ETA Star has joined hands with 'Habitat for Humanity International' (HFHI), a US-based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to eliminating poverty housing, for its 'Homes for the Homeless' initiative.

UAE-based organisations Dubai Lifestyle City, Homes r Us and Star Cement will also partner with ETA Star to be part of the noble venture.

ETA Star and its partners will donate a percentage of their total sales during Ramadan towards building homes for the destitute in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ethiopia, said a company official.

As part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, ETA Star had started the 'Homes for the Homeless' initiative last year.

A contribution of Dh2 million ($544,477) was made at the end of the one-month campaign in 2007 to the Red Crescent Authority towards building houses for the needy.

Rapid population growth and urbanization has added to the urgency of the housing need. It is estimated that by 2030, cities and towns across Asia will be home to an estimated 2.6 billion people.

Almost as many – 2.2 billion – will be seeking to build better lives in difficult rural areas. The majority will be poor.

Commenting on the new initiative, Abid Junaid, ETA Star executive director, said, “We are pleased to be associated with HFHI to be able to make a contribution towards building homes for the homeless."

"In Habitat, we have found a proven organisation that provides the right synergy in our mission to provide homes for the deprived and underprivileged. We are happy that Dubai Lifestyle City, Homes r Us and Star Cement have joined us in our endeavour to provide assistance to the deprived," he added.

"Ramadan is considered the time for giving; helping the needy. There certainly would be no better way than to help provide shelters to those underprivileged for whom sky is the only roof they can call their own."

"We are in the business of real estate development and we have consciously made our mission to help the underprivileged to have a house of their own," Junaid said.

Rick Hathway, area vice president, Asia-Pacific region, HFHI, said  "It is an established fact that a decent home opens the door to improved health, better performance in school, greater economic opportunities, and increased community cohesion."

For more than 30 years, HFHI has been a catalyst for such transformations, often achieving great success by working with like-minded partners. We are pleased that ETA Star and its partners have come forward to help us make more such social transformations," he added.

Habitat for Humanity has built more than 250,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

Through volunteer labour and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families.

Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.-TradeArabia News Service