Housing and shelter

The poet Maya Angelou once said, “The ache for home lives in all of us.” Last week, we discussed the importance of electricity to the people of Sierra Leone (as with any developing nation). This week, we’re going to touch on a different, and cheerier topic – housing!

It doesn’t sound to be the most exciting. It’s not as revitalizing as discussing renewed agriculture efforts or as sexy as the condom campaigns the Khadarlis are working on. However, it is just as important, and in fact uplifting when you consider the facts.

According to Aisha Khadar, co-founder/Executive Director of Khadarlis for Sierra Leone, the Khadarlis have made a total of ten trips to Sierra Leone since 2007 – to the villages of Jimmi, Senehun, Bandajuma and Kpawama. In those four years, among their other accomplishments, they’ve built a total of thirteen houses for these four villages.

The Khadarlis houses are generally mud huts, but the organization has been working steadily on cement/mud combination huts, to find the best options. While thirteen houses in four years may seem like a sobering figure, think of what this means.

Thirteen families – not just people, but families, which in Sierra Leone may mean extended family as well – now have a place to live. A shelter to call their own. A place to put their heads at the end of the night. People who have been displaced from the familiar, their worlds shattered by the realities of the war.

Khadarlis has big plans going into 2012. Our goal for this segment of our work (shelter and housing) is to reach twelve houses. Twelve! That’s almost as many as we have so far built in four years! It may seem unreachable but it is absolutely possible with the love and kindness of Khadarlis supporters.

If you are interested in helping Khadarlis for Sierra Leone, with time, money or donations, contact Aisha Khadar Desince at Aishadesince@khadarlis.org. or khadarlis@khadarlis.org.

Marisa Natale

Khadarlis Volunteer Blogger

My take by Gisela Badal.

Rebuilding people's hopes and dreams.

 

I was born in Texas but lived most of my life in Guadalajara, Mexico yesterday the war against narcobecame a sad and dangerous reality in my hometown, my family live there and I am afraid for their safety, not much I can do but to pray and hope my family and all citizens are safe.  This reminded me of the story of the founder of Khadarlis.org, because her village got destroyed by wars in Sierra Leone.

The horrors of war are unthinkable, we watch the news everyday and in different parts of the world you can see wars going on, guilty and innocent, get injured or killed, or just live in plain fear of death. And what happens after all the damage is done? Who cares or is willing to help the survivors?

I am convinced that there is a lot of good in the world, all goodness MUST reunite in order for us to impact positively, people’s life.

There are things we can do, and things that we cannot do to help.

The things we cannot do we must leave it to God and pray with faith, and He will take care of it.

But there is so much we can do to help people in need that are trying to rebuild their hometowns and communities.

Khadarlis for Sierra Leone is a great example of human greatness; we can be capable of so much if we focus on something positive and get active.

Supporting Khadarlis in anyway, means giving children the opportunity of enjoying the basics of life, like clean water, basic vaccinations, safety nets against mosquitoes that transmit malaria, education that teach them to read and write, basics of survival and sustainable living.

Khadarlis for Sierra Leone, is working with the people to teach them how to grow their own crops of vegetables and grains!  Food sustainability is an amazing way to help them to be independent.

The impact of this organization on the people's life is invaluable.

 

Gisela Badal.

It does not ends there, also Khadarlis is finding ways of teaching this communities to be energy independent too!

I am thankful for all the people that is involved in this humble labor and activism, I admire greatly the passion and commitment.

Visit today Khadarlis.org and please support their efforts in the way you can.