EN-ID Blog
Habitat for Humanity Indonesia held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 5th, 2023, to mark the initiation of the construction of 6 decent houses, 1 water access point, and 1 school in Wanajaya Village, Karawang. Various representatives from Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, Habitat for Humanity Korea, the head of the Regional Planning Agency’s economic division, Nanang Fakhrurraji, and the head of Wanajaya Village, Emin Syaifuddin, were present. The collaborative partnership between Habitat Indonesia and LG Energy Solutions is expected to bring successful impacts in improving the residents’ lives.
According to Emin Syaifuddin, the Head of Wanajaya Village, one of the vital challenges in the 1,170-hectare-wide village is the lack of decent housing. He mentioned, “The total number of family cards in this village has reached 2,200, and approximately 200 families still live in non-decent houses.” The primary contributing factor to this issue is low income. Emin explained, “Previously, all the residents here were farmers. However, the local government converted much of the residents’ land into private lands to support the industrial revolution. As a result, many of them are now unemployed, making it challenging for them to build decent houses.”
Apart from the issue of non-decent housing, there is also a need for improved access to clean water and better education facilities in Wanajaya Village. Emin emphasized, “At least two schools in the village require renovations. Additionally, we are still relying on well water for our water supply.”
Herman, whose house and water access will be built by Habitat, shared the difficulties he has faced all these years. “From generation to generation, we have been taking water from the well, starting from my grandfather and grandmother. It has been 40 years,” said Herman as he pointed to the yellow-colored water.
The Wanajaya Village government had prepared a program to assist low-income families; however, the grant was limited, resulting in only a small number of families receiving help. “We can only assist 2 to 4 families due to the limited funds,” explained the official.
It was crucial to note that various challenges arose due to the lack of tenure ownership held by the residents of Wanajaya Village. Many lived in the forests or irrigation lands, “Since they don’t have a land-tenure security, the residents’ aspirations are often gone unnoticed.” He said.
The building program conducted by Habitat and LG Energy Solutions is expected to improve at least some of the families’ life of the total residents of Wanajaya Village. Hopefully, there will be other programs in the future to aid Wanajaya Village’s improvement. Emin Expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’m glad since it has always been my aspiration as the head of the village. Thank you for looking after our residents’ needs. We believe the program will benefit those who need it the most.”
