Zambia is landlocked and sparsely populated by more than 70 ethnic groups. It has some spectacular scenery, including the Victoria Falls along the Zambezi River, the Bangweulu swamps and the Luangwa river valley. However two-thirds of the population struggle to survive on less than $1 a day. 80% of the Zambian population live below the poverty line and close to 58% is classified as being ‘extremely poor’. The poor continue to lack access to one or more of the basic necessities such as adequate food, health and educational facilities, safe water, clothing and shelter.
The poor of Zambia have been badly affected in recent years by external shocks: drought in 2002, HIV/AIDS and an economic downturn made worse by the slump in copper prices.
The impact and the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS have been particularly severe and around 1.2 million Zambians are now infected with AIDS and almost 600,000 orphans have been orphaned by AIDS. The loss of lives through AIDS in turn leads to an increase in the number of child-headed families that are often left without proper financial means to support themselves or the ability to maintain existing houses.
With so many people living in poverty, substandard housing is an overwhelming challenge. Most families live in makeshift tents with no proper roofing and mud walled and thatch roofs or inadequately constructed brick houses. Overcrowding exists in the majority of these houses, and a lack of natural light and ventilation are common problems, causing illness and other socially oriented problems.
Habitat for Humanity Zambia has been actively building in Zambia since 1984 and to date over 2000 families have been served across various communities. It is currently working in four provinces of Zambia i.e. Lusaka, Central, Copperbelt and Western Provinces.
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Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit, non-sectarian housing organization demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ in partnership with families in need, without discrimination according to religion, race or tribe. Habitat for Humanity International seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
Habitat for Humanity Zambia is part of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat for Humanity welcomes to the table partners from any faith – or no faith – to work together in partnership to help build houses for families in need.
The concept for Habitat for Humanity was forged in the river port city of Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of Congo, when the founder, Millard Fuller, and his wife Linda began a low-cost housing project in the early 1970’s. The construction of the first house in October 1974 blossomed into the movement, which now works in more than 60 countries worldwide.
While HFHI is headquartered in Americus, Georgia in the USA, the area office for Africa and the Middle East is located in Pretoria, South Africa. The area office provides training, technical expertise and support in fund-raising to the national organizations in the region. However, the actual work of Habitat is carried out at the community level by affiliates that have been officially approved by the HFHI Board of Directors. The members of the International Board of Directors (IBOD) are volunteers from around the world who share a deep concern for the problems of poverty housing.
Vision
“Habitat for Humanity Zambia driven by the Love of Jesus Christ envisages a Zambia where everyone has a decent house to live in.”
Mission
Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with people in need by building and renovating houses so that there are decent communities in which every person can experience God's love and can live and grow into all that God intends.
The mission and vision have again influenced the mission principles which govern the everyday decision making of HFH International and HFH Zambia.
Mission principles: in all that we do in pursuing the mission of habitat for humanity, we pledge to:
- Demonstrate the love and teachings of Jesus Christ.
We will act in all ways in accord with the belief that God's love and grace abound for all; that every human life is priceless; that we must never exploit another for our own profit; that Christ can multiply the miniscule to accomplish the magnificent; and that we act as faithful stewards of the resources we receive.
- Advocate on behalf of those in need of decent shelter.
We commit, as an integral part of our work, to communicating the needs of all people for safe and decent shelter, thereby engaging in deliberate efforts to leverage change within society to eliminate restraints that contribute to poverty and poverty housing.
- Focus on shelter by building and renovating, simple, decent, affordable houses.
We have chosen, as our means of manifesting God's love, to build adequate and durable homes with those in need of shelter, carrying out the belief that safe and affordable housing is a basic human right and a fundamental component of dignity and long term well being for every person on earth.
- Engage broad community through inclusive leadership and diverse partnerships.
We will work in people-to-people partnership. Following Christ's example, we believe that everyone – regardless of race, nationality, religion or socioeconomic status – can work together for the good of all; that everyone can unite behind serving those in need within a human community; and that everyone has something to contribute to the work of building houses and hope.
- Promote dignity through full partnership with habitat homeowners and future home partners.
We put into practice the belief that healthy self-regard – and the benefits that derive from that sense of worth – is promoted not simply by living in an adequate house, but by fully contributing to the process of acquiring that house and by the opportunity to help others also acquire adequate shelter. Promoting dignity also refers to the non discriminatory selection of all home partners based on need and willingness to partner.
- Promote transformational and sustainable community development.
We view our work as successful when it promotes holistic and lasting positive change within a community; when it helps empower those who have been powerless; when it is based on mutual trust and fully shared accomplishment; when it prompts improved relationships among all peoples; when the goal is local, community leadership for ongoing work; and when it demonstrates respectful stewardship of all human, economic and natural resources.
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