On 8 March 2022, Wednesday, we partnered with corporate supporter P&G to commemorate International Women’s Day the best way we knew how – serving our female homeowners through a series of Project HomeWorks sessions!
It was such a meaningful time spent bedbug busting and restoring the homes of 3 amazing female homeowners in the process.
One thing in common which had us inspired by all 3 homeowners? All of them were their family’s sole caretakers and their incredible perseverance which kept their heads up even amidst difficulty was really something to be in awe of.
Mdm Zaiton
70-year-old Mdm Zaiton is the sole caretaker of her daughter, who suffers from cerebral palsy. Around 3 years ago, Mdm Zaiton discovered that her 1-room rental flat was infested with bedbugs, which would incessantly bite her daughter. The resultant stress kept Mdm Zaiton up at night trying to find and kill the bedbugs, a feat she was unsuccessful at.
Exhaustion crept into daily life, which was further exacerbated by her own medical conditions and the constant supervision her daughter required. Expressing her excitement for a bedbug free home, Mdm Zaiton shared:
“I am so happy that the volunteers are coming to help me. Else, I cannot do it alone. I will have no more stress, and we can finally live comfortably without bedbugs. I am looking forward to freedom!”
Mdm Lim
82-year-old Mdm Lim is also the sole full-time caretaker of her 2 sons who both have intellectual disability. Despite her age, she tries her best to upkeep the condition of her home, on top of caring for her children. However, the family discovered a bedbug infestation in the home, which Mdm Lim was unable to tackle alone.
As such she was linked up with Habitat Singapore to eradicate the infestation. When asked how she felt about having the support of volunteers such as P&G helping with the bedbug preventive works, she shared that since she is in her old age, she is thankful for all the help rendered and will do her best to work with the volunteers to make her home bedbug-free once more.
P&G volunteer Farhaan, expressed how he was impacted by Mdm Lim:
“Mdm Lim is elderly, but she perseveres in taking care of the household, and her children as well who are in good health. What I learnt from her is to never give up no matter what life throws you. That’s why I’m inspired by her.”
Ms K
Ms K is the sole caretaker of her elderly parents who both have complete hearing and speech impairment, and low mobility. The family has been living with a bedbug infestation for the last 4 months which have caused them discomfort.
As Ms K works 6 days a week, she has been unable to find the time to declutter and rid the bedbug issue by herself, alongside concerns about the cost and effort required to complete the difficult task of eradication. Working with Habitat and the P&G volunteers has reassured her that the task, while tedious, is possible, and that she will be well supported throughout the process.
Our P&G Champions
“To be honest, I’m scared of bedbugs. But we’ll go through the whole process of overcoming the bedbugs together.” – P&G Volunteer Wendy
It was the determination to serve and to make an impact despite personal fears and uncertainty of the task ahead which made it such a privilege to partner with volunteers from P&G.
A big thank you to all 3 teams who gave their heart, sweat and energy to supporting our female homeowners on this very special day! And we hope that meeting the homeowners and learning about their story of grit and resilience inspired you too. As P&G volunteer Yohanna shared:
“Looking at how the older generation live a very simple kind of life, persevering and taking care of their children, maybe without their partner… They give us hope that in life, sometimes all we just need to do is persevere.”
With help from partners such as P&G, these homeowners are on their way to achieving positive outcomes made possible by having a decent place to live. With your support, more homeowners will achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.
For corporate partnership opportunities, please contact us at info@habitat.org.sg!