THREE families are now able to live more comfortably after their rundown homes were completely restored with assistance from the Brunei-Muara District Office and other contributors from other government agencies.
The handing over of the houses to their owners was held yesterday, led by Brunei-Muara District Officer Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yussof Bakar along with representatives from the Community Development Department (Japem) and the Islamic Religious Council (MUIB).
One of the house owners is Hassan Hashi, a resident of Kg Salar, Mukim Mentiri. Hassan, a pick-up truck driver with a private firm, sought financial assistance from the village head to restore his rundown home as he was unable to bear the overall cost of repairs.
“Even with the combination of my children’s earnings from their jobs, it was still insufficient to cover the cost of restoring our house, which was in bad condition for years and badly in need of repairs,” said the 58-year-old.
“The beams that supported the house were in the worst state. I feared that my home would collapse. Thankfully, it was not too late for the agencies to fix them,” he added.
The cost of restoration works, which amounted to $4,000, was borne by the Brunei-Muara District Office Charity Fund.
The second recipient was the family of Salehuddin Hj Putih in Kg Sungai Besar, Mukim Kota Batu, whose roof, beams and walls needed fixing.
Salehuddin said that the roof of his house was entirely ripped open by strong winds during heavy rains last year. The fire department had to temporarily cover his home with a canvas to protect the family from the sun and rain.
Salehuddin sought help from the authorities for financial aid to restore his roof as well as other areas of his house which badly needed repairs.
The $9,000 needed to pay for the restoration came from Japem, who donated $3,500, and the Brunei-Muara District Office Charity Fund.
“I thank the agencies who have given us the assistance in restoring our one and only home. The new roofing has given us the shade we need, and we can finally live with a peace of mind,” said Salehuddin, who lives in the house with 11 other family members.
A resident of Kg Serdang of Mukim Kota Batu was the third recipient who received the handover certificate to signify the completion of the repair works on his home.
Mohamat Tuan @ Morsidi is a retired government servant who currently depends on his children for financial support. He said that earnings from his children were not enough to bear the cost of repairing his house which was in a deteriorating state.
MUIB contributed $3,000 to the house repairs, while an additional $2,000 came through the Brunei-Muara District Office and another $2,000 from Japem. Repairs carried out on Morsidi’s house included the walls, ceilings, roofs and beams.
“Alhamdulillah, the aid has enabled us to live more comfortably. No longer do we have to place basins in our living rooms to fill the rainwater leaking through our roofs,” said the 61-year-old.
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