After living in thatched-roof houses for generations, the people in Chhiphoong in Pema Gatshel now have proper homes to call their own. It’s all thanks to the Rural Economy Advance Programme of Tarayana Foundation.
The programme helped the villagers build better homes by providing construction materials free of cost. The households were also given Nu 24,000 each to pay labour charges.
Having a better roof over their heads has made their lives comfortable like never before. “We are able to sleep better,” Drupchu, one of the beneficiaries, said.
“We are also able to maintain better hygiene, which means lesser illness not just in the families but also in the community.”
For a community that lived in thatched-roof houses since the time of their grandparents, owing a better home is a dream come true. There is a world of difference between the homes they lived before and ones they now live in. “There were no roads and we used banana leaves to roof our houses, which used to leak when it rained,” Drupchu said.
“My old house was built by my grandparents and there was no proper roof,” Dorji Wangmo, another beneficiary, said. “We wanted to buy CGI sheets but couldn’t afford it.”
“We would sleep in the dust,” recalls Tshering Wangchuk.
Tarayana Foundation, through its Rural Economy Advance Programme, constructed 14 houses in Chhiphoong.
