When SDI delegates from Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa visited Uganda in the beginning of February it was to help consolidate the process of profiling and federation building that has been underway there since 2002. Another goal was to meet with Cities Alliance in order to explain our process and work with them and government officials to develop a ... read more
One of the key challenges of urban poverty is to find people-driven solutions to housing finance. An innovation of many federations in the SDI network has been to develop what are known as “urban poor funds.” All federations in the alliance practice daily savings as a means for community organization. These savings can often be used for various kinds ... read more
This week, SDI delegates are traveling through Uganda with members of the Cities Alliance secretariat to meet with Uganda Slum Dwellers Federation-organized communities, ACTogether, an NGO supporting the activities of the USDF, and officials from all levels of government. This is part of a project facilitated through the new Cities Alliance “Land, Services, and Citizenship” program that is focusing ... read more
1996: Slum Dwellers International (SDI), registered in South Africa as an NPO in 2000 and in the Netherlands in 2008.
2008: Urban Poor Fund International (UPFI) registered in South Africa as an SDI subsidiary.
2008: Urban Poor Fund Netherlands (UPF Netherlands) registered in the Netherlands.
Description
SDI is a transnational network of local slum dweller organizations who have come together at the city and national level to form federations of the urban poor.
Whilst men are not excluded, the majority of members are women.
Over the past 14 years SDI has developed a set of developmental rituals and practises for which it is now well known. SDI affiliates at the city and country level are trained in these rituals. They are also trained in transferring these skills to other community-based organisations in their own countries and beyond.
SDI's Key Rituals
1. A voice of the urban and not a voice for the urban poor.
2. Daily savings as a mobilising and developmental tool, creating accountability, self-reliance and financial and human resource management skills.
3. The central participation of women and the most marginalised members of slum communities.
4. Community learning and solidarity through horizontal exchange programs.
5. Grassroots driven land identification.
6. Incremental human settlement development
7. Grassroots driven gathering of information through surveys, enumerations and settlement profiles.
8. Solution-finding through negotiations and dialogue.
9. Community-based shelter training, including house models, community action planning and community design.
10. Small core groups of professionals to provide technical and financial support to Federations.
11. Consistent engagement with local authorities through urban poor funds, enumeration data and citywide development strategies.
12. International advocacy in order to strengthen local (city level) initiatives.
Geographical Spread
SDI has affiliates in Latin America, Asia and Africa. SDI affiliates fall roughly into the following categories:
1. Mature Federations that have achieved national or citywide scale and have worked with Government to secure and develop land for the urban poor.
2. Emerging Federations that have developed savings networks but have not yet achieved citywide or national scale.
3. New Initiatives where communities are exploring links with SDI.
4. Community networks not directly affiliated to SDI but exposed to SDI activities and adopting some or all of its rituals ("allied groups".
At present these countries are affiliated to SDI.
Mature Federations: Philippines, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Brasil (14)
Emerging Federations: Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Bolivia. (3)
New Initiatives: Pakistan, Madagascar, Liberia, DRC, Honduras (5)
SDI's decision-making body is the SDI Board. The Board comprises 5 Federation members and 2 NGOs.
The Board is appointed by a Council of Federations. The council of Federations comprises three elected representatives from each mature Federation.
SDI has an executive committee that comprises 6 coordinators: 4 Federation members and 2 NGOs.
SDI also has a Secretariat that currently has 6 members of staff, and 2 vacant posts.
The Coordinators and the Secretariat report to the Council of Federations and to the Board.
This is the current composition of these different bodies.
1. Jockin (India - President)
2. Rose Molokoane (South Africa - Deputy President)
3. Sonia Fadrigo (Philippines)
4. Davious Muvindhi (Zimbabwe)
5. Celine D Cruz (India)
6. Joel Bolnick (South Africa)
SDI Secretariat
1. Joel Bolnick (Coordinator)
2. Wilma Adams (Finance and Admin manager)
3. Patricia Samuels (Assistant to the Manager)
4. Nico Keijzer (Coordinator Netherlands office)
5. Gertrude Mazvimazi (Bookkeeper)
6. Beth Chitekwe-Biti (Research)
UPFI
UPFI is SDI's own finance facility. It provides seed capital and Federation strenghtening funding for innovative pilot projects to its affiliates.
Funds are allocated to projects that can demonstrate:
1. Leverage;
2. Scale;
3. Impact;
4. Sustainability (not only through loan repayments).
Seed Capital is provided to local Urban Poor Funds to revolve through innovative projects that form the basis for learning and advocacy for SDI as a whole.
Federation Strenghtening for these projects is provided as a grant. Federation strengthening grants may not exceed 30% of the capital contribution for the project.
The SDI Secretariat has worked with the affiliates to produce specific UPFI contracts, calls for funds, procedures for review and approval, procedures for monitoring and learning. (see: www.sdinet.co.za/upfi/).
Governance
UPFI has an international, Ministerial Board of Governors that meets twice a year to review and assess UPFI work. This Board comprises: * Lindiwe Sisulu - Chairperson (Minister of Defence, South Africa)
* Dinesh Gunawardena - Deputy Chair (Minister of Urban Development, Sri Lanka)
* Kumari Salja - (Minister of Housing, India)
* Morten Wasstol - (Junior Minister of Environment, Norway)
* Ines Magalhaes - (Housing Secretary, Brasil Ministry of Cities)
* Arputham Jockin - (President SDI)
The fund has two patrons: Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson.
Recommendations for projects come from the regional hubs, which are gatherings of mature Federations in the following regions: South Asia, South East Asia, East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, Latin America.
The SDI coordinators, operating as an interim finance committee, make the approvals.
The Secretariat currently manages the Fund, including monitoring and reporting, as part of its functions.
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