Kantolomba Roof Loan Program

Pictured below are the first 19 Kantolomba residents who have received loans to put roofs on their homes. Houses in Kantolomba are made from unfired mud brick. This means that in the rainy season, if there is not a proper roof, a house is in great danger of melting back into the earth. Dozens of houses collapse every year in Kantolomba. Almost no one has a proper roof. The money required to purchase the supplies--wood for beams, roofing sheets, and nails--is more than anyone in Kantolomba has at one time. We agreed to take on the challenge of helping these 19 people secure their homes with roofs and other improvements. They were perfect candidates to launch the program because they all work for Living Compassion and have a steady source of income that allows them to pay back the loan.

The effect of these 19 roofs on their owners and on the community has been overwhelming. As the roofs went up, Theresa (the Zambian coordinator of Living Compassion’s projects in Africa) wrote to say, “Greetings to you all in God’s name. You are our source of inspiration here in Zambia. You are the pride of Kantolomba. Our showers of blessings will continue to be on our lips forever here in Zambia, particularly Kantolomba. The women are in praises of you all for what you have done for them-the roofs. Whenever we put up someone’s roof there is dancing and ululating, stirring the compound, bringing the whole community, admiring what you are doing for the volunteers. Even the councilor could not help but come to say thank you to you all there in the USA. That is the message to you all. The first thing that has happened here in Kantolomba. NGO’s come and go but do not mend people’s roofs.”

Watch on video.

The celebration continued through the fall, but it was in winter that the program really paid off: as Theresa wrote on Christmas Eve, “Here in Zambia the team is doing great and each day as the rain progresses they are thanking you from the bottom of their hearts that this rainy season for them it’s a different story, no matter how hard it rains their homes do not leak.”

The first 19 roof loan recipients:

The cost of one roof is $750. The women got together and agreed that they could manage to pay back 50,000 kwacha each month ($15). So, here is how it will work:

If you loan $750 you will receive a yearly check from Living Compassion for $180.

If you indicate that you want to donate your loan money, instead of repaying you we will put the money directly back into the projects to be used on the next loan or another area where the money is currently needed.

There are two options for people who would like to participate but cannot give the whole amount:

You can loan half, $375, and we will send you yearly checks for $90.

You can contribute any amount, and we will pool the funds with other contributions to provide full loans. With this option, due to the complexities of bookkeeping, we will not be able to pay you back and your contribution will be considered a tax-deductible donation. As our micro-credit program grows, we will look into more sophisticated tracking systems to allow loans of all sizes. This is just our maiden voyage!

It is very exciting. We will commit to sending along the news as the roofs are installed and lives are changed!

To make part or all of a loan ($750 or $375): you can pay online with our Roof Loan Payment page or send a check to:

Living Compassion
P.O. Box 1756
Murphys, CA 95247

Please note on your online or check loan that it is for the “Roof Loan Program”.