The recent typhoon HaiKui has brought strong winds and heavy rains across Taiwan. "Home" is supposed to protect us from the wind and rain, but for some families, this is not the case. Dilapidated houses often lead to water leakage when wind and rain come, posing a threat to safety, hygiene, and quality of living. In order to help the disadvantaged families in remote areas to have a safe living environment, the Southern District Assistive Technology Resources Center of Hsinchu County Government and the Decent House Renovation Team of Eden Foundation came to Qionglin Township on the 7th of September to repair the home for one family that a number of members with disabilities, so that they don't have to worry about their home anymore during the typhoons.

The Decent House Renovation Team of Eden came to repair the home for one family that a number of members with disabilities in Qionglin Township.

Ah Sung's family consists of three generations with seven members living under the same roof. With the exception of their 6-year-old grandson, all of them are persons with mildly or moderately intellectual disabilities, and rely on subsidies and material assistance to meet their basic living expenses. 71-year-old Ah Song, who had undergone lung surgery and heart stenting operation many years ago, is in poor health, and his eyesight is deteriorating rapidly as a result of macular degeneration and cataracts in his eyes. However, due to the poor living environment of his home, with serious water leakage from the walls and roof, and the difference in height in the bathrooms, his life is very difficult and he is exposed to dangers from time to time.

After the Southern District Assistive Technology Resources Center of Hsinchu County Government understood the needs of Ah Sung's family and helped them in applying for the Long-Term Care House Accessibility Improvement Subsidy to install handrails in the bathrooms to prevent them from slipping and falling. At the same time, the Center linked up with the Decent House Renovation Team of Eden to carry out roofing repair, ceiling reinforcement, wall painting, and electrical circuit repair works. From the assessment to the construction, teams from different professional fields worked hand in hand and did not hesitate to select safe and durable materials to create a safe living space for the family, hoping that a clean and comfortable environment would enhance the quality of life for the family.

Eden Screwdriver volunteer Team cleaned the house for one family that a number of members with disabilities.

"Thanks to you, our home is different now." Ah Sung said with emotion as he watched the repair volunteers going in and out of the house.  Ms. Pei-ling Lu, Chief of Section, Southern District Assistive Technology Resources Center, Hsinchu County Government, said that because of their physical and financial conditions, it is not easy for the families that a number of members with disabilities to maintain a basic living, and they often have more than they can handle in terms of the safety and cleanliness of their home environment. Therefore, by linking up the resources of various professional fields and focusing on lifestyle, the service can be closer to the diverse needs of the families, so as not to let the home become the "most dangerous" place for the persons with disabilities.

Mrs. Ah Sung thanked the Eden Decent House Renovation Team for repairing their home so that they could live without fear.

Mr. Marco Shen, Director, Accessible Housing Development Center, Eden Foundation, said that during the typhoon season, the successive typhoon disasters have put many disadvantaged families in remote areas in danger. In order to help the senior citizens and disadvantaged families to have a secure and sheltered home, Eden set up a Decent House Renovation Team in 2017, and trained the Screwdriver Volunteer Team to carry out accessible repair and renovation services for families in need throughout Taiwan, and has completed nearly 3,500 cases so far. This time, we would like to thank the 12 volunteers from ZhenYu Hardware Company Limited for their assistance, and for their dedication despite the sweltering heat. If you have a need for home repair services or are interested in join as one of the Eden Screwdriver Volunteer Team, please call the hotline at +886-2-8935-2700.

After the typhoon, Hsinchu County Government and Eden to repaired the home for family that a number of members with disabilities.