Members of the Gospel Music Association Group of the Year, Third Day, recently returned from Africa after having helped former President Jimmy Carter, his wife, Rosalynn, and 4,000 other volunteers complete the largest home building effort in Habitat history for the 19th annual Jimmy Carter Work Project 2002 (JCWP) in Africa.

Third Day members Tai Anderson and Mark Lee traveled with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) to Durban, South Africa last month to help JCWP finish the final 100 homes as part of HFHI's work to build 1,000 houses in 18 African countries. As the band's latest and critically acclaimed recording, Come Together, becomes its third RIAA certified Gold album in less than 15-months, Third Day continues its theme to "come together" in a tangible way to help make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action throughout Africa.

"The theme for the Jimmy Carter Work Project this year is 'Ilima Africa.' Ilima means 'working together' in the Zulu language," says Third Day member Tai Anderson. "This 'come together' idea is worldwide and we were honored to join the thousands of volunteers from all walks of life to participate in this historic moment for Africa."

"I was so pleased to see Tai and Mark hammering, sawing and painting alongside President Carter and Habitat homeowner, Mambo Mkhize," said Millard Fuller, Habitat's founder and president. "Not only are they great musicians, they are wonderful builders and good examples of God's love in action."

A coastal city of more than three million residents on the Indian Ocean, Durban is symbolically significant because in the early sixties thousands of Indians and black Africans were forcibly removed from this area by the Apartheid government. Due largely to ongoing economic conditions, housing patterns that reinforced the separation of the races still exist. Despite the government's substantial efforts to address the housing problem, millions of South Africans still live in temporary, substandard dwellings.

"Their houses were torn down and the area was cleared to enforce racial segregation," noted Third Day member Mark Lee. "Jimmy Carter, Habitat for Humanity and a host of volunteers have symbolically joined to further turn back the wrongs of Apartheid to help deserving families have a decent and affordable place to live."

The new JCWP community in Durban serves as an important model for urban initiatives for Habitat for Humanity in Africa. Selected according to their need, their desire to work to improve their lives, and their willingness to contribute to the success of this new community, the new homeowners in Durban express their enthusiasm:

"Throughout my life I have been a person who is struggling to find shelter," says new homeowner Sindisiwe N. Gcwensa. "I thank those people who told us about Habitat for Humanity, who gave me -- and the others like me -- a chance to have a house of my own." Sindisiwe and her family have previously moved from one derelict shelter to another, troubled by flooded floors, swarming insects and hunger.

"Now when it rains I won't be scared anymore," says Sthembile Dlamini, the mother of three children who moved to the Durban community to escape the violence that claimed the lives of her grandmother and younger brother.

After Lee and Anderson witnessed firsthand the need of the impoverished people in Africa, Third Day collectively chose to build in Africa two of the eight homes they committed to build earlier this year with HFHI.

More information about JCWP and its work in Africa can be found at www.jcwp2002.org. Additional information on HFHI and Third Day can be found at www.habitat.org and www.thirdday.com respectively.