UGANDA, Kumi | Real Muloodi News | Habitat for Humanity, a Non-Government Organisation, has constructed free new modern houses for elderly residence in Garia and Kaderin parishes, Mukongoro sub-county in Kumi and Mayuge Districts.
During the NGO’s 40-year celebrations of working in Uganda on 29th July 2022, it surprised the local communities by giving out new houses to provide decent living and fight household poverty for the elderly.
Christine Apolot, the Kumi District Woman Member of Parliament, said that Kumi District has more than 20,000 elders staying in houses with poor conditions.
She said that while she was a district chairperson, she asked Habitat for Humanity to render accommodation and housing services to the parishes of Garia and Kaderin, which could easily flood.
“I also thank them for taking action when a case of corruption was reported, those implicated were reported, those implicated were removed and are no longer staff at Habitat for Humanity,” the honourable MP said.
One of the beneficiaries in Alukat Village, Agaria Parish, Dunatasana Nanzala, 80 years, thanked the NGO for its support.
“It was so hard to find grass for thatching my house, but now all that burden is history,” Nanzala said.
Anne Grace Apio, a 64-year-old farmer from Kadami Sub-county, was overjoyed with the acts of the NGO as she had lost hope after her husband had committed suicide and left her with five children.
She was surprised when the NGO promised to build her a new house and indeed, fulfilled the promise.
Robert Otim, the National Director for Habitat for Humanity, said that the homes given to the elderly are to enable development since about 2.4 million people in Uganda do not have proper housing.
“Decent housing is the cornerstone and a foundational key to other human rights such as access to clean and safe water, hygiene and sanitation among others. We urge the government to prioritise housing,” Director Otim said.
He added that they have constructed 670 houses in Kumi and more than 430 houses, in Mayuge District.
Mr Otim read the message of Honourable Judith Nabakooba, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, in which she said that the give-away of the houses to the elderly has come when the housing sector is still struggling to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said that Uganda has a housing deficit of 2.4 million units, with a population growth rate of 3.4% and an urbanisation rate of 5.6%.
The minister added that Uganda’s population is expected to reach 50 million in the coming few years, so the need for decent housing and accommodation will increase.
Each house comes with a pit latrine and a 3,000-litre water tank for rainfall harvesting.
“A decent home provides good health and all these families that lacked adequate sanitation facilities and access to clean and safe water in their homes will now live better lives,” explains Norah Matovu Muwanga, the chairperson of the Board of Directors at the NGO.
Norah revealed that each housing unit cost about UGX 20 to 30 million, with an average total expenditure of approximately UGX 1.5 billion on all the houses.
Modifications shall be added to the houses as the organisation constructs more for the beneficiaries.
Since its inception in Uganda in 1982, Habitat for Humanity has constructed, repaired, and rehabilitated over 40,000 houses, impacting the lives of over 240,000 disadvantaged families and contributing to a 1.67 per cent decrease in Uganda’s 2.4 million unit housing gap.
“As we celebrate 40 years in Uganda this year, we are looking for partners to help us build another 40 houses in different parts of the country to help vulnerable families who are in dire need of decent houses,” Otim revealed.
In addition, to commemorate its 40th anniversary, Habitat for Humanity will hold an affordable housing conference in Kampala in October 2022, where critical topics related to affordable housing will be explored.
“The affordable housing symposium will become an annual event where we forge a way for seeing to it that more people who deserve a decent house get one,” Otim added.
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