Home is where the heart is

I met Mr Prasopchock in Pathumt Thani, Thailand recently. No matter how times I’ve interviewed partner families for Habitat for Humanity, it’s something I never cease looking forward to. So naturally, I was excited to talk to Mr Prasopchock and see how having a home had impacted his life.

But Mr Prasopchock was one hard nut to crack. Firstly, interviewing partner families always has some level of difficulty. You’re speaking through a translator and things no doubt get lost along the way. It’s almost guaranteed when you ask something like, “how does having a new, safe home feel,” you’ll get the response like, “I like it” and that’s all. As a Commuications person, I am essentially always after that killer quote – something that hit home and makes you think “Whoa. I want to be part of that.” So it takes a great deal of patience and lots and lots of questions which are culturally appropriate to unravel the story and get those inspiring quotes.

Despite my best efforts Mr Prasopchock was the toughest person I’ve ever had to interview. He was blocking every question. He was determined not to throw me a bone. However, despite his stand off nature, along the way I was able to learn a lot about Mr Prasopchock and found out that he had fallen on some tough times. He was struggling to find steady work and this was putting a huge strain on him. He had also recently separated with his wife, who initially instigated partnering with Habitat so the family could have a new home. Mr Prasopchock’s eldest daughter went to live with his wife, and while his youngest daughter stayed with him, she was quickly growing up and beginning to have her own life.

So it really was a bit of an emotional minefield and as I spoke to Mr Prasopchock, I started to realise behind his hard exterior was a very sensitive man. He just wanted his family back together. In their home. It was heart breaking.

In the end, although I didn’t get the quote I was after from Mr Prasopchock, observing him in his home allowed me to learn so much about him. And there was one interaction in particular that stayed with me. At one point during our conversation, Mr Prasopchock’s ginger cat, Som strolled into the house. Som lay on the floor in front of Mr Prasopchock, lazily stretched out on the solid concrete floor and pawed at his feet. Mr Prasopchock’s reached out with both hands and cradled Som in his arms. A huge smile lit up his face. Not long after Mr Prasopchock’s youngest daughter arrived home. She sat next to him and Som and that warm energy grew even stronger. He sat next to her like a proud father, looking on encouragingly yet protectively as we asked her some questions. Mr Prasopchock then showed us around his home. He pointed out the trees he had planted. The bananas he had grown. The vegetables he shares with his neighbours. You could feel the love he had for his garden. This home, despite all the family had been through, was his happy space. It was still his sanctuary. A place where he can be himself and a place for his family to come together – and for Mr Prasopchock, that’s just what home means to him. In the end, that smile on his face as he held Som lovingly in front of his home, was all and more that I needed.