Habitat for Humanity Builds Home for Mother of Seven in Malawi
The organisation continues to call on local and international volunteers to support its housing transformation efforts, emphasizing community-driven solutions to housing insecurity.
LILONGWE, MALAWI— Habitat for Humanity Malawi mobilised volunteers Friday to construct a home for a single mother of seven during an International Volunteers Day event that underscores the organisation's commitment to addressing housing challenges in the country, writes Ireen Kayira.
The staff build activity in Area 27 brought together local masons, staff members, and volunteers to create a three-room house for Besita Phiri, who has been living in a thatched-roof dwelling vulnerable to leaks during rainy seasons.
"During the rainy season, the thatched roof always leaks, making it difficult to sleep at night," Phiri said, describing her previous living conditions.
The house, estimated to cost between K11 million and K13 million, represents a collaborative effort to provide safe and dignified housing for vulnerable families.
The project is part of Habitat for Humanity Malawi's mission to transform informal slum areas into formalised housing structures.
Phellistas Ntengula, the organization's Human Resource & Administration Specialist, explained their core purpose: "We are a construction organisation that builds houses for people who are vulnerable in various categories."
This year's International Volunteer Day event aligns with the theme "Leave No One Behind: Promoting Inclusive Communities through Volunteerism."
In fiscal year 2024, Habitat Malawi engaged 167 international volunteers who helped construct 19 disaster-resilient houses, working alongside 924 local volunteers across eight districts.
The organization's comprehensive approach includes multiple initiatives:
- Vulnerable Group Housing: Building homes and sanitation facilities for orphans and people with disabilities in rural communities
- Disaster Risk Reduction: Constructing resilient homes and training local masons in disaster-resistant building techniques
- Sustainable Construction Materials: Establishing a facility in Blantyre to support sustainable construction and provide vocational training
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: Improving community health through sanitation facility construction
- Advocacy: Promoting policy changes and inclusive urban planning
Habitat for Humanity Malawi continues calling for volunteers, believing community engagement is key to addressing housing insecurity.
The organization particularly encourages young people to participate in development sector work through both skilled and unskilled labour.
For Phiri and her seven children, the new home represents more than just shelter—it's a promise of stability, safety, and hope for the future.