Bengaluru:
For over 30 years, 44-year-old Sampangi and his wife and three daughters lived under a leaky roof which they called their home. “The roof would leak every time it rained and we’d have to shift clothes and electronic items to one corner of the house. The house would shake whenever there’s heavy wind,” the gardener recalled.
Today, Sampangi lives in a two-bedroom home with a garden and three dogs that he found abandoned on streets. His eldest daughter is now married, while his two younger daughters are school students. A photograph of Japanese volunteers from NGO Habitat for Humanity, who constructed the house, is displayed on top of the TV shelf, and his eyes light up whenever he sees the people who made this possible.
“As my children got older, my wife and I would talk about building a better home. We had even begun saving some money from the meagre amount we earned. But four years later, we were left with only about Rs 1 lakh,” he said.
Things changed for the better when he met a person from the Habitat for Humanity, through whom he learned about interest-free loan. The rest, is history.
Rupee for change
What can you do with Re 1 is a question that everyone asks. Apparently, you can build houses.
Habitat for Humanity has tied up with 20 schools in Bengaluru. Students, parents and teachers contribute Re 1 per day towards funds to construct houses for people from low-income group. In the past two years, the NGO has raised Rs 10 lakh which has gone into constructing 14 houses in Nagenhalli, Byrathi, Bagalur, Yerapanahalli and other parts of the city. Students, through the volunteer build programme, are also assisting in renovation activities.
India faces a shortage of about 6 crore housing units, said Rajan Samuel, managing director, Habitat for Humanity India.
12 lakh in need of houses
“In Karnataka alone, over 12 lakh people don’t have a decent home while 49% of the population does not have access to a toilet. The Centre has introduced policies like ‘Housing for All’ to provide adequate shelter to each and every family by 2022. The state government too has undertaken measures to provide affordable homes to the poor and to redevelop slums. About 70% per cent of the urban housing need is in the affordable segment and this is where Habitat for Humanity is working,” he said.
In Karnataka, the NGO is building 74 homes and 123 toilets for the low income, marginalized people, he added.
According to him, in most cases, women bear the brunt of lack of housing or toilets.
Learning experience for students
While lives of people like Sampangi or Kaliyamma, who recently moved into her newly constructed two-bedroom home are being transformed, student volunteers are learning as well.
“Recently, our students painted a government school as part of the volunteer build programme and they were surprised to see a blackboard. Most of them have seen white boards in classrooms, but never a blackboard on which chalk is used,” said Asha Samuel, faculty incharge of CAS at Canadian International School.
“These activities help them grow. They come back realizing that there are so many things that they take for granted and so many things they should be grateful for,” she said.
Poor women bear the brunt
Women and girls from the lower income families live in highly unsafe and substandard conditions without access to basic sanitation. Majority of them suffer from poor health since they do not have the liberty to relieve themselves when required and have to wait till dusk to go out and defecate. Owning a house with proper sanitation facilities is a deep desire of all poor women across the country. By providing access to decent housing and sanitation facilities, Habitat for Humanity India intends to improve health and provide security for the whole family
– Rajan Samuel, managing director, Habitat for Humanity India
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bangalore / Merlin Francis / TNN / July 31st, 2016