ING and Wereldfoundation launch 'House for a house' initiative

Dutch home buyers can now help a family in Bangladesh or India to secure better living conditions thanks to a new initiative called ‘House for a house.” Launched on 11 June 2009 by ING and Stichting Wereldfoundation, it’s an easy way to help another family build a home.

Anybody taking out a new mortgage with ING can now take part in ‘House for a house’. If the customer donates EUR 300 when signing up for a mortgage, ING will double that amount. The customer receives a certificate as confirmation of his or her donation and the money is used to build a home for a family in Bangladesh or India. When a house is built with his or her donation, the customer receives a report along with a photo of the house.

“In the Netherlands, nearly half the population owns their own home,” says Hans Hagenaars, Board Member of ING Retail Banking in the Netherlands. “We don’t always realise what a privilege that is. That’s why we’re fully behind this initiative. Because Wereldfoundation works closely with international and local aid organisations and public authorities, we’re certain the aid will get to where it’s needed most.”

Gerald Holtvlüwer, chairman of the board of Wereldfoundation, says the initiative will support the United Nations Millennium Goals. “As a result of the collaboration between ING and Wereldfoundation, people living in the Netherlands are being offered a unique opportunity to make a sustainable contribution to the Millennium Goals, in particular combating poverty. We’re really enthusiastic about the collaboration, which will help many people living in genuine hardship to take a step forwards in this world.”

The ‘House for a house’ initiative will not only help poor families acquire better housing; it will also give them access to microfinance. Any family that wants to build a house under this scheme can also apply for a micro loan. If the family receives a micro loan, it has to repay the loan within around six years on average. Once the loan is paid off, a new micro loan can be granted using the money donated to build another house. This system can help the whole community in the long term. Wereldfoundation and its partners offer a comprehensive aid package that includes not only housing, but also employment, healthcare, education, sports and infrastructure.

A commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainable development has long been part of ING’s business approach. ‘House for a house’ is an example of how ING tries to look beyond selling a product or giving good advice to see if there are way to made a wider contribution to the environment or the community., ING also works with UNICEF for its ING Chances for Children, which is giving children in developing countries a real chance of securing a better future by providing them with an education.
For more information, visit: www.ing.com/cr.

By building houses, Wereldfoundation wants to help combat poverty. A house doesn’t just give people a roof over their heads. It also improves health and security, boosts respect and self-esteem and supports wealth creation and economic development. Wereldfoundation enables people to build a house by offering them microfinance. It works with other aid organisations to offer a comprehensive aid package, and collaborates with private individuals, companies and public authorities on joint initiatives to improve the living conditions in the developing world.

For more information, visit www.wereldfoundation.nl (Dutch only)