Dr. Heather Hanna is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Heather first became involved with Habitat for Humanity in 2003 when she led a Global Village team to Guatemala. Since that first trip, she has led additional teams to Central America, Tanzania and Argentina. She was also instrumental in developing HFH Northern Ireland's relationship with the Guatemala Habitat for Humanity staff and, in 2006, organised a visit of staff, volunteers and homeowner families from Guatemala to Northern Ireland. Heather joined the HFHNI Board in 2006.

In summer 2007, Heather led HFH Northern Ireland's first-ever Advanced Leadership Team to Madagascar. This programme provides participants with in-depth leadership training on issues such as risk and conflict management prior and throughout their time on a global village team.

"The more you travel, the more the world becomes your home. In the same way when you work alongside someone to build the house that will one day become your home, that person becomes your brother."

It is easy to talk about justice & compassion but on the building site we see these 'Kingdom of God' values break into the everyday reality of our broken world. Each brick carries the promise of comfort, security and belonging. Day by day you begin to see hope and confidence flicker and grow in the homeowner's eyes. It is in those moments of grace that we meet Jesus, whispering "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". Again, hope springs up in our own broken hearts.

Our vision must be 'to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world'. Anything less would be wrong. We will keep going, 'Building Houses, Building Community, Building Hope' because as WH Auden once said, "I know nothing except that which everyone knows - if there when Grace dances, I should dance".

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Chris Perry worked in the International Department as a short term volunteer during the summer, his good humour and his commitment to getting the job done was very much valued by the whole organisation and we wish him well as he continues his studies.

‘I really enjoyed my summer volunteering with Habitat. One thing that stands out in my memory is my name being included on the staff contact list and staff structure chart before my arrival (and not on the bin rota!!!) again this made me feel very welcome - small things make a big difference.

I came to Habitat thinking that they built houses, I left knowing that they transform communities through building homes"