Edith, a 71-year-old widow, is a member of the Chiyembekezo Savings Group, one of the many groups supported by Habitat for Humanity Zambia through “CASH: Creating Access to Safe Housing”.

I’m able to save money and take care of myself and the grandkids without having to be a burden to my children.

Edith, member of the Chiyembekezo Savings Group

Edith joined the Chiyembekezo Savings Group in 2023. She is one of hundreds of women in savings groups who would like to take out a housing finance loan. She lives in a four-room house in Lusaka District with her four grandchildren. She wants to access a loan through her savings group in order to install a flushable toilet in her home. She currently uses a pit latrine, which often floods during the rainy season, leading to unsanitary conditions that are hazardous to her family’s health.

Since joining the Savings Group, funded by Habitat for Humanity Zambia, she has accessed affordable loans from the group, which has enabled her to start and maintain her own rice-selling business – her family’s source of income. She is now able to provide for her family’s needs and has even been able to start saving for the future.