About

Background:

Since the 18th Century, the onset of the Industrial Revolution has propelled a worldwide mass exodus of people from rural, agrarian societies into towns and cities. In the year 2008, more than half the world’s population—3.3 billion people—lived in urban areas for the first time in human history. By 2030, this number is expected to increase to 5 billion people.

As people flood into major cities of the developing world, millions are forced to live as squatters in shantytowns. In slums, they lack access to clean drinking water and human waste disposal which amount to a large amount of sickness and death. Rural people also come from a culture of subsistence farming and are ill equipped to survive in a cash-based economy. New urban centers concentrate poverty, but also present the greatest opportunity of escaping it, given the proper tools and environment for success.

Mission Statement:

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, Create-A-Village empowers people in the developing world by giving them access to the tools they need to thrive in a modern world.

Our History:

Create-A-Village was founded as a California-based non-profit in 2005 by Dr. Harry Witt.  During an accomplished career as an entrepreneur and professor of Economics, Dr. Witt worked with owner finish housing projects in the U.S. and started to see the potential for using entrepreneurial projects to help empower poor families.

In 2005, Dr. Witt formed Create-A-Village to focus on owner finish housing communities and job opportunities in emerging economies.  Since then, the organization’s programs have expanded to giving the poor affordable tools they need to succeed in modern society.