Building Homes and Building Lives: Benefits of Involvement in the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia

Abstract: The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) was established in 1992 as a women-lead membership-based organization (MBOP) of the poor to secure affordable housing and infrastructure services through savings and sweat-equity groups across thirteen Namibian regions. Yet, to our knowledge, a study on this organization that focuses on the voices of members to assess how they understand and prioritize Federasi involvement has not been performed. Theoretically informed by black feminism, this multidisciplinary, mixed-methodological project considers the benefits of participation for 281 members. Although anecdotal information suggests that the vast majority of women participate to secure stable housing, content and bivariate analyses illustrate the primacy of psychological benefits and collective mobilization.