Over 100 int'l volunteers build disaster-resilient homes for poor families in Vietnam's Da Nang
More than 100 international volunteers from the U.S., Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and other countries have joined local residents in building disaster-resilient homes for disadvantaged families in two communes in Da Nang City, central Vietnam, according to local authorities.
The volunteers spent weeks at construction sites in Que Son and Que Son Trung Communes, working alongside local families to mix mortar, sift sand, carry materials and lay bricks as part of the Vietnam Special Build 2026 program.
The homes were handed over to the recipient families on Friday after months of construction.
A group of international volunteers joins locals in building a house for a disadvantaged household in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Ly Na / Tuoi Tre
Le Thi Lap, deputy chairwoman of the Que Son Trung administration, said all of the families receiving support were disadvantaged households in need of safe and permanent housing.
She said the participation of international volunteers was particularly meaningful as they worked directly with the families, regardless of their jobs, nationality or background, helping speed up construction and sharing the workload with local residents.
A local resident in a disadvantaged area in Da Nang smiles as international volunteers arrive to help build homes. Photo: Ly Na / Tuoi Tre
The volunteers covered all of their own travel expenses and were coordinated by U.S.-based Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization, to work in teams at the families' homes, according to local authorities.
Habitat mobilized funding for the construction, with each house costing about VND80 million (US$3,060), while the families and local authorities also contributed to the projects, according to the organizers.
International volunteers mix mortar and load it, along with hollow bricks, onto wheelbarrows to carry them to a house construction site in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Ly Na / Tuoi Tre
Construction began in mid-2026, with the homes designed to better withstand natural disasters, according to the organizers.
At a handover and farewell ceremony in Que Son and Que Son Trung on Friday, the beneficiary families and volunteers gathered to mark the completion of the home-building work and say goodbye.
An international volunteer pushes a wheelbarrow carrying hollow bricks to a home construction site in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Ly Na / Tuoi Tre
Nguyen Van Hue, national director of Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, said the organization has reached 320,000 people and built or renovated more than 36,000 homes in Vietnam over its 25 years of operations.
During that time, Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, a branch of Habitat for Humanity International, also mobilized 9,380 volunteers from dozens of countries, Hue said.
An international volunteer holds hollow bricks and a trowel while building a wall in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Ly Na / Tuoi Tre
Habitat for Humanity International has operated in Vietnam since 2001, focusing on helping create safe, sustainable and affordable housing.
Three international volunteers pose for a photo while helping build homes for disadvantaged families in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Ly Na / Tuoi Tre
Vinh Tho – Thai Ba Dung / Tuoi Tre News