Jet Li Joins 4,000 Volunteers in Building Safer Homes in Asia

Martial arts superstar, Jet Li (李连杰), has been an active philanthropist in recent years.  Born in humble beginnings in Beijing, China, Jet experienced financial struggles firsthand in his childhood.  Aside from lending financial support, Jet often worked alongside volunteers to benefit charitable causes. On May 12, 2012, Jet Li will participate in a Habitat for Humanity Youth BUILD event, joining 4,000 volunteers to build safe homes for up to 500 families in China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand.

Despite his international success as an actor, Jet Li was often described as a compassionate man who never forgot his humble roots.  Jet Li stated, “I believe everyone should have a place to call home. A healthy and stable living environment in which we can nurture our children.  In Asia, there are 500 million people living in slums that are vulnerable to disasters. To me, home is a place on earth which is filled with love.”

Despite China’s rapidly growing economy, there were many rural areas that were in dire need of improved housing conditions, lacking modern sanitary, plumbing, and sewage amentities. Many local families cannot afford to build safer housing despite existing government subsidies. Habitat for Humanity Youth BUILD has stepped in to provide the dire need for safer housing and give families a greater peace of mind.

On May 12^th, Jet Li will be in Shuiweidong, an impoverished village in Guangdong, China, transforming 110 mud homes into safe homes for local residents.  Many families currently reside in primitive mud dwellings, sharing the space with their livestock in their homes. The mud homes are unsafe and prone to flooding caused by typhoons.  Jet Li will be laying bricks and mixing cement alongside thousands of volunteers, creating more structurally sound homes with improved sanitary conditions.

The May 12^th  Habitat for Humanity Youth BUILD multi-country event marked the culmination of a five-month effort to raise awareness and funds to help establish safe housing for impoverished families in the Asia-Pacific region.  In Thailand, volunteers will be building a community and evacuation center for families impacted by a severe flood last year. In the Philippines, 200 homes will be built for families whose houses were destroyed by Typhoon Nesat and Severe Tropical Storm Washi.

Habitat for Humanity Youth BUILD ambassadors include Filipino boxer turned politician Manny Pacquiao, Hong Kong actress and singer-songwriter Karen Mok, Bollywood actress Aditi Rao Hydari, Indonesian singer Delon Thamrin, Filipino actor Matteo Guidicelli, Hong Kong entrepreneur Christie Wo, Indian American actor Omi Vaidya, Filipino theater actress Cris Villonco, and Thai pop singer and pianist Tor Saksit.

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Jayne: It’s a very good cause to be building homes for the needy. It’s wonderful that Jet Li dedicated his time to such a worthy cause.