Every safe, affordable home sparks wider change. For Hendro and his family, that means better education and economic opportunities.

Both Hendro and his wife Erta had high school education. “As parents, we want our children to have better opportunities and careers. We work so hard it’s like breaking bones,” Erta says.

“I’m surprised that my children could have better education. They make us proud,” Hendro says.

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The couple first partnered with Habitat for Humanity Indonesia in 2005 to build their own home. They were among 10 families who contributed their labor to building each other’s homes under a now defunct program known as “Save and Build.” Each family also repaid a 9 million rupiah (over US$500) mortgage loan within two to three years. 

Compared to when they first moved in almost 20 years ago, their original two-room home is now bigger and more comfortable. Hendro has increased living space by constructing three more rooms as well as building an additional toilet and a store room. He continues to work in the construction sector while Erta runs a home-based business that sells groceries as well as gas canisters for household cooking.

Foundation for education

Their eldest son Santo is now 25 years old and works as a construction supervisor with Habitat for Humanity Indonesia because of his interest in addressing the intense heat on Batam. The opening came via a job ad on LinkedIn for a construction supervisor for Habitat Indonesia’s work in passive cooling design. “The temperature can rise to 40 degrees Celsius. If a metallic roof is used, it makes the house very hot and uncomfortable for people. I want families to have a better life,” Santo says.

He adds, “I love construction. I’ve been making things such as chicken cages made of wood since I was young. I used to follow my father to the construction site. Perhaps I was influenced by him.”

He went on to study architecture at the Duta Wacana Christian University in Yogyakarta. His thesis on building a dive resort with bamboo in a coastal area in Batam was highly rated by his professor, according to Santo. His professor had recommended him for a Masters degree course in architecture but he decided not to pursue it. “Working for the community is better as I can see the impact,” Santo says. His mother Erta quips, “He knows his place well.”

Santo’s younger brother, 22, is studying power plant engineering while his sister, 19, is awaiting admission to a university after graduating from high school. 

Since 1997, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia has been working with families like Hendro and Erta to build or improve a place they call home. Through multisector partnerships, Habitat builds resilient homes with communities, strengthens policies and inspires action for housing. Learn more at habitatindonesia.org

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