On 20 August 2007, a fire gutted the 11 year old, two-bedroom timber home of Dapat Anak Ajek in the Batu Kawa Resettlement Scheme, Kuching, Sarawak.
Wife Deha is the breadwinner of the family, with a steady job at a chicken rice restaurant, working shifts of up to 12 hours.
Dapat takes care of their four children. In particular, nine year old Joseph who has Down’s Syndrome and special needs, and their youngest, Vivian who is only two years old.
The fire left this impoverished family with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Since August, Dapat, Deha and their children have had to sleep in the local community hall, which is not meant to house people.
Small donations have come in from various quarters including the Welfare Department, but they fall far short of what this family needs to restore their home.
Meanwhile, every day, the two year old girl, the handicapped boy and their two brothers have to live in conditions which are neither healthy nor safe for children.
In partnership with a local group of fundraisers, Habitat for Humanity (Kuching Affiliate) has stepped up to help this family. With money raised from compassionate donors, Habitat will provide the labour and skill to build a new home for Dapat, Deha and their children.
How You Can Help
If you can donate money or materials, or if you would like to volunteer to work on site or give administrative support, please contact Angelina on 082 242 700 (tel), 082 252 700 (fax) or by email to habit01@pd.jaring.my
Do reach into your hearts and donate a little money to help pay for Dapat’s house — a sum which may not seem significant for you can make all the difference for this little family on a household income of less than RM500 a month!
The Borneo Post has covered this project, with a profile on a team of Global Village volunteers from North America who have just left Kuching — see the link to the online article by clicking on “Media Coverage” to the right.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
we’ve also uploaded photos of our last-completed project — please click on the link for “House #45 started Oct 07″