, the principles ensure that our partners are at the centre of the intervention working in partnership with other actors to produce the desired change,” the NGO recently disclosed.
Along with this diversification of guiding intervention principles, the organisation’s services and programme areas have also evolved.
Recently introduced programme areas include: community and housing development – focusing on underserved populations such as persons with disabilities, informal land occupants and indigenous communities; secure tenure for the most vulnerable; disaster risk reduction –training, mobilization and planning with a focus on youth engagement and social action and awareness through volunteerism.
Each programme area is being operationalised with the establishment of a Habitat Volunteer Programme, regional and community-driven Habitat Resource Centres, and establishing partnerships in a way that connects, ideas, people and resources to create shared value.
Habitat for Humanity said that piloting this new approach has already produced some results worth building on.
Examples include the completion of Habitat’s first indigenous housing project in partnership with volunteer members of Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), Guyana and the village of Nappi, in Region 9 (Upper Essequibo/Upper Takutu); partnership with the Ministry of Human Services to complete a disability friendly home; the Habitat for Humanity Guyana and Scotia Bank Guyana Build-a-home project; and the Beharry Group of Companies housing pilot programme.
