Private companies invest in shack dweller communities

A recently introduced public private partnership (PPP) initiative has reported noteworthy progress in meeting its goal of building 91 houses within various communities before the end of the year.
The enterprise in March this year saw private entities Ohorongo Cement, the FNB Foundation and the Pupkewitz Foundation pledge a combined N$3 million to the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) and its long-term partner the Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG), in support of their community-driven efforts to house low-income families.
With pouring of the first foundations reported on Saturday, 16 July, the parties this week reported progress at the various sites where it is active, including Omaruru in the Erongo Region, Tsumeb in Oshikoto, Tsandi in Omusati and Otavi in Otjozondjupa.
In the latest development, construction at Otavi was said to have commenced this week, following approval of the necessary plans, while brickmaking remains in full swing.
Members at Omaruru were said to be busy manufacturing bricks, with actual building expected to commence in August.
At Tsumeb, the priority currently is in clearing land and planning of houses, while at Tsandi, building materials have reportedly been purchased, with construction expected to be completed by September.
“The escalating demand for low cost housing in Namibia has reached a crisis point and requires urgent assistance, not only from Government, but also from the private sector and assistance from every Namibian citizen,” Ohorongo Cement MD Hans-Wilhelm Schütte, said on the project’s progression.
“Empathy for fellow Namibians and supporting Government initiatives are the driving factors that motivated the companies to join hands in the fight against poverty eradication, by supporting the SDFN/NHAG”, he said.
SDFN spokesperson Heinrich Amushila noted that the ambitious project has inspired many enquiries from other communities as to how they could initiate similar efforts.
“A vital part of the success is to learn from one another by transferring skills and knowledge. This is one of the very powerful tools for capacity building, which is one of the core elements which makes our organisation so successful and forms part of every project, the fact that the communities can learn from one another,” Amushila said.

DENVER ISAACS