Palu City, Central Sulawesi provincial government appreciates Habitat for Humanity Indonesia that has helped more than six thousand families who were hit by the earthquake, tsunami, and liquefaction on September 28th 2018, in Central Sulawesi.

“We appreciate Habitat Indonesia because it had brought changes to raise the disaster-impacted families during three years,” said Deputy Governor of Central Sulawesi, Mamun Amir in Palu.

Mamun Amir says that Habitat for Humanity Indonesia had helped the government provide temporary shelters, permanent houses, schools, and other helps.

Habitat for Humanity Indonesia had given help through a disaster response program and had served 6.248 people in Palu, Sigi, and Donggala.

“Habitat had built 1.039 temporary shelters, 191 permanent houses in Sigi”, He said.

Habitat Indonesia involves the habitants to implement the building and economic program past the disaster. “Not only giving help but also train the habitants,” explains Mamun Amir.

Meanwhile, the national director of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, Susanto, says that Habitat for Humanity Indonesia had helped more than six thousand disaster-impacted families by collaborating with thirty-five international and national donors.

“We have been three years in Palu, Sigi, and Donggala, Central Sulawesi”, said Susanto.

Interim Senior Operation Manager of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, Rudi Nadapdap, add that at the beginning of the program, Habitat Indonesia had delivered 1.096 emergency shelter kits, 150 cleaning kits, built 1.039 temporary shelters, communal and individual toilets that had served 683 families and emergency clean water access that had served 1.795 families.

Not only it, but Habitat Indonesia also had built 191 permanent houses, two community centers, renovated two schools building, made a clean water facility that can serve more than 1.795 families, and organized many disaster mitigation training.

“Habitat Indonesia is not only present in disaster response level but also in rehabilitation and reconstruction,” he explained.

Rudi adds, by the end of November 2021, Habitat Indonesia will finish and fix all programs in Central Sulawesi. He hopes what Habitat has given all disaster-impacted families in Central Sulawesi last 2018 can be helpful. “We exist to take apart to heal and to raise after a disaster. We hope that our help is useful”, Rudi.

On September 24, 2021, as many as 36 healthcare workers who have finished their duty to treat COVID-19 patients can immediately stay overnight to rest comfortably at Hotel 88 Kedungsari Surabaya. Health workers are at the forefront of the pandemic who are struggling to treat and prevent wider transmission to the community, so they are at risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 to others. To ease the burden on health workers, GGF as a company providing high-quality food and beverages also provides support through Habitat Indonesia and in collaboration with Hotel 88 Kedungsari Surabaya to prepare 21 rooms and food for the health workers of Husada Prima Hospital to stay temporarily so they can recover, energized and ready to work again. A total of 651 rooms used during the period 24 September – 25 October 2021 or during their 31 day stay.

Hopefully this temporary shelter can provide benefits in keeping them healthy and fit in carrying out their duties of caring for COVID-19 patients. The struggle is not over yet, let’s continue #IndonesiaAgainstCorona so that the pandemic may end soon. If they fall, we fall too.

Jakarta, September 27th, 2021 – PT Mahkota Indonesia Cakung and Habitat for Humanity Indonesia carried out a program to develop toilet access in Rawa Terate Cakung from January to March 2021. Previously, the people of Tuksono disposed of septic tank waste directly into the river without realizing that it pollutes the environment and causes various sources of disease. 

PT Mahkota Cakung Indonesia and Habitat approached and educated the community to be aware of the importance of caring for the environment. The awareness of a healthy environment and proper housing can bring people to healthy behavior changes. Habitat invited the local volunteers to help collect data on potential beneficiaries and supervise the program implementation process to make it complete quickly.

After going through various stages and processes, PT Mahkota Indonesia Cakung and Habitat build four bio septic tank units. These bio septic tanks have helped at least thirty-seven families. “We are very proud to have septic tanks even though they are for communal. Previously, we felt ashamed because we threw our waste into the river or in front of the house. When the dry season arrived, we often had a bad smell, and it made us embarrassed. The existence of those septic tanks finally can help us to enjoy a healthy environment, a resident of Rawa Terate Cakung.”

In addition to bio septic tanks, Habitat builds 2 MCK units in PAUD TERATE V, where thirty families and thirty-three teachers and students can feel the benefit. In addition to providing these two aids, PT Mahkota Indonesia Cakung and Habitat also provided 100 cleaning equipment packages to 30 families and 30 teachers and students to help them carry out health protocols properly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sugandi, Manager of PAUD TERATE V, said, “Thank you to PT Mahkota Indonesia Cakung and Habitat Indonesia for constructing the MCK in PAUD TERATE V. These toilets can be used by both teachers and students well. The cleaning kits provided are also beneficial for families and students who have middle to lower economic lives. 

Rahmat and the Community Health Center team also said, “PT Mahkota Indonesia Cakung and Habitat Indonesia program is in line with Community Health Center program. Community Health Center still has a problem doing the program because pandemic diver the cost to other programs. Thank you to PT Mahkota Indonesia Cakung and Habitat Indonesia for supporting the government’s program to tackle the indiscriminate disposal of defecation waste in the past”. 

So that a house can be said decent is to have a sufficient area to meet health standards, namely good ventilation, clean toilets and bathrooms, enough rooms for family members to move around and designed to facilitate the movement of residents, especially for the disabled. If the families have toddlers or school children, ideally the house can have a yard or be located close to an open space such as a playground or field and most importantly have a fairly safe distance from the road.

Another requirement that needs to be noted is the separation of rooms between parents and their children and between boys and girls. Separation of this room is one way to teach children to be more independent. Meanwhile, the separation of a boy’s room with a girl’s room can be done if the child begins to enter his teens because they both have different needs.

Data from the National Socio-Economic Survey or Susenas (survey activity by BPJS) shows that there are still 14 million families who do not have decent housing. To help families have decent housing, especially for low-income families, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia has made various efforts, including by providing construction, rehabilitation and home improvement assistance, the funding of which is in collaboration with corporate donors (CSR) and individuals. Through the housing assistance program, decent houses can become a healthy place to live and families become more productive. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the house is a primary need because every family member has to work or do activities from home. People have to work from home, play at home, study at home, so there is a need for proper and healthy homes.

Let’s collaborate with Habitat Indonesia to create decent houses for low-income families by becoming Habitat Crew. Go to   to participate in the movement for change for a better Indonesia.

Fulfilling the need for livable and affordable housing in the property sector is considered to drive the economy because it is directly related to the scope of supporting industries.

Budi Sastrawinata, Head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry under Integrated Property Area Development Agency, stated at the Indonesia Housing Forum, which was held online on Thursday (Oct, 14th 2021), that “The property industry’s ecosystem has a vital role in fixing the needs.”

Budi added that the property industry covers various aspects, such as housing, shop houses, apartments, the superblock area consists of offices and shopping centers, then TOR, namely airports and ports. Furthermore, the tourism area consists of resorts, hotels, and eco-tourism. In addition, there are also new urban areas and urban rejuvenation, as well as industrial areas. All of these are related to the needs of financial services such as banking, taxes, REITs, Tapera, and BPJS which also related to other supporting services such as brokerage, consultants, building, and housing management.

According to Budi, the property industry can contribute to the National GDP reaching 7-9% if we combined the overall process. The property industry can also have a multiplier effect on 175 sectors and 350 related SMEs. The use of local materials can reach up to 90-100% and employees at least up to 30 million workers.

“If the property industry ecosystem is good, the supply chain is also good. It will make it easier to accelerate the development of needs in this sector,” concluded Budiarsa.

National Director of Habitat Indonesia, Susanto, who is also the Chairman of the Indonesia Housing Forum, said, “Habitat Indonesia as a non-profit organization that focuses on providing decent housing in Indonesia also continues to advocate for affordable housing for low-income families. Established 24 years ago, Habitat has served more than 168,000 families in obtaining housing, sanitation, and access to water.”

Susanto added that there were still millions of families that needed help. Through the Indonesia Housing Forum, each participant is placed inclusively as a stakeholder so that everyone can better understand the problems and challenges in realizing decent housing.

Since 2017, the Indonesia Housing Forum has involved academics who provide in-depth studies related to housing development in Indonesia.

Hadi Prabowo, Dean of FTSP Trisakti University, said, “The follow-up program carried out by Trisakti related to housing and settlements is in the form of community service programs which is translated into counseling, training, design consultations, and pilots connected to housing and settlements.”

According to Hadi, educational institutions, including the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning (FTSP) of Trisakti University and the non-governmental organization Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, need to collaborate to address the need for livable housing for low-income communities through research, workshops, and community service.

Three big earthquakes that hit West Sulawesi in early 2021 have broken Mamuju, Majene, and Polewali Mandar. Hundreds of inhabitants got injured, even death. The earthquakes also impacted tens of thousands of inhabitants’ houses. They felt forced to live temporarily in the refuge, where it was difficult to get clean water and food.

Habitat Indonesia, a humanitarian organization that focuses on providing decent houses, was supported by PVH to help inhabitants in Botteng Village. Government and other humanitarian organizations supported Habitat and PVH repaired five family houses with Ferro cement Technique, distributed three packages of house reparation kits to thirty families, and gave construction and safe house training to survive an upcoming earthquake.

Aco (41) and Jaisa (35), Botteng inhabitants, everyday work as farmers. They are often sleep in the field. When the earthquakes came, Aco and his wife went out of the area immediately and drove their motorcycle very fast to help their two children that they left at home. “My wife and I are such anxious. Besides wanting to help our two children at home, we also must keep our baby on a motorcycle during the trip,” Aco said. Grateful, they still had time to rescue their two children and bring them to the refuge.

After approximately two weeks in the refuge, Aco and his family felt so difficult to get food for their baby, who needed it. Aco and his family felt so happy when they knew that Habitat and PVH would repair their house. “My family and I are so happy when we know that Habitat and PVH will repair our house because it is so suffered live in the refuge. Thank you, Habitat Indonesia and PVH, for repairing our house. If you don’t build our house, we will have no house until now”, said Aco.

Saruna, an older man (70), and his disabled wife usually work as farmers. When the earthquake hit their house at night, they felt so surprised. They went out of their home and rescued their two children immediately. They had to live in the refuge for a while because they were afraid to return to their broken house. But in the sanctuary, it was difficult for them to get food, and it started to cause many people to get the disease.

When Saruna heard that Habitat and PVH would repair their house, He was so happy. “I am so excited when I know that Habitat and PVH will repair our house. My age is not a barrier for me to help the craftsman who repairs our house. Now, we can live in a safe house whose structure is better than our house before. No more words we can say except thank you so much Habitat and PVH who have repaired our house”, revealed Saruna.

Three big earthquakes hit West Sulawesi in early 2021. Those three districts were Mamuju, Majene, and Polewali Mandar. At least around 6.213 were impacted, 107 were dead, 278 were heavily injured, and 240 were moderately and lightly injured. In addition to taking lives, this powerful earthquake was also capable of destroying residents’ settlements. There were around 15,522 houses that were damaged, about 11,423 in Mamuju and the rest in Majene, approximately 4,099 houses. Apart from residential areas, these earthquakes also destroyed 22 schools in Mamuju and 79 schools in Majene. 

Habitat Indonesia, accompanied by the government and other humanitarian organizations, decided to rebuild Botteng Village and Karampuang Village in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, because earthquakes frequently hit them. Karampuang itself is a remote village that can be reached only by boat for 20 minutes from the Mamuju fish port market.

The financial support of more than 300 million from DOW Indonesia immensely helped Habitat Indonesia carry out its mission. It succeeded in helping earthquake-affected families in Botteng Village and Karampuang Village by repairing five houses using the Ferro cement technique and five toilets in Botteng Village. DOW and Habitat also distributed cleaning kits to 100 families in Botteng Village, provided disaster risk management training to 55 families in Karampuang, and construction training to local families and workers in Botteng Village.The village office established a village-level disaster risk reduction forum and distributed training on signs of disaster evacuation.

Muhammad Anwar, Head of Dusun Karampuang, said, “We are fortunate that DOW and Habitat Indonesia came to Karampuang Village and provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief so that we have another safe house to live. Just as the pinnacle of love arrives, we are very enthusiastic about the renovation of our office. Only one-week Habitat completed repairs. They planed the work well. Now we have more space to use. Thanks to Habitat Indonesia and DOW Indonesia for this work. We will provide our best service for residents here.”

Amril, a traveling fish trader (27), buys fish from fish collectors and sells it to customers every morning, while his wife Jira (22) sells fruit on the side of the road not far from where they live. When the earthquake struck, Amri immediately got up and called and hugged his son Tifan (4) and left the house while his wife followed behind. When they were outside their home, they immediately looked for a place to evacuate because it was raining and the electricity went out. They also saw other people flocking and looking desperate.

“In the refugee camps, it is tough for us to get food and basic needs. We chose to return home after conditions began to improve even though our house was still tilted, not stable, and not yet safe. We pray to God we will be able to repair our house soon. We are glad that Habitat and DOW chose our family to receive home improvement assistance. We thank Habitat and DOW for repairing our home. If Habitat didn’t repair our house, we wouldn’t know how to get the money to repair our house. We are very grateful, said Amril.”