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Women building better housing

To tackle the lack of affordable housing, three Jakarta-based women have established a nonprofit organization called Women Build for Women (WBFW), which aims to make the lives of financially disadvantaged Indonesian women a little easier.

 

According to a report in the Jakarta Globe, in 2010 WBFW plans to build community centers and housing for impoverished women in Jakarta, Bali and Cilegon, in Banten, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

 

Although Indonesia’s poverty rate has fallen over the past decade, around 14 percent of the population is poor. In Jakarta, where the cost of living continues to accelerate, finding affordable housing can be prohibitive. As a result, informal communities often pop up along rivers and in areas near factories that provide employment to migrant workers.

 

The people here construct temporary housing and have little access to water or sanitation facilities. They also face eviction from public order police, who often use force to remove communities living on land public or private concessions are looking to develop.

 

That is where WBFW hopes it can help. It is looking to raise around $55,000 (Rp495 million), which will help improving housing and sanitation and provide community-based training for people in need of employment. The community centers the organization is planning will also provide women with space where they can hold classes, sew, receive health-related training and attend to their micro-financing needs.

 

Source: www.thejakartaglobe.com