Creating an Accessible Home for Mr. Mo’unga in Tonga

Feeling safe and comfortable at home is a basic need. However, for Mr. Mo’unga, living on Tongatapu, Tonga, his 43-year-old house no longer met those needs.

As an older person who uses a wheelchair, the house presented major challenges. Mr. Mo’unga couldn’t leave his home or use the washroom without being physically carried down the steps by his family. The bathroom was also unsafe; the shower floor was uneven and low, requiring him to step down to use it.

Through a partnership between Talitha Project and Habitat for Humanity New Zealand, vital accessibility improvements were made to help Mr. Mo’unga live with greater dignity and independence. Cement ramps were built at the front door and washroom, the shower floor was levelled and tiled, and a new showerhead was installed to make daily use easier and safer for the whole household.

“The ramp is really helpful,” says his daughter, Nadeein.

“When taking him to hospital it’s now easier because of the ramp. Especially in a rush.”

In addition, a spare room was transformed into Mr Mo’unga’s bedroom. Once a hole in the roof was repaired and the walls were rebuilt, he was finally able to move out of the shared living space and into a private room of his own.

The home that has served Mr Mo’unga’s family for the past four decades has now been repaired to meet their needs in the present and can be a safe space for the years ahead.

This repair is one of several made possible through Talitha Project’s partnership with Habitat. Talitha Project’s wider mission is to empower young women; their youth mentors carried out surveys that identified which families needed support and what type of repairs would be most effective. By empowering youth and ensuring everyone has a decent place to live, this project combined the missions of both organisations to make an impact in the community.