Building houses together
SDFN Gobabis benefits from partnership
The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) launched the construction of 30 houses in Gobabis on Wednesday.The construction of 11 of these houses was made possible with the support of Ohorongo Cement, FNB, through the FirstRand Namibia Foundation, and the Pupkewitz Foundation.
Carina Sowden, Marketing Manager at Ohorongo Cement, represented the three partners at the event. She quoted Albert Einstein who said “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value”, which is what inspired the three partners to join the SDFN in 2016.
The partners, sharing the same values, believe that combining forces and resources would add more value than operating independently.
The partnership delivered with N$18 million being invested, resulting in 395 houses being built since 2016 with another 45 under construction for 2023.
At the same event, 57 completed houses were handed over to low-income families in Gobabis.
‘Beyond beautiful’
Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate themed the day’s activities as a beautiful story.
“Partnerships like this bridge the inequality gap within communities. Models like these should be replicated,” he said.
He also donated 100 bags of cement to the Witvlei community to further support the SDFN initiatives.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, deputy minister Natalia /Goagoses congratulated the SDFN for bringing corporates together, applauding them for good corporate governance and transparency in operations, as all funds are accounted for.
MURD committed to donating over N$ 10 million to SDFN as further support from Government towards affordable housing.
Heinrich Amushila, Namibia Housing Action Group (NHAG) co-director, noted that the Freedom Square Informal Settlement in Gobabis delivered the highest number of plots in Namibia at large.
Sowden complimented the government’s efforts to ensure a boost in housing stock through its Mass Housing Development Programme, and the Massive Urban Land Servicing Programme.
“These efforts give us more reason to join hands in pursuing a common destiny that is inspired by true patriotism,” she said.
From the outset, the partners wanted to inspire others in the Private Sector to support such initiatives such as the SDFN.
The partnership enables SDFN to build more houses throughout the country and restore dignity, which gives true meaning to the partners’ slogan: From Shack to Shelter, Together We Achieve More!