A team of eight NUI Galway students are just back from a mercy mission to Zambia – where they combined their talents to build homes that will change the lives of two extended families forever.
The students – working with housing charity, Habitat for Humanity Ireland – spent two weeks in the community of Twapia, Ndola, helping Cecilia Soko and Malita Kapapila each build safe and decent homes for their families.
Chelsea McGowan, Emma Nolan, Grace Nihill, Jimmy McGovern, Niamh Finn, Shauna Healy, Shane Hughes and Sharon Murray also worked with locals on an advocacy programme to help them establish rights of succession – a massive problem in the poorest of African nations.
But it was in constructing the houses for the families of Cecila and Malita – both widows in their sixties – that had the lasting effect, according to one of the team, law student and NUIG Habitat for Humanity volunteer Sharon Murray, from Ballina, Co Mayo.
“The two Habitat homeowners were both widowed women, who were the caretakers of their grandchildren. We got to work alongside Cecelia and Malita on a daily basis. We weren’t just building houses alongside two families we had never met. We were building alongside people we had developed a unique bond with,” said Sharon.
Along with building two homes, Sharon and her teammates held a ‘Law in Action’ Will Writing workshop for Habitat homeowners in the Twapia community.
“I was truly blown away by the Habitat homeowners’ reactions towards the Will Writing presentation and their desire to learn more. The community’s hunger to learn about matters such as how to prevent property grabbing in the event of a homeowner’s death was something that could only be described as infectious,” said Sharon.
After recently returning home, Sharon would like to thank everyone in Galway who has supported her throughout the fundraising stage of her trip.
“None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for every single person who supported me in my fundraising. Without all of the generous donations, I could not have done this. I will never forget the time I spent in Zambia and I really hope I can return there someday.
“I want to thank everyone who supported me, Habitat for Humanity, my fellow team members and most importantly the people of Zambia. It truly was an experience I will remember and cherish forever,” said Sharon.
Habitat for Humanity has been building homes in Zambia since 1984. It provides holistic results focusing on the issues related to gender and vulnerable groups, such as secure tenure and inheritance rights.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has helped 6.8 million people to improve their housing conditions. It works in Ireland and 70 countries around the world.
In Zambia, two-thirds of the population live on less than US$1 a day. An estimated 74 percent of urban residents live in slums, where shelter is highly overcrowded and children face acute housing deprivation.
To date, Habitat for Humanity Zambia has served or affected a total of 99,558 vulnerable people in five out of ten regions in the country.
Habitat for Humanity Ireland’s Overseas Volunteering programme is open to members of the Irish public. No construction experience is necessary.
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