KitKotak comes to the aid of Shukri, Siti Khadijah

Fatimah (front, fifth right) and Ting (standing left at door) and others pose in front of the container home. Also seen is Sarawak Islamic Education Service Bureau director Datu Dr Adi Badiozaman Tuah (standing right at door).

KUCHING: An old shipping container has been transformed into a compact house for a poor family

who has been living in very unsatisfactory condition for over a decade at Kampung Buntal near here.
The KitKotak unit, funded by Elica Sdn Bhd as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), is the first in Sarawak that aims to provide affordable accommodation for the poor.

Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah and Elica managing director Bobby Ting  handed over the keys to the re-purposed container home to Shukeri Abdul Wahed and his wife Siti Khadijah Kawi and their five children yesterday.
“I think this is a great idea that not only offers a solution to housing needs of the very poor but also good from an environmental perspective, or else the abandoned container will be left as scrap metal,” Fatimah said
She said 23,928 applications had been received for housing assistance from 2011 until 2016 under the e-Kasih programme.
“Up until now, only 7,738 applicants under the hardcore poor and poor categories have been approved, while 16,190 are still waiting for the assistance,” she said.
The KitKotak home offers a living space for a family of up to eight people within a 20-foot equivalent unit.
It can be delivered to site ready for immediate occupancy and can be customised to suit the available plot.
Depending on site conditions, the foundations and height of the home can be adjusted to mitigate against flooding, sloping sites and so on.
The unit is also ready to connect up to available power and water supplies.
“The container home costs about RM30,000 to upcycle and place. It is equipped with basic facilities — toilet and shower, kitchen with fridge and a living area with television and a seating and storage unit which stores the family’s mattresses and bedding,” she added.
Additionally, the container unit has been designed to capture rain water from the angled roof where harvested rain water can be used to water fruit and vegetable plot in the vicinity.
The home is lit by natural light and a simple low energy lighting scheme runs the length of the ceiling with adequate power points and an electric fan provided.
Fatimah thus encouraged more developers and corporations to follow in the footsteps of Elica and do their part in providing a decent living space for the less-fortunate as part of efforts to give back to the community.
Elica plans to roll out 10 more KitKotak homes by the end of next year to benefit 10 families.
Fatimah, meanwhile, advised the couple to maintain the home properly to ensure a comfortable and clean living environment for them.
“As parents, you must also put more attention to your children’s studies because education is the key out of poverty,” she said.
Meanwhile, Shukeri and Siti Khadijah were extremely grateful to receive a more comfortable home to live in.
“We have been waiting for housing assistance for a very long time and we are surprised to receive a call about the project from Elica,” Siti Khadijah said.
At the simple handover of the KitKotak home yesterday, villagers and guests were treated to Food Chow — a food truck serving Mexican food like tacos, burgers, avocado fries and spaghetti.

 Reported By: Karen Bong, reporters@theborneopost.com

 * Note: Newspaper cut from The Borneo Post who has the copy right for the above article.