Serving members of the Kariba Cooperative, this project was based on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s resort town Kariba, which sits on the banks of the famous Kariba Dam near the Zambian border. The land was previously purchased by the community and funding provided by ZINAHCO was used to extend individual loans to member clients. These houses were designed with opportunity for further extension and fully serviced with household water, sanitation and electricity.

The new homeowners were selected from the bottom 40% income group and previously rented sheet metal shacks within informal settlements. The project provided up to $5,000 USD in individual loans to members of the cooperative. The loans have been repaid over 5 years with an initial base repayment of $40 USD a month, rising to $70 after the family was able to move into their new house; an increase made possible as the family no longer had to pay rent on previous accommodation. With the houses built in phases, repayments from units already built were recycled each month to help decrease the need for fresh capital investment.