Mrs. Fumiko Goto, 77, lives in Misato, Miyagi. When the Great Earthquake struck the area, her house was severely damaged; windows shattered, walls cracked and came off. After the earthquake, she was given a subsidy to repair the windows. She moved back to the house with her mother-in-law soon after.
Mrs. Goto's main sources of income are the money she earns from rice that she harvests herself and her pension. With a sizable amount of mortgage still to be paid, she had not been able to repair the damages not covered by the subsidy. "Winters have been especially tough" Mrs. Goto reminisced.
That's when she came across Habitat Japan's flyer about the home repair project.
"I saw the flyer and it just made so much sense - I immediately dialed the number. Assistance like this is exactly what we needed" says Mrs. Goto.
Habitat for Humanity decided to repair her house, especially the walls of the family living room where the damage was the biggest. The repair work was done by Habitat Japan staff and student volunteers.
"The students remind me of my grand kids - they are all so precious! I just loved having them around. Everyone worked so hard. I'll never forget this experience." says Mrs. Goto as she traces the now-clean wall with her fingers. "Thanks to all the help I got, today I'm no longer afraid to be home. Please come visit me soon, I'd love to spoil you and feed you!"
