Build It Forward

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Partnering to Build It Forward Saturdays on CMT Television

Build It Forward, a new documentary series on CMT Canada, chronicles how seven struggling Canadian families are transformed through receiving new homes, then “Build It Forward” by helping to construct houses in the developing world.

 

Samaritan’s Purse played a big role in that process. The recipient families tapped into the international Christian relief and development organization’s vast construction experience to help provide accommodation for families in flood-devastated Mexico and earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

“My experience in travelling (to Mexico) and working with Samaritan’s Purse was nothing short of life-changing,” said Nicole Nichols, whose Canadian family was a Build It Forward home recipient. “It was amazing to see their dedication firsthand.”

The first of Build It Forward’s seven hour-long episodes, hosted by Canadian country music star Paul Brandt, aired on Sept. 17. The next six episodes are scheduled to air on the next six Saturdays at 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific on CMT. 

“We were very pleased to come on-board as a partner with Paul and Build It Forward,” said Samaritan’s Purse Executive Director Fred Weiss. “We’ve built thousands of schools, churches, medical clinics, and temporary shelters around the world, many of them in Haiti, and this series is a great way to let Canadians know. The participating families had the chance to learn that Samaritan’s Purse ‘builds’ into impoverished people and communities in many ways – housing, health care, vocational training, literacy, spirituality, and more.” 

Samaritan’s Purse is committed to continuing support of Mama Liz Castelazo’s Casa Hogar Allegre orphanage in Tuxtla, Mexico, which is featured on the premiere episode of Build it Forward. In response to the need for a vocational training facility, Samaritan’s Purse will be raising funds to build and outfit this facility on orphanage grounds, to equip with marketable skills the young men who live there.

	BUILDING SHELTER Our most recent and perhaps most extensive single building project has been to construct 10,000 transitional shelters in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake. We have plans to build another 5,000 in the coming months.
In addition to building homes for disaster survivors, classrooms for eager students, or medical facilities for struggling communities, we are also building hope into families and communities through a variety of life-saving projects:
	BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES By building water filters and providing health and hygiene training, we are improving the health of families who don’t have access to safe water. Improved health means that children can spend more time in school parents can be more productive, and spend less of their hard-earned wages on medicine and more on other necessities of life.
	BUILDING CAPACITY Our women’s projects are building capacity and restoring dignity to women who are trapped in poverty and exploitation. By providing literacy training, maternal health care, vocational training, and sometimes a safe refuge, we give women in the developing world opportunities to change her future, her family and her community.
	BUILDING SIMPLE GIFTS Even Operation Christmas Child is about building hope. As families carefully choose items to “build” each special gift, they are creating an opportunity for a child living in desperate circumstances to experience a moment of joy and hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Whether we are working in construction, education, safe water, medical care, or a variety of other initiatives around the world, we bring love and build hope into the lives of the people we are helping. We share the Gospel whenever and wherever possible.

It is our prayer that BUILD IT FORWARD viewers will be inspired as the TV series illustrates some of the immense challenges facing millions of people in the developing world, while highlighting the opportunity we have to help build hope back into the lives of hurting people.

Ways You Can Help
Pray Please pray for families in Canada and around the world who need homes. Pray that Samaritan’s Purse and the Build it Forward team would have a meaningful impact in the lives of hurting people.		Give Partner with us to build into the lives of needy people in the developing world. Donate Here.