Our trip dates are July 23, 2011 to August 8, 2011. We will be building in a location just outside the capital, Lusaka. This housing complex is under the Vulnerable Group Housing (VGH) designation (non-mortgage) and is geared towards Vulnerable families. See the information at the bottom of the page from Habitat Zambia’s website for details on this program

So behind the scenes Peg is busy working on all of the coordination and administration it takes to put a team together.  We are also looking at various ways to do some fundraising. So watch for more details on that coming soon.

In addition to its conventional building program, under the Vulnerable Group Housing (VGH) program HFH Zambia provides appropriate, subsidized housing solutions to vulnerable groups in Zambia and it specifically concentrates on orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) and their caregivers. Children in Zambia are one of the groups at greatest risk to contract HIV. Their vulnerability as children puts them at a greater risk of abuse, especially sexual abuse. Statistics show that more than 1 in every 7 adults is living with HIV, which has resulted in about 600,000 children being orphaned due to AIDS.

Miriam Dube is a widow who lost six of her seven children to HIV/AIDS. She is looking after her only remaining son as well as four grandchildren. She is part of the Habitat Zambia Orphans and Vulnerable Children program. To bury her children used up all of her savings, so now she collects and breaks rocks and sells them to Habitat Zambia for construction.