With their limited savings, they managed to build a partially brick single room, while the rest of the structure, including the living room and kitchen, was constructed using used roofing sheets and plywood.

Another chapter in Saadhuna’s life began when her husband suffered an injury, leaving her responsible for providing for the family. During this period, Saadhuna tried to manage household expenses by making thatch, but her efforts fell short of covering the day-to-day expenses.

The struggling family came to our attention through one of our island administrators, prompting us to initiate the verification process. Witnessing the heartbreaking living situation firsthand, we realized the extent of their hardships.

The house consisted of a 14×12 ft room, a kitchen, and a sitting room. The walls were not plastered, and there was no ceiling. The flooring was torn, with plywood pieces placed on bare areas for the children to sleep on. The only mattress had sagged and thinned due to extensive use, while the pillows and bedsheets were old and worn out.

Saadhuna expressed her distress, saying, “This single mattress is being used by my youngest four children, while the eldest three children and I sleep on the floor… It was heartbreaking for me to see all of them cramped up and struggling to sleep due to body pain and agonizing heat.” 

The wardrobes they used to store their belongings had broken doors and drawers, forcing them to resort to baskets and cardboard boxes. The children had a small cupboard near the entrance to store their school books and important documents.

Since there was only one room in the house, it was not suitable for everyone to sleep in the same place. Saadhuna’s husband slept on a single bed in the storage space outside the sitting room. A thin plywood partition separated the sitting room and bedroom, with no door installed.

Saadhuna revealed her concerns, saying, “We still have not been able to put up a door to the bedroom. My husband has been out of the island for work, and I am scared to even leave the children at home because I worry for their safety and protection.”

The only toilet was separate from the house, and the bathroom lock had been broken for months. Additionally, the septic tank frequently got clogged, forcing them to go to the beach for bathroom use, regardless of the weather or time.

Most of the house structure was still made of roofing sheets and plywood. The walls built with bricks were left unplastered, resulting in constant trouble from various insects.

“Since the walls are not completely plastered, a lot of insects get inside the house. The most frightening thing is finding insects such as centipedes crawling on me or the children when I woke up in the middle of the night,” Saadhuna explained.

When we walked into the kitchen, we noticed that they did not have any means of storage or organizing in the kitchen. The gas cylinder was under the table where the stove was kept. Saadhuna mentioned that she felt quite uneasy about the cylinder being there as the youngest two children often went near it. There was not a single piece of furniture in the house that was safe and usable.

One of the biggest struggles Saadhuna faced was leakage from the roof during the rainy season, which flooded the house and caused damage to the furniture, household items, and the children’s books. Saadhuna and her children had spent countless nights in the dark because of the poor and old electric wiring in the house.

With all the dust around the house, the eldest two children, who suffered from asthma, had a hard time, and their medical condition deteriorated. Despite working tirelessly day and night, the couple had been unable to provide a safe environment for the children.

When we looked at Saadhuna and her husband’s struggles, we saw a couple who worked endlessly to provide a better future for their children. We saw parents who sacrificed everything they had to secure a bright future for their children. They were in dire need of help and assistance from us.