Participants of Mr World 2010 help out in Habitat for Humanity project, Saturday in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, building an accomidation for the homeless. / Korea Times Photo by Park Seo-gang

By J.R. Breen
Contributing Writer

Contestants of Mr World helped construct accommodations for the homeless in Gyeonggi Province, Saturday.

Twenty-eight out of the 74 contestants visited a site in Hwaseong, where Habitat for Humanity International is building a center for people who cannot afford regular housing.

“It was nice to do a bit of work; I would have liked to have done more ­ it is nice to know you have helped someone. It was a good experience,” Chris Eileng representing Norway said.

Seventy-four men are competing in the Mr World 2010 competition being held in Incheon, Korea.
They are battling to become “the world's most desirable man.” The winner will be announced on Saturday in a televised finale.

After a safety briefing, the contestants, split into three groups, began clearing debris from the site while others wanted to do something more tangible.

“We are just helping out anyway we can,” said Jose Manuel Flores Sanchez, Mr Venezuela. “I love doing it because it makes me feel like I am giving back to the community and helping in a problem that is all over the world.”

“When I was elected by my country as Mr Lebanon, my main project was helping poor people. I gave some money to them, but I didn't (build accommodations) before so I am very glad to have this experience and I look forward to doing (the same thing) when I get back home,” said Abdul Rahman El Balaa.

Predrag Pavlicic, Mr Montenegro, would like to see Habitat for Humanity do more projects across the world.

“This project is really cool, I think it should be expanded everywhere,” Pavlicic said. “It is very nice because I didn't know something like this existed.”

Habitat for Humanity International, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, helps the homeless across the globe and has built 700 houses like the one in Hwaseong, across Korea, and has some 70,000 volunteers.

“If they are happy to do work then I am happy,” said Simon Sung-soo Han, director of the national office. “If they get an understanding for what we are doing then we have achieved something. I am happy about that.”

jrbreen@koreatimes.co.kr