“A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

Habitat for Humanity South Africa is part of Habitat for Humanity International. It is a non-profit, Christian organisation that works in partnership with people from all over South Africa to develop strong communities. Habitat is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child has the right to a simple, decent, affordable place to live in dignity and safety. Habitat is dedicated to eliminating poverty, housing and homelessness in our country. It also aims to make provision of adequate, affordable shelter that is a matter of conscience and action. A fundamental principle of Habitat is that it is not a charity that simply gives homes away. Instead, they work in partnership with communities and individuals to enable them to build their own homes. The homeowners are responsible for repaying interest-free loans provided by Habitat.

Potential homeowners have to hold the title deeds for the piece of land on which they want to build and they have to raise a portion of the starting capital. Families also participate in the construction of their own home and the homes of at least four other families through a process known as "sweat equity".

2 Way opportunities…
Volunteers work alongside homeowners on the actual building of the houses – digging trenches, laying blocks, shovelling cement, lifting roofs and painting walls. This helps to keep the cost of the houses down, while involving people from all walks of life in breaking down barriers and facilitating reconciliation. To guarantee a house building experience it is important to fundraise the costs of a new home.