Ian Smith
My Story
Hi all,
I have been fortunate enough to be selected for the Miller Homes Global Village trip to Malawi in East Africa with Habitat for Humanity in April/May 2019.
Habitat for Humanity helps to provide decent homes for people around the world who are much less fortunate than me, many of whom live in poverty and who have no suitable shelter for themselves and their families.
I have been involved in the home building industry in the UK since 1992, for most of my working life.
This has involved providing homes mostly for people who do have access to financial resources and the ability to provide a decent home for their family.
I have felt challenged to do a bit more than simply turning up at my comfortable office every day or visiting one of our Miller Homes sites where we are providing homes for people who, like me, can afford them.
The trip to Malawi will take me outside of my comfort zone, to confront the reality of life for people who have scarce or no personal resources and who find it difficult to provide a basic decent home for their family.
As a husband and father, to provide a roof over the heads of my wife and children has been a basic expectation in my life and I have been blessed enough with opportunities to have a decent education and good jobs with reasonable earnings to allow me to provide comfortable homes for my family to enjoy where they could feel safe and protected.
Not everyone is so fortunate and I now want to contribute in my own small way to helping someone who needs help - to 'love thy neighbour' if you like.
As a Miller Homes team we are going to build basic homes for families in the settlement of Salima (in the east of Malawi) who are in real need of a proper shelter. We work for a home building company but many of us are not 'builders' in the recognised sense.
I have never worked on a building site although I have visited many. I've always been one of the 'softies' working in the office, so whatever tasks I am given to do in Malawi will not be 'normal' for me.
I am willing to play my part in the Miller Homes team and do whatever is asked of me.........I might just need a few brick laying lessons before I go!
Please think about supporting me in this goal - whatever amount you are able to donate, large or small, will be put to good use. You will be helping others in need.
Miller Homes is generously covering the cost of the trip for the team so all fund raising contributions to support individual team members will go direct to the charity to support the great work which they do.
Thank you and wish me luck!!
Ian.