Abdul: ‘Building a healthy space for my child’
Today is World Health Day, founded by the World Health Organization on the principle that all people should be able to realize their right to the highest possible level of health.
As you probably noticed from my older blog posts, I work for a non-profit organization working on housing. For us at Habitat for Humanity, we know that poor housing conditions increase the risk of health problems for families. As our CEO Jonathan Reckford said, “We’ve seen over and over the inextricable links between housing, health, education and livelihoods.”
In this January 2018 speech at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, he speaks about the link of housing and health, and particularly how decent housing “eliminates the health threats to children and parents alike.”
It is with this in mind that I hope to share with you the story of Abdul, who met in Tegal Sari, Surabaya, Indonesia last year. Abdul was born with weak legs and has a hard time walking. I loved talking to him because of his can-do attitude. All his life, he has been made fun of for his legs, and yet he has made a life for himself that is productive and loving.
He is also a firm believer in the link between housing and health, and strives to make a great place for his son.
You can read the rest of Abdul's story in my article that originally appeared at http://bit.ly/Habitat35-Abdul.
As you probably noticed from my older blog posts, I work for a non-profit organization working on housing. For us at Habitat for Humanity, we know that poor housing conditions increase the risk of health problems for families. As our CEO Jonathan Reckford said, “We’ve seen over and over the inextricable links between housing, health, education and livelihoods.”
In this January 2018 speech at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, he speaks about the link of housing and health, and particularly how decent housing “eliminates the health threats to children and parents alike.”
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| Abdul, a businessman, in his silkscreen workshop. (Photo by Habitat for Humanity International/Ezra Millstein) |
It is with this in mind that I hope to share with you the story of Abdul, who met in Tegal Sari, Surabaya, Indonesia last year. Abdul was born with weak legs and has a hard time walking. I loved talking to him because of his can-do attitude. All his life, he has been made fun of for his legs, and yet he has made a life for himself that is productive and loving.
He is also a firm believer in the link between housing and health, and strives to make a great place for his son.
“I was afraid that the fumes from the chemicals that I used for my silk screening projects were contaminating the house and affecting his health,” Abdul said. “He often had a sore throat. I think it must be from the oil.”
You can read the rest of Abdul's story in my article that originally appeared at http://bit.ly/Habitat35-Abdul.
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