Tanzania

Context at a glance

Habitat homeowner Stella with her daughter Edine and grandson Thomas on the porch of her Habitat house in Liuli, Tanzania

The majority of village families live in “tembe” houses made of mud and stuck to a wooden frame. The houses have dirt floors and thatched roofs, often with nowhere near enough space for all the family members. The rainy season often causes whole walls to collapse and unwelcome visitors bring health and safety risks, including insects and snakes in the thatch, rats tunnelling through the mud to find the food stores, and ticks and other parasites lying in wait. Families often have no access to sanitation. Housing conditions are not much better in the towns – families just have to pay more rent for appalling conditions!

Habitat for Humanity programme

HFH Tanzania started with its first homeowner in Kasulu, Kigoma region in 1986. From its humble beginnings, HFHT has grown into an 18-affiliate programme and is still expanding as new partnerships develop across the country. HFHT has built over 2,000 houses since 1986 and its current 5-year vision is to build 1,000 more! (July 2004 to June 2009)

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