Imagine living in fear of being electrocuted in your home. This was the living situation of Diep’s family of four. Whenever it rained, the roof would leak and water would seep through the crumbling brick walls, damaging the electrical wiring.
Diep’s house in Quang Nam province, Vietnam which belonged to her sister, lacked basic facilities like a toilet and kitchen and was often hot and humid as it had a steel roof.
Diep, 27, and her husband Xuyen, 30, had borrowed a 100 million Vietnamese dong (about AUD$5,700) to buy ducklings which they planned to rear and sell for meat. Sadly, their ducks were all killed by the avian flu that struck in 2012.
“Life was so tough for us then. Losing the ducks and being in debt wasn’t even the worst thing that happened to us. My two children were also infected by the avian flu and were hospitalised,” Diep said.
“The thought of owning a house never even crossed my mind,” she added.
Habitat for Humanity Vietnam started a project to build 14 disaster-resilient houses in Quang Nam province between 2014 and 2015. Diep was among five families who received a grant of 45 million Vietnamese dong (about AUD$2,600).
Diep and Xuyen’s new house has two bedrooms, a living room, a permanent kitchen, and a toilet.
Xuyen and Diep have both found jobs in a stone factory not far from where they live. Diep’s older son, Truong, will be going to a local primary school in September.
Carrying her youngest son, Diep said that she is very happy that her new house will protect her family from the sun and rain, and disasters such as typhoons and floods. Now, with better air ventilation, the house is also less humid.
“The children’s health is much better and they rarely get sick now. I am so happy. Thank you Habitat for Humanity.”
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