“Habitat for Humanity built this beautiful house with us. It is a dream come true. My children don’t let me work now. With this home, I have finally found peace. Now, I spend my free time knitting and looking after the house,” says Sandhya Devi
“There were many nights I went off to sleep with only tomatoes in my stomach. They were vegetable leftovers from the groceries I sold at the market. With my children Ashok, Santosh, Munni, and Kiran to take care of, I had no money to support my family leave alone money for a decent home,” says Sandhya Devi.

Sandhya Devi was among the thousands of families relocated from the slums of Kirti Nagar. To rehabilitate them, a small plot of land was allotted in Rohini (Delhi).
There Sandhya put together mounds of bricks to build a temporary wall. She built the roof with the little savings she had.
She had separated from her alcoholic husband who returned to their native in Bihar. 10 years since their mother’s separation, Sandhya’s children Santosh (28) and Ashok (21) now work at a mall in Dwarka bringing in much-needed income to run the family. But it was still never enough and they were still living in the ramshackle structure.

When Bank of America and Habitat India joined hands to provide housing for families with special needs in Delhi, Sandhya was among the 30 families identified as future homeowners. Habitat helped Sandhya and her family to build a new home equipped with a room and kitchen in the ground floor, and a room with a toilet on the upper floor. Her house was completed in December 2018 and Sandhya moved in with her family in the month of January 2019.

"If there is one thing that can immediately help individuals and families break the shackles of poverty and set them on a path to improved health, better education, long-term success, and career advancement – it is owning a home. I am sure this is the beginning of a better life for each one of them. We are honored to have Habitat for Humanity as our partner in this remarkable journey,” says Richard F. Farrand, Chief Operating Officer, Global Business Services, Bank of America.