Habib: A Father's Story

Over a year ago, I went on a work assignment to an urban community in Tegal Sari, Surabaya.

There, I met Habib and his beautiful family.

I am so proud to have met him, to have listened to his struggles and hopes, and now to share to the world his story.

The home of Habib and Jamila is their castle, especially for their two daughters whom they treat as princesses. Their Habitat house in Tegal Sari, an urban community in Surabaya city, western Indonesia, looks just as new as when the couple first moved in more than two years.  Decorative ceramic tiles have been laid over the green-and-blue wall of the house. In the bedroom, which has been painted a vibrant purple, the couple’s baby daughter, Nazla, nestles in their bed.

It is for the sake of their daughters—baby Nazla and 10-year-old Naila—that Habib and Jamila continue to improve their home which used to be dirty, pest-infested and leaky. “I wanted to change everything about our old house, but I didn’t have the money then to do anything,” Habib said.

Read the rest of Habib's story at http://bit.ly/Habitat35-Habib