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Habitat for Humanity has been increasing its activity in South Africa;
near Capetown, the Khulani Habitat for Humanity affiliate is building
houses in the massive township of Khayelitsha. 29 houses had been
completed as of June 2000, but the affiliate is continually expanding.
I was fortunate to get the chance to meet with the board of directors and
staff of Khulani Habitat and attend one of their meetings. At the time I
met with them, they were planning for groups from Ireland and the
Netherlands to come visit them in August help build homes. Such
international participation is growing at Habitat projects around the
world; the Jimmy Carter Work Project, a week of home-building with
thousands of volunteers, is set to be held in South Africa in 2002.
2002 update: 100 houses were built in Durban this June, see the JCWP 2002 website for more details.
Habitat's Khayelitsha office is located in the Masibambane Resources
Centre, a building in the Harare section of Khayelitsha built to house
organizations looking to better the community. When I visited, everybody
was quite busy, but Nozuko, one of Habitat's secretaries, was glad to talk
to me, and Mbulelo, the director, showed me around to some of the houses
Habitat had built in the neighborhood.
The Habitat houses I saw were comfortable and well-built, and the
owners were very proud of them. The community as a whole seemed
excited about the Habitat houses; an important part of Habitat's
mission is to empower communities to help themselves.
More information about Habitat is available at www.habitat.org.
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