Jang Keu: Dream of happy houses

Jang Keu, President of the Song Foundation

It is the sharing by Jang Keu, President of the Song Foundation, in interview granted to our reporter. The Song Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps build new weather-resilient housing in regions frequently stricken by natural disasters. This project, established in November 2013, and after 7 years of development, has successfully supported local residents to build more than 900 safe houses, opening up livelihood opportunities for the residents in flood areas.

- What led you to the anti-flood housing project?

In 2009, the Central region experienced a historic flood, and I and a group of my friends went to help in Dai Loc district, Quang Nam province. Everywhere was ruined, but what I most haunted was the lifeless gaze of an old man when he saw the mud-covered floor, even the altar was washed away. The flood wrapped all of the things, not only properties but also beliefs. It made me realize: If you continue to donate clothes, food or even money, the next floods will still take away everything the local residents.

Since then, I have planned to build a house that can cope with floods, ensuring a long-term safety plan. Until 2013, I happened to see an image on social media, it is a 100-year-old house placed on six sturdy concrete columns in the middle of the water. That is the work of Prof. Tong Tran Tung, an expert on lightweight materials, for a neighbor in Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province. I wonder how a 100-year-old bungalow can still exist peacefully in floods for decades? And I am even more surprised when the cost of building a housing frame with 6 concrete columns and a concrete staircase is only about VND 25 million.

- How did the anti-flood housing project start? What difficulties did you face and how to deal with them?

The first hazard is to change local residents’ mindset of giving and receiving. They were accustomed to the given homes, with no effort to make it. The anti-flood housing is not a charity project but is a housing project to be done by local residents with the help of the community. Thanks to that, they get the feeling: "It is their homes, they need to be responsible for it".

We met and selected those who have no homes, houses were collapsed or swept away by the floods to help them. We encourage them to find ways to build a house, the community’s help, discussions with their children and family to see how many bricks are left in the old house... Such ways let local residents trust us.

The anti-flood housing project took much time to get local residents' trust and local authorities' accompanying. And the biggest change came people's minds.

An anti-flood housing in Quang Nam province

- Did you ever think that with a larger budget, the number of anti-flood housing models would multiply faster?

The anti-flood housing project has been released for almost seven years, but it can be the most talked about in 2020. Over the past year, we saw social anxieties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent natural disasters, all of which can come at any time and can take the life of anyone regardless of rich or poor, as well as social status.

The year 2020 also "taught" us not only how to find the fastest, most developed, richest, most successful ways, but also the most sustainable and peaceful journey.

Therefore, if it is only donations for local residents, it is really simple; the anti-flood housing is not only against floods but also against compromise, surrender, and dependence.

- In the coming time, what are your plans to replicate the anti-flood housing model?

Built by reciprocal capital, the anti-flood houses cannot be massively replicated. We have also encountered a lot of human problems such as there are many architects, but those who have enough patience to listen to every aspiration of local residents, to deeply understand each of their situations, living habits... to design suitable anti-flood houses, are really rare. Therefore, it is difficult to exponentially increase the number of floodproof houses to satisfy real needs.

However, this model can be replicated by those who have received help, or by other organizations. And we are ready to advise and accompany local residents in building anti-flood houses. Our sustainable goal is that by 2023 all models of safe anti-flood housing can be fully implemented across Vietnam.

- You once shared yourself as a woman with the desire to create life. What life do you aim for? Is it a life of more lasting, sustainable value?

I always inspire to create something new, in the way of sustainable development. I see society in three most important aspects: people, nature, and culture. I want to create a community in which people are truly happy, connected. Such a society will be a happy one, and such happiness will be green.