For
Housing People of Zimbabwe (HPZ)
102 Fife Avenue,
Greenwood, Harare
P.O. Box CY 2686,
Harare
Tel: 703253/61
By
Stanley Mashumba
5,Beira House,
15 Harvey Brown,
Milton Park,
Harare. 091 393 890
December 2002
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures
Acronyms
Executive Summary
Chapter 1
1.0 Introduction and Background to Study
1.1 Purpose of the Evaluation
1.2 Structure of the Report
1.3 Historical global overview of housing cooperatives
1.4 Historical and legal context of Housing Cooperatives in Zimbabwe
1.5 Conceptual Context of HIV/ AIDS and housing cooperatives
1.6 Housing People of Zimbabwe and housing cooperatives
1.7 Housing cooperatives stakeholder analysis
1.8 Context of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe
1.9 Gender and HIV/AIDS
1.9.1 HIV/AIDS Economic effects
1.9.2 HIV/AIDS Educational effects
1.9.3 HIV/AIDS Social effects
1.9.4 HIV/AIDS Psychological effects
1.9.5 HIV/AIDS Socio-cultural Context
Chapter 2
2.0 Evaluation Methodology
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Data Collection, Management and Analysis
Chapter 3
3.0 Findings
3.1 Cooperatives Characteristics
3.2 Indicators of cooperatives sustainability
3.3 Cooperatives membership patterns
3.4 Demographic characteristics
3.5 Capacity to generate income for cooperatives
3.6 External linkages with institutions
3.7 Organizational sustainability position with regard to housing cooperatives
3.7.1 Availability of leadership/organizational planning skills
3.7.2 Training
3.7.3 Availability of accounting skills
3.7.4 Participation in decision-making
3.7.5 Capacity to generate income
3.7.6 Internal vs. External mobilization of resources
3.7.7 External linkages
3.7.8 Internal communication
3.7.9 Benefits generated
3.7.10 Income generating capacity
3.7.11 Access to technical inputs
3.7.12 Participation
3.7.13 Overall objectives achieved
3.7.14 HIV/AIDS activities
3.7.15 Income levels of cooperative members
3.8 Orphan prevalence
3.9 Reasons for joining cooperative
3.10 Cooperative members awareness, knowledge, awareness, attitudes and practices
3.11 Problems faced by cooperatives
3.12 Group dynamics
3.13 HIV/AIDS knowledge, Awareness, attitude, practices
3.14 Requirements for registration
3.14.1 Criterion for membership
3.14.2 Subscriptions policy
3.14.3 Default policy
3.14.5 Criterion for termination
3.15 HIV/AIDS Impacts
3.15.1 Economic Impacts
3.15.2 Educational Impacts
3.15.3 Health Impacts
3.15.4 Social Impacts
3.15.5 Psychological Impacts
3.15.6 Technological Impacts
3.16 Response/Coping Mechanisms
Chapter 4
4.0 Conclusions and Recommendations
Annexes:
1.Key Informants
2.Questionnairres
List of Figure:
Figure 1: Housing coops environmental analysis
Figure 2: Housing coops stakeholder analysis
Figure 3: Housing cooperative membership trends
Table 1: List of coops in the study
Table 2: Cooperative characteristics
List of Acronyms:
AIDS –Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome
ASO’s-AIDS Support Organisations
Coop- Cooperative
HIV- Human Immuno deficiency Virus
HPZ-Housing People of Zimbabwe
IGP- Income generation project
ILO-International Labour Organisation
NGO-Non-governmental Organisation
ZINAHCO-Zimbabwe National Housing Association of Housing Cooperatives
S.0 Executive Summary
S.1 INTRODUCTION
The executive summary draws out the key findings and recommendations of the HIV/AIDS impact on housing cooperatives. A myriad of interrelated factors do impact on housing cooperatives just like other sectors given the HIV/AIDS scenario.
S.1.1 Background
The purpose of the study was to collect and analyse information in relation to the impact of HIV/AIDS on housing cooperatives, group dynamics and sustainability. Housing cooperatives are a strategy by low-income earners to pool resources, towards acquiring shelter. They offer a structure for decision making for implementing a plan, purchasing of goods and property and sharing benefits and losses.
The study looked at the global and historical development of housing cooperatives in various countries and then focused on Zimbabwe. The concept of housing was initiated in Europe and United states in the 1920’s
The housing cooperative concept was adopted by developing countries as one form of self-help aide schemes such as squatter upgrading, site and service, and core housing. In Zimbabwe housing cooperatives emerged in late 1980’s.
HIV/AIDS cases emerged around 1985. To-date Zimbabwe has one of the worlds largest HIV prevalence with over 2000 HIV/AIDS related illnesses occurring every week. The effects of HIV/AIDS have been felt at both macro and micro levels. The various sectors of the economy, industry, agriculture, health, and education have been negatively impacted by HIV/AIDS, which have been well documented and researched. Effects of HIV/AIDS on housing cooperatives while evident have not been documented hence the commissioning of this study by Housing People of Zimbabwe (HPZ) a local non-profit organization.
The gendered context of HIV/AIDS impacts was taken into account. Women and girls bear the burden of taking care of the sick and support the family.
S.2 The study looked at ten cooperatives, four in Harare, three in Chitungwiza and three in Bulawayo. The following areas were examined;
Ø Characteristics of the cooperatives.
Ø Cooperative /organizational sustainability indicators and
Ø HIV/AIDS impacts.
S.2.1 Characteristics of cooperatives
S.2.1.1 Reasons for joining cooperative
Respondents joined housing cooperatives for the following reasons;
Ø Due to failure to get a house or stand from local authority.
Ø Cooperative provided a promise of affordable housing.
Ø Access building society or other funds such as company or donors.
Ø Sick and tied of living in single or tied accommodation.
Ø Urban nomadism.
Ø Need for freedom.
Ø Security in old age.
Ø Members had seen successful housing cooperatives elsewhere.
S.2.1.2 Indicators of Cooperatives organizational sustainability
Ø All cooperatives in the study had a committee leadership with good organizational planning skills through executive committees.
S.2.1.3 Cooperative membership patterns
The duration of existence of cooperatives existence range from 2 years to 12 years and averaged 6 years. With a period 2 years between formation and registration. Membership of cooperatives ranged from 12 to 105 members. The duration of the existence of the cooperative appears to have an impact on the membership drop out as the older cooperatives had a membership attrition rate of over 50%. With HIV/AIDS impacting on the cooperative membership is likely to decline. Type of membership varied between work based and community-based cooperatives e.g. teachers, security guards, vendors.
S.2.1.4 Capacity to generate income for cooperative
Monthly contributions range from $ 1000 to $8300 per month. Subscriptions constituted the major internal source. Some work based cooperatives had external resources from the employers in the form of loans. The current level of subscriptions is generally low.
S.2.1.5 External linkages with institutions
Most of the cooperatives did not have external linkages except for HPZ, NAHCO or their employers.
S.2.1.6 Organisational sustainability position with regard to housing cooperatives
v In 80% of the cooperatives commendable organizational and planning skills were available
v In 20% of the cooperatives these were rudimentary or elementary.
v Women were also cooperative leaders in the case of Perseverance (Mrs. E Wizard) and Phumemela Housing Cooperative.
v A good number of members had received training especially the executive members.
v Accounting skills were available in all cooperatives.
v Capacity to generate income was generally good however the over 144% inflation rate nullified the real value of contributions.
v Generally good however the over 144% inflation is a major constraint.
v Benefits to date are the stands acquired.
v Technical assistance is through HPZ
v No cooperative is having HIV/AIDS activities
v Orphan prevalence could not be ascertained due to the absence of a database for members.
S.2.1.7 Problems faced by cooperatives
v Inadequate funds resource base is based on low-income earners.
v Illness and deaths among members, this is a complex situation given the denial situation and absence of structures to deal with prevention, education care and support in terms of HIV/AIDS. The current cooperative by laws do not have HIV/AIDS clauses.
v Retrenchments, has resulted in work based s like Tichaedza Varombo were employed by Cone Textiles losing over 90% of members.
v Reduced subscription levels due to the difficult economic environment.
v High inflation as monthly contributions will not match costs
v Slow progress by contractors resulting in contractors not able to meet deadlines for instance the case at Riddle Ridge where there is almost six-month delay.
v Payment of subscriptions was difficult for some members who are lodgers since they have to pay rent as well.
S. 3.0 HIV/AIDS IMPACTS
The HIV/AIDS impacts housing cooperatives are multifaceted in economic, educational, health, social, psychological and technological aspects on cooperatives in general and more specific to women, men boys and girls.
S.3.1 Economic Impacts
Ø HIV/AIDS related effects come at a time when cooperative members are currently unable to meet their monthly contributions due harsh economic environment. Inflation has spiraled the cost of building materials, hence decreasing progress in the construction of the houses by the cooperatives.
Ø The loss of the breadwinner means the loss of an income and loss of future earning potential due to HIV/AIDS, which is real given the 33% HIV prevalence rate in urban areas and orphan prevalence of 21.4%. (UNICEF-CDC-Children on the Brink, 2001)
Ø Medical expenses have increase substantially during illness of the member resulting in use of savings thus stressing cooperative members ability to meet subscriptions.
Ø Women have to care of the sick taking out time from their other productive activities, which contribute to household income.
Ø The costs for funeral and mourning are very high leading to defaults in subscriptions and dropout in membership.
Ø Economic hardships make it necessary to look for unacceptable alternative sources of income e.g. prostitution, street children or early marriage.
Ø The economic performance of the household is reduced due to illness therefore ability to contribute fully to the cooperative.
Ø The households profiles of cooperative members become unstable especially when either or both parents die or are unable to care for their children, they are shifted into the homes of the extended family.
Ø Less income results in lower nutritional status in households with many children as in the case of cooperative members who had an average household number of 6.
· In the summary the major HIV/AIDS economic impacts in the case of housing cooperatives are defaults in subscription payments and decreased membership resulting in viability of the cooperative due to reduced revenue
S. 3.2 Educational Impacts
As most of the housing cooperative members are poorly educated, this results in a vicious circle of poverty. The cooperatives require literate men,women,girls and boys for continuity and sustainability. The educational effects of HIV/AIDS are as follows;
Ø Girls drop out from school to attend the sick
Ø Low levels of education. Poorly educated women are not likely to be able to protect themselves from infected husbands. They are likely to have little health information and little power to control any aspect of sexual relations. Even if they know they are at risk, economic necessity may force them to acquiesce to an unsafe sexual relationship.
Ø Unemployment and inequality in wages has reinforced women’s financial dependency on men thus limit them to contribute to cooperative viability.
Ø Due to unresolved psychological trauma, the school performance of children is negatively affected by HIV/AIDS.
Ø Loss of cooperative institutional memory
Ø Orphans face stigmatization by other children within cooperative, including at school.
S.3.3 Health factors affecting the coops
Ø Increased demands on the health system have affected the provision of quality health care for cooperative members.
Ø The quality of service delivery is inadequate due to the prohibitive costs of accessing health care.
Ø Poor nutrition is exacerbated by food shortages and generally high costs when available. This is made worse considering that cooperative 40%-60% on income is spent on housing.
Ø Medical concerns with opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis to other family members.
S.3.4 Social Effects
Ø In some communities it is taboo to take non-related children into one home, especially if the children are sick.
Ø Dying is not talked to children so they do not understand what is happening in the household until the parent dies.
Ø Many die in interstate (without written wills) resulting in property grabbing by relatives leaving the surviving spouse and children impoverished.
Ø Children and elderly people become head of household and these have limited or no capacities to meet subscriptions and participate meaningfully in cooperative matters.
Ø Poor families are more affected by losing a family member and may become impoverished forever, moving from poverty to destitution. This usually means loss of membership and revenue to the cooperative.
S.3.5 Psychological Effects
· Psychological effects are the least visible because there are the least seen. Low and none participation in coop affairs is one manifestation.
· Emotional suffering appears in various forms for everyone (e.g. depression, aggression, drug abuse, insomnia, failure to thrive, malnutrition, etc}
· Children with sick parents will worry about the future, where they will go and no one will take of them. This result in instability of coop households.
· Loss of consistent nurture, which can lead to serious development and loss of guidance, which makes it more difficult for the child to reach maturity and to be integrated into cooperative and society in general.
· Psychological damage can arise at any time after the event (months, days and even years).
· Children may not understand the situation and therefore cannot express their grief effectively. Even if they want to express their feelings there is often no one to listen.
S.3.6 Technological impacts
Ø Due to low levels of education and incomes most cooperatives do not have access to technological developments and information especially on HIV/AIDS except for some elite coop members.
S.3.7 Response/Coping Mechanisms
Ø Housing cooperatives do not have response or coping mechanism to HIV/AIDS.
Ø Most cooperatives do not have systems stopping property grabbing.
Ø Poverty and gender inequalities have dynamics that place the poor, particularly women and girls at the bottom of the ladder. Poverty and gender roles have a direct bearing on the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS. Owing to gender inequalities, women lack the power to negotiate for safer sex for themselves within marriages or other relationships where they are dependent on men for their upkeep.
S.4 Conclusions and recommendations
Ø HIV/AIDS status is not discussed at cooperative level. This implies denial of its existence in HIV/AIDS prevalence of 30-34% environment.
Ø There is no reference to HIV/AIDS in cooperative by laws or Act itself. The Act and by laws are outdated as they do not recognize the impact of HIV/AIDS on cooperatives.