Safe housing is more than just providing shelter; it ensures security, dignity, and a stable future. Under the PPEPP-EU project, housing support is transforming the lives of vulnerable women, who often face the harshest realities of poverty and social insecurity.
CONTEXT
Extremely poor people in coastal communities are highly vulnerable to climate shocks like cyclones, tidal surges, and flooding that destroy homes and livelihoods. Many suffer annual losses from disasters, losing homes, livestock, income, and belongings, and are often unable to prepare for or mitigate these impacts. Disaster and Climate Resilience, a special focus area of the PPEPP-EU project, provides life-saving support, helping them build resilient dwellings to safeguard their lives and reduce disaster losses.
STORY OF NURJAHAN
Nurjahan Begum (52), a widow and a member of GJUS, a Partner Organisation of PKSF implementing the PPEPP-EU project. Nurjahan lives in a remote village of Vhelumia Union. Since her husband’s passing three years ago, she and her two children have lived in a fragile house made of hogla leaves. The roof was broken, the walls were unstable, and during the monsoon, rainwater would leak inside. In storms and cold weather, the house would become nearly uninhabitable. For years, they endured unsafe, unhealthy living conditions. The lack of secure housing not only posed health risks but also caused deep worries about their future.
PROJECT INTERVENTIONS
The project supports the raising of homestead plinths and the necessary repairs to protect the homes of its vulnerable members against natural disasters. To date, PPEPP-EU has elevated plinths and repaired the homes of 391 members from the north, south, haor and ethnic regions that were either damaged or destroyed by natural disasters or deemed vulnerable for living.
The PPEPP-EU project provided Nurjahan with essential construction materials, including tin, bamboo, framing wood and nails, as well as cash support for renovating her home. With guidance from project staff and support from neighbours and relatives, Nurjahan reconstructed her old house into a new, stronger structure at minimal labour cost.
RESULTS
Nurjahan’s new house offers a safe, secure living space for her and her children, as they are now protected from harsh weather in rainy and winter seasons. The all-new renovated house has reduced the health risks and enhanced their social dignity within the community. With a stable shelter, Nurjahan feels more confident about engaging in home-based income-generating activities and plans for the future.
The support has provided more than physical rebuilding; it has renewed hope, strengthened resilience and created a foundation for a safer, more secure life.
TESTIMONY
“Before this renovation, I went to sleep every night in fear, not knowing when the house might collapse. Thanks to the PPEPP-EU project, now I can live peacefully in my own home”, Nurjahan shared, sitting on her bed in her newly made house.