Doctor offers up a portion of his retirement fund to build a home for his star employee, Habitat for Humanity joined and she moved in over the weekend.
Delft, South Africa (24 February 2020) – Lulama Gomana, 54, moved into her own home this weekend and it was all thanks to her employer, Dr Raoul Goldberg and Habitat for Humanity.
Lulama joined Dr Goldberg at his practice in 1995 in her position as cleaner and cook. Over the years, she proved herself to be “the heart of the clinic” as she has been upskilled through training courses and gained institutional knowledge alongside Dr Goldberg’s care.
Today, she manages the dispensary and “is the only one who can read the doctor’s writing”. The team have formed a very close friendship over the years of mutual respect and admiration.
Dr Goldberg heard that part of Lu’s home had been damaged in a storm and he couldn’t rest easy knowing her living conditions.
“How can I rest peacefully in my home when I know that others are sleeping in a wet bed? There is no holier than thou. We are all humans,” Dr Goldberg comments.
Willing to put his money where his heart is, Dr Goldberg started investigating his options as to how to offer Lulama a hand up and out of her shelter poverty. He offered her a portion of his retirement savings towards the building of a house. Lulama, fortunately, owned the serviced site that her family lives on, so it was just the structure that needs to be funded and built.
A patient and mutual friend gifted his time in the design and approval of house plans and building contractors were approached. For two and a half years, however, the project hit constant obstacles as builders disappeared and quotes beyond their means were received.
They joined forces with Habitat for Humanity and finally made progress on Lu’s home. Ground was broken in January and Lu received the keys to her new home on Friday. Dr Goldberg and Dana, who originally contacted Habitat for Humanity, joined Lu on her exciting day.
Dr Raoul and Lulama’s story has encouraged other employers to start a conversation with their domestic workers and Habitat for Humanity SA has been receiving emails requesting how others can do the same. South Africa is a country with much diversity and many challenges; but when it counts, may no one ever fault it on its incredible resilience of heart.
If your employee owns a serviced site/land and needs assistance with building the top structure, there is something that you can do to change their family’s lives for generations to come. Contact Habitat for Humanity SA to find out more about Habitat SA’s Domestic Worker Employer-supported Housing Project and let’s see what we can build together: build@habitat.org.za
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