It was all started with the same vision of caring. Petra Christian University (PCU) as an institution of higher
learning and Habitat for Humanity Indonesia (HfHI) – a non governmental organization have started a
collaboration to work together to build healthy homes for Siwalankerto community. Siwalankerto is where PCU
is located and wherein some of low-income families live in unhealthy homes. As part of the community, PCU is
aware of its role and responsibility to take part in the solution. Getting to know HfHI and its mission of building
‘a healthy home where everyone has a decent place to live’ has driven PCU strongly to support HfHI work
started from Siwalankerto. This collaboration is still at the early stage and has been agreed that PCU support
will be through service – learning done by Architectural and Civil Engineering students. Several preparations
have been done to make this building project and the service – learning classes to be ready for the coming
semester. A meeting between teaching staffs of the responding classes with HfHI staffs has been held to discuss
the involvement of the students in the building project. PCU has also facilitated a meeting with community
leaders to socialise this project and asked for their involvement in the selection and recommendation of houses.
Initial surveys of houses to match the criteria (house condition and level of income) have been done both by
PCU and HfHI. The next phase is involving students from Architectural and Civil Engineering who will work as
a team in the building project. It is not only PCU and HfHI will benefit from this project of service – learning but
also the community. For PCU, this project creates an opportunity for PCU students to serve and participate in
the development of Siwalankerto community through practicing what they have learned in the classroom and
also strengthens university-community relationship. As for HfHI, it helps provide volunteers to work together to
complete the project. For Siwalankerto community, particularly the low-income families, they will find a new
hope in the form of decent and affordable housing.
