Women 4 Housing 4 Women
Women for Housing for Women (W4H4W) is a social development programme within the Touching Africa network. We link women beneficiaries with funders to improve the housing conditions of women-headed households. An assessment of the current living conditions is conducted, and competent building and maintenance companies are used to upgrade or repair housing structures and basic services.
In South Africa, 2.1 million households are living in informal settlements, and it is estimated that 40% of informal settlement households are women-headed households. These households are exposed to high crime rates and unsustainable electricity, water or sewer supply. Although government housing subsidy programmes have achieved a lot to address the housing backlog some areas struggling to maintain the RDP structure whereas many people are excluded and forced to remain in informal settlements. Women are usually more adversely affected than their male counterparts and the general wellbeing, safety, security and stability of children and families are often the responsibility of women.
The W4H4W programme was developed to improve the lives and livelihoods of women-headed households living in adverse conditions. Through the programme, we reach out and assist women with upgrading and maintenance of their housing structures and related infrastructure. Key principles are stewardship and trust to enable long-term impact through the programme. Each project is unique in terms of challenges experienced and the specific needs of the household (profile of the family etc), and a tailored solution is created for each beneficiary.
An example of a W4H4W beneficiary is Maria who is 64 years old and has not received an RDP yet. She is forced to live in an informal settlement with her three children and four grandchildren in a high-crime area without access to basic services and no hope of receiving an RDP. Structural changes were made to accommodate her family and increase safety on her informal stand. Elsie on the other hand has received an RDP but is struggling to maintain it due to the high living costs and unreliable contractors. Structural extensions to her structure were made together with safety installations.
We believe through improving the quality of life of women-headed households, societies will be transformed, enabling a greater future for the next generation.
