IN RESPONSE to the housing crisis in Asia, delegates from nine Asia-Pacific countries gathered to present youth-led solutions during Habitat for Humanity’s Youth Assembly held Thursday, June 26, 2025, at Seda Ayala Center, Cebu City.
A total of 40 young leaders from nine countries were selected from a pool of 88 applicants to participate in the three-day assembly from June 24 to June 26, which aimed to promote innovative, sustainable and community-driven solutions.
Ten participants with the most outstanding proposals to address the escalating housing crisis in the Asia-Pacific region were each awarded a US$4,000 grant.
India’s Muskan Lund, 22, from Mumbai, won first place for her project, Chhatt Shakti.
Other standout initiatives included Re-Leaf the Heat! and The Light We Share from the Philippines; Aquamend and Sonju Project from South Korea; Climate-Retrofit and SmartHousing Nepal from Nepal; Floating Futures from Vietnam; Floating Green Community Initiative from Cambodia; and H-Map from Bangladesh.
Chhatt Shakti (from chhat, meaning “roof,” and shakti, meaning “power”) trains women in the community to apply solar-reflective paint on rooftops, helping to reduce indoor temperatures and improve women’s health.
Lund conceptualized the initiative a decade ago when she was just 12 years old and still in school. She dedicated her win to advancing women’s economic rights and health, and, inspired by the event, urged fellow youth to act on their ideas and pursue their aspirations.
“I want to say whatever course you choose, that has to come with a lot of passion. You have to think about the people going through it. You have to build a lot of urgency. The time you think about an idea or a cause, and the time you start implementing it should be very close to each other. That way, you can achieve whatever you want in life,” Lund said.
The grant winners are expected to begin implementing their projects in the second half of 2025.
They will also receive mentorship from Habitat’s network of industry experts, designed to strengthen their project management skills and connect them with additional resources to help scale their initiatives.
Impact
In a recorded message, Habitat for Humanity Asia-Pacific vice president Liz Satow praised the youth for their initiatives in addressing housing challenges.
“Through this new youth engagement initiative, our investment is set to create a meaningful, far-reaching impact. We anticipate that approximately 4,000 individuals across up to 10 communities in the region will benefit by gaining access to safe and resilient homes,” Satow said.
Angeli C. Alba-Pascual, international communication manager of Habitat for Humanity Asia-Pacific International, also reiterated the role of the youth in building sustainable communities.
“We really think that [if] we really support young people, that there is an opportunity for them to showcase the work that they do, for others, for experts, government leaders, and other stakeholders to listen to them," Alba-Pascual said.
"And maybe, we’re hoping that they are willing to adapt to the solutions that they [youth] have created. This is proof that can be successful and there is interest from different stakeholders for this type of youth-led innovations,” she added.
The assembly marked the first time the Philippines hosted the annual event since it was last held in South Korea in 2023.
The three-day program featured training sessions and experts who shared their experiences with delegates.
The event served as a platform for youth participants to share proposals, build networks, and refine their ideas to address housing challenges in their respective communities. (Antonette Caren Arrabis, CNU Intern and Dane Riechel Oja, VSU Intern)