Dear Editor,
I was part of a group of 25 from NUIG that has just returned from Zambia on behalf of Habitat for Humanity (HFH).

Over the course of two weeks we built three homes to completion for selected families in need in Kawama, near Ndola (population of 400,000) in northern Zambia. The houses were made from clay and mortar with corrugated metal sheeted roofs.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in Galway who helped in anyway. We raised €90,000 overall for the project since the middle of February. This would not have been possible without the assistance of so many friends, family, businesses and generous strangers.

Combined with last year's trip to Ghana by a different group of students on behalf of HFH, €40,000 is going directly into the village of Kawama. This will help fund the building of a community centre and a sewing shop along with many other beneficial buildings.

The village of Kawama comprises two HFH communities with 140 and 102 houses in each respectively. These houses are built mainly by locals and paid tradesmen. The village was made up mostly of children, with over 70 per cent of the people in the village living with HIV or AIDS. The poverty in Zambia means that many families cannot afford to live in decent accommodation let alone pay for HIV medication. HFH provides low cost housing to help defray costs. The recipient owners have to pay back seven million Kwacha (€1,400) over eight to ten years. This finances further houses in a rolling fund.

Once again, on behalf of our group, I sincerely thank everybody for their support. It was invaluable and has made a difference to three gracious families in Kawama. It also allowed 25 people to catch a glimpse of the harsh realities of an impoverished nation. It certainly opened my eyes and I learned a lot from it. I would highly recommend travelling to Zambia as it is a beautiful country full of warm and friendly people.

Thank you for your time,
Mark Jennings,
Corcullen,
Galway,
Ireland

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