World Bank chooses SHEC as Model Community for the South-South Exchange on Low-Income Housing

In the recent past, much energy and resources have been poured into housing projects for the poor. Some failed. Many remained as dreams and plain documents. But a few succeeded. These successful ones have been known through their fruits, indeed (see Mt 12:33). And true to its name, the St. Hannibal Empowerment Center (SHEC) has been recognized as an effective catalyst or an efficient empowering organization which uses the community based/driven approach. This strategy involves close and strong tie up, collaboration or partnership between and among the poor community, the government and the private sector in order to achieve a common, noble goal: the betterment of the living conditions of the poor through decent housing programs. As an organization which has showcased outstanding success in this regard, SHEC—a recipient of the best practice award for its St. Hannibal Housing Project in the 2008 UN-Habitat Best Practices  for Sustainable Urbanization—has been chosen by the World Bank as a model community for the South-South Exchange on Low-Income Housing that was held last January 24-26, 2013. The exchange was meant as an occasion for learning by Bangladesh officials in preparation for the Pro-Poor Slums Integration Project for Bangladesh. Specifically, said officials intended to be acquainted with approaches or strategies which have been successfully employed in the Philippines, of which one is the way espoused by SHEC.

Important visitors—who found much inspiration and insight at the SHEC communities, namely the St. Hannibal’s Village, Pasay City and the beneficiaries at Baseco, Manila last January 24, 2012 and January 26, 2012 respectively—were officers of the World Bank, Manila Office (WBOM) and the Bangladesh delegates led by Dr. Khondaker Showkat Hossain (Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Public Works at Bangladesh). Dr. Hossain was accompanied by G.M. Jainal Abedin Bhuiya (Chairman, National Housing Authority), Md. Kamal Uddin Talukder (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Public Works), Md. Sanwar Ali (member, Engineering & Coordination, National Housing Authority), S.A.M. Fazlul Kabir (Superintending Engineer, National Housing Authority), Nazirul Alam (Deputy Chief Architect, National Housing Authority), Md. Anwar Hossain (Senior Assistant Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance) and  Md. Golam Mosaddeque (Senior Assistant Chief, Ministry of Housing and Public Works). With the Bangladesh delegates were World Bank Staff, to wit: Ms. Anna O’Donnell (Team Leader, World Bank, Washington), Ms. Sabah Moyeen, Mr. John Arnold and Mr. Michael Slingsby (World Bank Staff). Members of the World Bank, Manila Office were Mr. Ousmane Dione (Sector Manager, World Bank, Manila), Mr. Christopher Pablo (Urban Sector Coordinator, World Bank, Manila), Mr. Jonathan Price and Ms. Puri Philina Gamon (Consultants).