“Our new home inspires me and my sister to study harder.” - Jyotiprabha Barik, Class 9, Government Upper Primary School, Achyutpur.

Arati Barik (40) has been an active Self-Help Group member with the NGO Gram Utthan for the last 8 years. Her husband Harihar Barik (45) works as a security guard in a stone crushing unit and earns Rs 5,000 monthly. Arati makes incense sticks at home and sells it, earning between INR 1,300 to 1,500 per month. She also works as a cook in the Government Upper Primary School in Achyutpur, earning INR 2,000 per month. Arati and Harihar have two daughters and one son – Jyotiprabha (14), Kiranprabha (12) and Omm Gyana Prakash (10).

Arati enrolled for the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (PMAY) to realise her dream of building a home for the family. She received a subsidy of INR 1,30,000 and began the construction of her home in April 2015. She completed the brick wall and roof of the house with the amount. However, due to lack of funds, the construction work stopped in February 2016. Sometime later, in a village level group meeting, she learnt about the financial assistance that Kalyan Jewellers and Habitat for Humanity Housing Project were providing to help families complete their unfinished homes. After the credit assessment, a financial assistance for INR 50,000 was approved for Arati’s family in September 2017. Their house was completed within one month.

“I cannot express my happiness. I never imagined that I could complete the house so quickly. I always wished to improve the income and living condition of my family, and help my children focus on their studies. This new Habitat home has brought joy and happiness to my family!”