Jim Clouser

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n estimated 42 percent of Kenyans live below the poverty line, and 50 percent of its citizens are unemployed. Many families live in inadequate, overcrowded homes, frequently with only one room and no windows. The government estimates that between 750,000 and 1.5 million families are in need of housing.

About HFH Kenya

Since its founding in 1982, Habitat for Humanity Kenya has served more than 5,000 families in more than 100 communities, and has partnered with 80 other groups to improve the lives of Kenyans. Habitat uses local resources to build houses, including timber, stone or stabilized soil bricks. Habitat Kenya also offers financial education for potential homeowners, a microfinance program that provides loans in phases to avoid creating too much debt for the homeowner, and houses designated for families displaced by violence.Please visit this page often, as we will post updates on the trip’s status, upload photos and video as we get them, and share with you our personal experiences as we work in partnership with the Kenyan families.

Thrivent and Habitat:

No matter who we are or where we come from, we all deserve to have a decent life. We deserve to feel strength and stability day after day. At Habitat for Humanity, this is what unites us. Through shelter, we empower. Building with Habitat for Humanity International is a profound experience for all involved. It’s not just sticks and blocks. It is tears and smiles, borne of hard work and faith.That’s why Thrivent Financial works with Habitat and it’s why we want to do more. Much more. Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity engages congregations, Thrivent members, Habitat affiliates, and individuals from across the United States and around the world to build hundreds of housing solutions per year for Habitat homeowners, directly reducing poverty housing around the world.Thrivent Financial’s mission as a membership organization of Christians is to guide people to be wise with money and live generously. Leading or participating in a Thrivent Builds Worldwide trip with Habitat is a prime way to put that mission in action.

About Thrivent Builds Worldwide:

The Thrivent Builds program combines the financial, volunteer, and advocacy resources of Thrivent Financial together with the affordable housing leadership of Habitat for Humanity. Thrivent Builds Worldwide teams are led by members of Thrivent Financial and build in communities both locally and around the world. To learn more, please visit www.thriventbuilds.com.

Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.

To join a team or learn more, visit www.habitat.org/gv.

About Habitat for Humanity International 

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.