No matter who we are or where we come from, we all deserve to have a decent life. Every single one of us deserves the opportunity for something better, and we all deserve to know we have the power to take care of ourselves and to build our own futures. In this blog, Mujono speaks of the life-changing security and opportunities a decent home provides.
Mujono’s old house was built from wood. Without room separations, illnesses like the flu spread rapidly among family members. Dust from the dirt floor made it difficult to breathe easily at times, and holes in the bamboo walls meant chilly nights inside the house.
The farmer and mason knew that his family’s living conditions were having a negative impact on his daughter Diyah’s education. The 7-year-old didn’t have a comfortable place to study, and the crowded environment inside the house made it difficult for her to concentrate. “I feel sorry for Diyah,” Mujono said at that time. “She’s actually a very bright child. But because there is nowhere for her to study, her grades are not good.”
Thankfully, this is no longer the case in the Habitat Indonesia house in which they now live. Diyah has her own bedroom, which has brought about a significant change in her grades. She excels in her mathematics and religion classes and has become a top student. “I rank No. 1 in the class,” she says with pride.
The change doesn’t benefit only Diyah. She happily has friends over in the evenings to study, now that the house is a more comfortable environment.
Mujono says his life is much improved. He expresses relief that he now owns a house that is nice, clean and healthy. He and his wife can focus on a big idea: developing a fish farm on the land in front of his house, a venture dreamed up to help ensure an even brighter future for Diyah.
