From November to May, Kantolomba is whipped by torrential rains and high winds. Home is a dangerous place to take shelter from a storm. Unfired bricks, used to build houses, disintegrate in the heavy rains and collapse, creating a life-threatening hazard.

When Living Compassion first started, most people in Kantolomba did not have the money to put on a good roof. Tarps, metal sheets, old wheelbarrows, anything that could serve to make or hold down a roof was pressed into service. But it seldom worked…

…until the roof-loan program was launched. Every cooperative member received money for home repairs and to put on a proper roof. The loans were paid back and the money went into a revolving fund to provide other community loans.

As you walk around Kantolomba today, you see that almost all roofs are good roofs. "It is not just Living Compassion houses," Theresa explains, "people in the community learned the value of saving to put on a good roof. In the long run, it saves one a lot of money because you don't have to keep rebuilding your house. I think it is a very good example of how Living Compassion in Kantolomba is changing the whole community. It makes me very happy for all of us."

The roots of long-term investment have spread throughout the whole community!