After years of untold suffering and living on fumes, Babirye, a widow and mother of six (two boys and four girls) felt the weight of not having a decent house. For years, life for Babirye and her children was marked by hardship, loss, and daily uncertainty. They lived in extreme poverty in a small, dilapidated hut with a leaking roof and weak walls. During heavy rains, the family would huddle together in one corner, trying to stay dry as water flooded their home.
“My husband died before we even built a house, leaving me alone with all these children”, Babirye recalls quietly.
Food was scarce, and her children frequently suffered from fevers, often without medical treatment. Unfortunately, her small piece of land could not sustain farming, forcing her to rely on casual labor to provide food and medicine.
Due to the fact that the house was too small and unsafe, her two sons built small makeshift huts for themselves. “Why can’t I build a house for my children? Maybe I am a failure,” she often asked herself seeing other families living better lives.
Amidst all these, Babirye held to the saying, ‘before you die, never curse life’. Indeed the resident of Kanyana Village, Bugumya Parish, Bukaboli Sub-County in Mayuge District never lost hope amidst all these hardships.
Hope finally appeared when Babirye attended prayers at a local church where the Chairperson announced that Habitat Uganda would be implementing the sustainable housing project in the area.
This ray of hope drove Babirye to register and was later selected as a beneficiary. “I had always prayed for a miracle,” she says, “but I never believed I would live to see it.”
The construction of her new home marked a turning point in her life. For the first time, Babirye and her children had a safe, dry, and dignified place to live. “I thank Habitat for Humanity for working with us and restoring our hope,” she says with emotion. “I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Long live Habitat,” the mother of six exclaims.
Habitat Uganda also trained Babirye in practical skills, including building eco-friendly stoves, establishing a kitchen garden, and effectively using the solar lamp provided to her household.
With access to a proper pit latrine, bath shelter, plate stand, and reliable lighting; life has changed dramatically. Babirye now grows vegetables in her garden, eats from her own produce, and sells the surplus to buy soap and other household essentials. She is also able to save some money.
“Babirye Hajila stands happily outside her new Habitat-built home in Mayuge District.”