ONGWEDIVA – Standard Bank, through its buy-a-brick initiative, recently handed over N$13 million to the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) to enable it to construct 380 houses for low-income families next year.
Last week Thursday during the handover of the money, 20 families also received keys to newly constructed houses that were built through the same initiative.
The handover was made at Okongo in Ohangwena Region.
A further 10 houses were also handed over to beneficiaries at Helao Nafidi Town Council on Friday.
The N$13 million was raised through contributions from various corporates as well as staff members of Standard Bank.
Standard Bank’s CEO, Vetumbuavi Mungunda applauded the Namibian companies and individuals for reaching out in support of the neediest people in society. He said with many companies and individuals coming on board to support the initiative, it would be a matter of time before the buy-a-brick initiative could construct up to 1 000 houses per year countrywide to reduce the housing backlog in the country.
Mungunda, however, bemoaned the unavailability of land, saying it is stalling the construction of houses in some parts of the country.
He thus called on local authorities to avail land to address the plight of the homeless people in the country.
“We are appealing to authorities to positively consider our request for land, even if it has to be unserviced land so we can construct as many low-cost houses as possible and thereby address the biggest challenge in the country,” he said.
Since the launch of the buy-a brick initiative in 2015, 200 houses have been constructed in Rehoboth, Otjinene, Berseba, Windhoek, Okongo, Helao Nafidi, Mariental, Aminuis and Gobabis.
During the inaugural year, the SDFN received N$1.4 million and 44 houses for low to no income residents were constructed in Rehoboth in 2016.
In 2017, approximately N$2 million was raised and 54 new houses were constructed.
In 2018, N$3.7 million was raised and 101 houses were constructed across the country for the SDFN.