SEATTLE — Dave McMurtry specializes in Corporate Development/Mergers & Acquisitions in Silicon Valley. He has also been a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity since 1997. As part of his volunteer work, Dave McMurtry has made it a priority to build houses for refugees in Colombia.
About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that builds affordable houses for the poor. It believes that to put a roof over someone’s head is to give them dignity and hope that they would not otherwise have. The organization builds its houses with whatever materials are available in the country it is working in, such as fired clay bricks in Africa, concrete in South America and wood in the Pacific. All houses are designed with the native culture in mind, so if it is normal to cook outside in a particular area, Habitat for Humanity would build a home without an indoor kitchen.
Habitat for Humanity accepts donations and volunteer applications on its website. It also works with the families who need homes, allowing them to have a hands-on role in changing their lives for the better. Since Habitat for Humanity’s founding in 1976, it has helped 13.2 million people in 70 countries build and live in quality homes for affordable prices.
Colombia’s Refugee Crisis
From 1966 to 2016, Colombia was gripped in a civil war between the government and various rebel factions. More than 200,000 lives were lost in this conflict. Furthermore, the country had so many landmines that the U.N. labeled it the most dangerous South American country for children to live. In addition, the conflict was made worse by the fact that some areas of the world not only did little to help but inadvertently funded and armed both sides by buying cocaine.
Over 3.5 million people in Colombia have been displaced by the civil war. Those who stayed in their home country often took shelter in cities. Unfortunately, it is rare for men to find work as anything other than street vendors, forcing their wives and children to become prostitutes in order to make up the difference. Even with this morally repugnant solution, many refugee families cannot afford homes, making their lives that much worse.
Dave McMurtry’s Work
In 2002, McMurtry went to Colombia for three months and quickly fell in love with the country and its people. When he learned of the civil war that was ravaging the land and the resulting refugee crisis, he knew he had to do something to help the refugees get back on their feet. With the help of Habitat for Humanity, McMurtry began his mission to build houses for refugees in Colombia.
In order to obtain extra funding for his project, McMurtry started a blog in 2006, which served to inform people about his project, give updates to interested parties and accept online donations. The posted donation goal was $150,000, and in the end, thanks to 450 donors from 35 countries, Dave managed to raise $175,515. He used this money to build 35 affordable houses for Colombian refugees. The project was officially finished in 2007, but McMurtry assured his followers that their donations were continuing to help Habitat for Humanity, specifically his friend, Naomi Gary, who built 15 houses for 100 people in Bolivia.
– Cassie Parvaz