Zhang
Shuhong, Homepartner, Yunnan Province
Xundian Hui Minority Autonomous County is one of the poorest counties in Yunnan Province. Lishunao is a beautiful village and the residents here are Miao people, who usually reside in mountain villages. Lishunao is an isolated village, which is dominated by steeply sloped hillsides with half the land being flat and the other half being sloped. The village is home to ten hardworking and friendly agrarian families. The staple crop is corn while they also raise livestock such as pigs, chickens, cows and sheep. Villagers begin farm work at sunrise and finish at sunset, and continue to uphold traditional agricultural practices and values.
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In this rural village the majority of the houses have been constructed using wood and mud. Health, climate, security and lighting are daily concerns. Zhang Shuhong's and his family of three subsisted amid the poor, substandard housing conditions. Zhang Shuhong, his wife Lu Xiuzhen, and their two year-old son lived in a two room house measuring just square metres. The home had an earthen floor and un-plastered walls, one of which was being propped up by a stick to prevent it from collapsing. The families here often cook and sleep in the same room. The burning of firewood for cooking fuel produced a thick smoke, which filled the space and blackened the walls. Only two small holes existed for smoke to escape. When you enter one of these homes in the middle of the day yours need to adjust to the overwhelming darkness. How can the villagers escape such poor conditions?
The villagers of Lishunao partnered with Habitat fro Humanity China in February 2003 to work together to improve their housing conditions. Zhang Shuhong was selected as one of first three candidates from this community to build a new home.
Today, Zhang Shuhong has his own house.
Standing in front of his new home, Zhang Shuhong said emotionally, “This is unbelievable, I never thought I could have my own house built so quickly, it would take me five or then years to build it on my own. Thanks to Habitat for Humanity my dream has come true ten years early. Now I can move into my new house and I will no longer worry about building my new house. Instead I can think about more and do other things. I believe that our life will get better and better.”
Looking at his new house and his family, he smiled happily.
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