Underprivileged family to get a new home

A FAMILY of six from Kg Lumapas B, Mukim Lumapas, will soon have a home to call their own as the construction for their new house started yesterday with the foundation laying ceremony.

Hj Mohammad Fadillah Hj Mohammad Salleh was overjoyed at the prospect of having a new home as his old dilapidated house was deemed unsafe and has now been demolished.

"I am grateful for the support given by the authorities in providing me and my kids a comfortable place to live in," said Hj Mohammad Fadillah, who told The Brunei Times that he sought assistance straight from the village head of Kg Lumapas B.

Hj Mohammad Fadillah, who is currently working for a company in Gadong as an air-conditioner repairman, earns a mere $500 a month and is the sole breadwinner of the family.

With his income not being enough to provide for his family's basic needs, Hj Mohammad Fadillah was unable to afford the repairs to his old house which, being in a dire state, meant the family was on the verge of losing their one and only home.

His wife is a homemaker and looks after his four children, the eldest of which is now six years old and studying in Lumapas Primary School.

The family finally received financial support from the Brunei-Muara District Office, the Department of Community Development (Japem), the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (Muib) and Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (YSHHB).

Out of the $29,000 granted to Hj Mohammad Fadillah's family, $15,000 was donated by Muib, $5,000 from Japem, $5,000 from YSHHB and the remaining $4,000 was given by the Brunei-Muara District Office from its charity fund.

The new house, expected to be completed in a month, will have two rooms, a living room, a kitchen and a toilet.

The site for the new house is located next to the site of the family's old home.

The project was part of the district office's efforts in aiding those in dire circumstances, especially poor families.

At the moment, Hj Mohammad Fadillah and his family are staying at his in-laws home in Kg Ayer, until the construction of his new home is completed.

The Brunei Times