Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia

Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG) and the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) Alliance signed an MOU on the 11 February 2016 whereby they agree to partner with the Financial Literacy Initiative (FLI) in order to educate their members on financial literacy. The alliance’s mandate is not only to improve living conditions by providing affordable land tenure and housing but also to empower and support low income communities to improve their financial situation. SDFN assist members with small business loans to start and develop businesses in order to increase their incomes. The SDFN saw a need to improve business skills of the members and subsequently their Patron Madame Monica Geingos, the First Lady of the Republic of Namibia introduced FLI to the SDFN.   Following the first training workshop they decided to become a platform supporter of the FLI. Through this cooperation, the SDFN aimed to bring financial literacy and businesss skills to more households in the ...

Federation members Reflecting on the profiling and enumeration process : Pictures Okahandja Park Community members drawing settlement Map as part of settlement profile Anastasia Chimwandi , showing federation members on how data is captured online  Meme Ronnie and Meme Wenky on the importance of Mapping with the GPS  Ms Rosalinda Hendricks reflects: “It all started off with information collection amongst ourselves as federation members who are saving, we developed a questionnaire for profiling, collected information in 235 informal settlements, which was published 2009 with the support of the Ministry of Regional Local Government, Housing and Rural Development at that time. We further also carried out enumerations, interviewing each household in different informal settlements so we can use the data to inform the local authority on the affordability of residents in accessing services, and negotiating for buying land.” read the entire post here on the Slum dwell...

Minister of Urban and Rural Development says government is committed to uplift the living conditions of all citizens. Sophia Shaningwa says government needs a helping hand from other stakeholders in order to address the housing backlog in the country. She was speaking at the occasion on Friday the 16th October where the First Lady of the Republic of Namibia and patron of the federation Monica Geingos officially handed over 36 houses to members of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia at Omuthiya in the Oshikoto Region. Besides handing over the Houses, Geingos and Shaningwa participated in the servicing of plots and making bricks for 29 new houses to be constructed at Omuthiya.

Read more on the event in the Namibian by Following the link bellow . Article  in the  Namibian Newspaper

characteristics of saving groups -  Members learn about and get training for saving schemes through exchange programs -  Regular daily savings facilitated by collectors are promoted and two to three    treasurers  keep the records -  Members borrow from their own saving scheme for their own needs; the groups decide the loan procedures from their own savings. -  Each members has a saving book and treasurers keep the counter book - The saving group as part of the network will receive a visit from another saving group to check their books every six months.  The report is shared with the whole group - Any mismanagement and problems are addressed through the network - this means a commitment and ownership from the people to participate in such activities.