Ten volunteers will travel to an impoverished country in Asia to build new homes for families living in overcrowded shacks.
The team from Tring and the surrounding villages have no previous building experience and will be working in soaring temperatures of around 40C.
Ranging from a Tring School student to a church reverend, the group is working with international char
ity, Habitat for Humanity which aims to improve housing across the world.
The volunteers are all members of Tring Team Parish which is made up of five churches in the area.
Computer engineer Barry Child is one of the volunteers who will be going to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan next month (August). He said: "It is planned to be a five year project rather than just a one off. We have got the first trip coming up and we are hoping to go again in a couple of years."
The country, which borders China and Kazakhstan, became independent in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, poverty is rife and overcrowding is a major problem - it is not unusual for three generations of the same family to be living in one room with no bathroom or running water.
Through the charity scheme these people will be given the opportunity to move into new homes built by volunteers. In return they will have to help build houses for other families and will pay back the cost of the materials used for their home over a period of time, much like a mortgage.
The Tring volunteers have to each raise £1,700 to pay for their travel and accommodation during the two week trip. Many have held their own fundraising activities but on Sunday (July 13) the group will host a barbecue at Bishop Wood School in Frogmore Street, Tring.
The event will run from 12noon to 3pm and tickets cost £3 for adults (children go free). For tickets call Mr Child on 01442 826092.
To find out more about how you can support the team call Revd Huw Bellis on 01442 851200 or Revd Martin Macdonald on 01442 384952.
The full article contains 356 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
