When in 2004 we received a special donation of Rs. 55,000 we were requested to invest it for the benefit of poor people in villages. We did not have to think for long, as one of our school children was living under plastic tarpaulins which could break down or fly off any time. The living conditions were inhuman. We donated the entire amount the family on the condition that they build the house with their own effort and management. Only the material was sponsored with the donated amount. But neighbours, relatives and friends jumped in to give a helping hand to make this unique chance come true.

This project became a great success and a big blessing for the family. Gradually more donations came in for this purpose and more families could be benefitted. On an area of appr. 250 sqft. such houses were built to provide for a kitchen, a sleeping room, a sitting room and a toilet.

In 2006 this project received an own dynamism by Mr. Werner Dahlmanns, who as a 'hobby mason' and advocate of ecological constructions, decided to build low cost houses for poor people. He always added some specialities like a tiled roof, a rain water basin, special bricks and other features. He drew our attention to aspects of more ventilation, less use of fire wood for preparing the meals, inflow of light through transparent tiles in the roof, but above all he stood firm on the prohibition of asbestos sheets, which were widely used in these houses. Later he also suggested to formulate a house building policy which was followed since then.

In between 28 houses could be built out of which 7 were built by Werner Dahlmanns. Still this is only the beginning of a project which aims at providing more life quality to people who could never dream of any human living conditions. They should be in a position to rear a few tomatoes or whatever vegetables along the side wall of their houses, using collected rain water, building with clay instead of cement, using solar energy so that their basic living condition provides a chance of a better life.

December 2010