ReliefWeb

Khaleghi lived in Sarjungle, a village near Bam, with his wife and 2-year old son, his mother and his nephew. As the earthquake struck the region on 26th December 2003, it took away all his family but his wife. A mason by profession, Khaleghi was severely injured in the earthquake and lost one leg, which caused him to loose his job, since "no employer would want to hire a one-legged mason", he says.

As Medair started to rebuild houses in the region of Bam, Khaleghi was rapidly identified as a beneficiary, for which he and his wife were very happy. Our objective is to provide houses to over 400 families that have been affected by the disaster.

Medair works closely with the Iranian authorities to reach this target.

While Medair provides the frame and the structure, the Iranian Housing Foundation gives a loan and a grant to the beneficiaries. This grant will enable the beneficiary to pay for the materials and the labour costs so that Medair can complete the house.

Since Khaleghi only earns about $37 a month and could not afford to buy the materials himself, he and his wife have had to live in a little tent for 8 months until the Iranian authorities finally approved his grant.

Early this year, Khaleghi was informed that he would be receiving his loan from the Iranian Housing Foundation. With the help of Medair he was able to complete his home and has now got a place to live in and start a new life. Khaleghi and his wife received their house's keys the first week of March, just in time for the arrival of their new baby boy in May.