AusAID

1
Holistic Housing Solutions for Orphans and
Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

• March 2008
• Resiliency in Africa
• 2008 ACFID Humanitarian Forum

2

• Who we Are-Habitat for Humanity International
  (HFHI) is an International NGO which promotes
  Social Transformation through housing
  micro-finance and housing delivery -HFHIs
  programs in Africa began DRC in 1976
  -Currently, HFHI operate in 17 countries in
  Africa-To date, HFHI has worked in partnership
  to built over 225,000 houses in 91 countries

3
HIV AIDS and Orphans Vulnerable Children
(OVC) - Shelter Implications

• The impacts include
• Greater income vulnerability
• Inability to access a loan or inability to make
  payments
• Over crowding
• Being cared for by non-parent directly affects
  schooling, abuse, privacy, health
• Lack of healthy, active adults
• Dislocation

4
HFHs traditional approach to
improving living conditions and health
wellbeing of families includes

• A hand up rather than a hand out
• Loans provided to Home partners
• Formation of savings/community groups
• Sweat equity
• Use of revolving fund

5
When one is dealing with destitute families,
when one encounters a terminally ill adult who
does not have sufficient funds to provide her
children with the most basic of necessities, or
when one is dealing with child-headed households
how can we require such people to pay back a
loan?
6
The traditional approach taken by HFH does not
typically work in this context More appropriate
approaches were needed
7
Approach Lessons Learned
Eight Alternative Approaches designed to build
resiliency in African communities include
8
Approach Lessons Learned

• Adjustment to provision of sweat equity
• Changing the structure of loan products

9
Approach Lessons Learned

• Collaboration with other partners
• Placing an orphan in better shelter without
  making provision for nutritional, health and
  educational needs was clearly not an option
• Income security

10
Approach Lessons Learned

• Focus on property security
• Advocating with and on behalf of the communities

11
Approach Lessons Learned

• Community Based Approach
• Reducing House Costs

12
Building resilience by..

• Affordable housing solutions
• Secure ownership and greater family stability
• Reduced psycho-social stress on OVC
• Improved asset and financial circumstances
• Continued/ greater community acceptance and
  protection
• Healthier living conditions
• Holistic care for OVC

13
Building resilience by..

• Increased possibility of long term socio-
  economic sustainability of family unit - not
  simply building houses for OVC but reducing
  vulnerability through increased security and
  access to basic needs and services.