General
SOURCE: Tanja Bause, allAfrica.com
EDITH Mbanga, a member of the People Square Saving Group and the national facilitator of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, was awarded the UN Habitat Scroll of Honour in Mexico recently.
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The award honours individuals and institutions that have made outstanding contributions in the field of shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, improving human settlements and the quality of urban life.
Mbanga was awarded for her outstanding efforts to improve land access and housing for the poor. Her work has been of special benefit to women living in poverty.
Mbanga joined the group in 1991 and has helped set up various savings and support groups, forming a national network under the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia.
Through her dedication, the federation is today the largest member-driven organisation in Namibia.There are 600 savings groups in Namibia with an estimated 20 000 members, of which 65 per cent are women.The federation has helped more than 4 000 poor households to secure land and more than 2 000 to build their own new houses.
"I feel very honoured to be recognised for something which I have been doing for the past 20 years but this award is made possible by the community and the support I have received from them and the Shack Dwellers Federation" said Mbanga.
"This will encourage me to work harder and I hope this also encourages other women to step forward and to take the lead."