Stories of Change
Tangerang, January 8, 2026 – In a quiet corner of a village in Tangerang Regency, Kamila sits on the porch of her new, sturdy home, cradling her youngest baby. From time to time, she glances at the clean walls, the tight roof, and the dry floors. Her other child runs around the living room, laughing—a sound that was once drowned out by the heavy rain leaking through the roof of their old house.
It has been three weeks since Kamila moved into this decent home, yet her gratitude seems endless. Each morning, when she opens her eyes, she often pauses in awe. “Oh God… my house really looks like this,” she whispers, as if she still cannot fully believe that a dream that once felt so far away has now come true.
Before the New House
A few months ago, Kamila’s life was far from the sense of security she feels today. She and her small family lived in a house on the verge of collapse, with fragile bamboo walls, muddy dirt floors, and a roof that could no longer keep out the rain.
“When it rained, we had to lift the mattresses. We used pots to catch the leaks,” she recalled. During heavy downpours, water seeped not only from above but also from below. The dirt floor turned into mud, wet everywhere. Many nights, the family stayed awake—not because of the baby crying, but because they feared the roof might collapse.
During her pregnancy, the fear grew even stronger. “At that time, I was carrying this little one… I often felt so sad. I kept thinking, what if I give birth while still living in a house like this? I was afraid it might collapse… afraid something would happen to my baby.”
Economic limitations left the family with few options. Her husband, Samsul, 35, worked as a daily laborer in rice fields or construction sites, earning only IDR 50,000 per day—their sole source of income.
With a child in kindergarten and a baby, their daily needs were often unmet. “Sometimes we even had to borrow rice from the neighbors,” Kamila said. For her older child’s school fees, which amounted to nearly one million rupiah, Samsul often had to pay in installments or borrow from here and there. “It was really tough,” Kamila admitted.
In such desperate circumstances, Kamila even planned to work abroad as a migrant worker. She prepared documents, filled out forms, and even lost her diploma amid the long administrative process. But in the end, she canceled her plan because Samsul did not allow it.
“My husband said, ‘Be patient, Mah. Our sustenance is already arranged. Stay here, don’t go abroad. Let’s take care of our family and children.’”
When Kamila repeated her husband’s words, tears welled up in her eyes—not just out of love, but because she knew her decision to stay was solely for the family, even if it meant continuing to live in a house barely fit to be called home.
“There’s nothing we can do… our means are limited. Every extra rupiah goes straight to paying off debts,” she revealed.
Read also: Closing the Journey of 2025: Thank You for Building Hope Together
Hope Knocks on the Door
That hope arrived on a day she never expected. “I still remember… when the Habitat team came for the first survey. I felt so relieved. Even then, I had a little hope. But when we were actually chosen for assistance… Alhamdulillah, I am so grateful.”
Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, together with donors, rebuilt Kamila’s house from the ground up—giving it a strong structure, solid walls, a leak-free roof, and spaces where her family could breathe easy. Before moving in, Kamila even contributed her small efforts to help build the kitchen and organize parts of the house—a small gesture from a big heart.
When she saw the house completed, Kamila could only bow her head and cry. “Oh God… is this the answer to my husband’s words telling me not to go abroad? Maybe if I had gone, I wouldn’t have gotten all of this.”
Three weeks in the new home have drastically changed their lives. “No more leaks, no more moving mattresses around,” she said with a wide smile. “It feels safe, comfortable… even sleeping is better.”
But the biggest change is not in the house itself—it is in her mind. Kamila can now focus on caring for her children without fearing the house might collapse or worrying about repair costs. She can think about her children’s future, not just surviving day to day. And without urgent repair expenses, the family can begin slowly paying off their debts.
“This house… is a blessing I never imagined before,” she said softly but firmly.
Kamila knows that her good fortune is not shared by all. “Millions of families out there also dream of a house like this. But their means… maybe are just like ours before. Very limited.”
Kamila’s story is a reminder that a house is not just a building—it is the foundation for a family to live with dignity, raise children safely, and dream bigger. And for families like hers, the caring hands of others are the bridge between hope and reality.
Help create more decent homes for families in Indonesia: habitatindonesia.org/donate
Writer: Kevin Herbian
(kh/av)
