The day has finally dawned for 42-year-old Purkey Rai and her three special needs sons; they now have a place to call home. Opening Your Heart to Bhutan, a UK-based charity has made this dream come true for the family. Up until today, the single mother who is the sole bread earner in the family has been living in a semi-permanent structure with her three sons who all suffer from cerebral palsy.
Purkey Rai and her sons’ new home is at Gawaithang in Dekiling Gewog. The single-storeyed concrete structure with four rooms was built at a cost of around Nu 850,000.
So far, Purkey has been providing for her family by working on other’s farms and construction sites. Her sons, all in their twenties are recipients of His Majesty’s Kidu programme, which has significantly supported them in sustaining themselves.
Purkey bought the plot from her little savings and donations from her well-wishers. Getting a home has been life-changing for the family.
“I would like to thank our supporters for their immense help. Our lives have become a lot comfortable now. Otherwise, we had to put up with our relatives sometimes and sometimes we had to live in makeshift houses. However, they have been very nice to us, allowing us to occupy their house without rent. In the meantime, I have managed to buy a 10-decimal land. Now that we have a new home, everything is going well and my children are also very happy.”
Ugyen Tshering, the Country Representative of Opening Your Heart to Bhutan handed over the home to the family last week. He said after coming across the family, the charity organisation immediately discussed building a shelter for Purkey and her sons. The charity also provided them with household necessities.
“If there is no proper house for them, then their situation will be difficult. That’s why we immediately identified the 10-decimal land under Dekiling Gewog. Now they have a proper house to stay,” said Ugyen Tshering, the country representative of Opening Your Heart to Bhutan.
The organisation also sent the three brothers to the Draktsho Vocational Training Center for Special Children and Youth in Trashigang to learn vocational skills last year. However, they had to discontinue going to the institute due to their learning difficulties.
“We kept them at the institute the whole year in 2022 but because of their limited fine motor skills, they couldn’t continue at the institute. So, readying a home for them upon their return from the institute then became our priority,” added Ugyen Tshering.
The charity will now gift the family one or two jersey cows to sustain their livelihoods.
The family can now look forward to even brighter days. Their story of doom and gloom is behind them now as they rejoice in the love and support of the good Samaritans.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Kipchu
