Frequently Asked

Questions - Habitat Global Village Teams

 

 

 

Do I need to have any construction skills or experience? 

The short answer is "no"!.  In the case of a Global Village project, if you know what end of the hammer to hold, it could help.  But if you don’t, no worries!  There is always something for everyone to do, no matter their skill level or fitness level.  We will be working alongside skilled laborers from the community who will explain what needs to be done each day and how to do it.  All you really need is a willing attitude.  If you do have construction skills, that’s always helpful.  Keep in mind that the tools, equipment and building materials we use will most likely be below the quality we are used to at home.  And there are often not enough of the right tools that we need for everyone who needs them.  This is typically due to limited funding and even more limited availability. 

 

We also may be asked to use tools or construction methods that seem inefficient to us or different from what we are used to.  While you are definitely encouraged to share any ideas on how to improve the local processes – don’t be offended if they don’t use them.  This is most often due to availability or cost of tools, or it may be cultural differences in what they prefer to use. 

 

 

What is the typical team size and age of team members?  

Our teams range in size from 12 to 25 members, with an average of around 16.   Habitat also requires that participants be at least 16 years old at the time that the project starts.   There is no upper age limit and we have had many active, and awesome team participants well into their 60's and 70's - and we hope to see them joining us when they are in their 80's and 90's!

 

 

How much does it cost? 

The cost for a typical GV team usually averages around $2000- $2400 (with a non-refundable $350 deposit that is applied to this total cost.)  The team cost covers all of your expenses during the project dates –including food, transportation, travel insurance, accommodations, a substantial tax deductible donation and miscellaneous team activities.  Beverages with meals (other than water) and personal shopping expenses are NOT included. In addition, you are responsible for the cost of airfare, any required visas and any immunizations/medications recommended by your doctor. 

 

 

When do I have to pay? 

In order to secure your spot on a team, you must complete and application and provide a $350 non-refundable deposit.  The balance of your fees must be paid in full at least 45 days prior to departure.

 

 

Can I fundraise for these costs?  

Absolutely!  We can provide you with some great tools to help you fundraise, including the ability to set up your own fundraising web page.  However, airfare is not generally eligible as a charitable tax write off. Although you can certainly ask people to donate air miles.  And, even if one has the financial means to pay the entire cost, we still encourage team members to raise funds through donations, because when you do you are raising awareness for the work that Habitat does internationally, and possibly recruiting another team member.

 

 

How hard will we be working? 

Typically, we are at the job site from about 8:30 am to 4 pm, with breaks during the day.  Some jobs are strenuous and most are a bit messy.  We can expect to be doing a lot of manual work like digging, mixing mortar, carrying/laying bricks and block, as well as some less strenuous tasks.  You just need to pace yourself and only do what you can do.  You should never feel like you need to work harder than you are comfortable with or to try to keep up with anyone else.

 

You should also be prepared for periods of downtime at the job-site, when there just is not enough work to keep everyone busy.  This can be really frustrating for people, understandably, as they have travelled a long way and want to feel productive and useful.  Although the affiliate will try their best to have adequate work for us to do, downtime is not uncommon.  By knowing the likelihood that this will occur ahead of time, we hope that you will embrace this downtime, perhaps enhancing your cultural experience by engaging with locals in the community. 

 

You can also chose to clean tools or the worksite, play with the children that will inevitably be nearby, write in your journal, share stories with your team members, help with the cooking, take pictures and/or explore the neighborhood. 

 

And finally, you might be frustrated at times by some team members who may not appear to be working as hard as others.  We ask that you try and remember that part of being on a diverse team is that everyone will have a different fitness level and pace at which they work best.  

 

 

Will we meet the family we are helping? 

Hopefully they will be working side-by-side with us on the job site!  However, it is sometimes not possible for homeowners to be with us, as many have jobs and they cannot afford time away. Fortunately, with the local laborers that assist us, and often a ton of kids nearby, there will be plenty of opportunities for cultural interaction during the day.

 

With Habitat, we may be building  or repairing houses or we may be working on individual or community sanitation projects.  We won’t know for sure what our team will be assigned until just a few weeks before we go.  Whether we are building houses or wells or toilets, it is all essential to improving the livelihoods of those we are there to serve – so it is all good!

 

 

Where will we be staying? 

We generally stay in shared rooms (doubles or triples) in small, local hotels with western-style bathrooms.  The accommodations range from basic to better than expected, and anything we might give up in comfort will be repaid by a really cool cultural and team experience!

 

 

Will the food be safe? 

The local affiliate does its best to ensure that the food we eat is safe.  Most of our meals will be eaten where we stay and / or in local restaurants.  Lunches are typically cooked by local women on the job site or brought out from a restaurant.  And we will be drinking bottled water.  But it’s not uncommon for people with sensitive stomachs to have traveler’s diarrhea.  So we always recommend bringing something like Ciproflaxin and Imodium, just in case.

 

 

Do we all fly together? 

No, not generally, as we will be coming from multiple cities and some may be using miles.  However, everyone will be met at the airport by a local representative (unless you arrive on a date earlier than scheduled) and taken to the team hotel.