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Approvals signed for land in Uganda

by Benjamin Bradlow

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

Rebuilding an urban poor fund

by Benjamin Bradlow

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

People-driven development in Uganda

by Benjamin Bradlow

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

News Archive


Rebuilding the fund

written by Benjamin Bradlow and Louise Cobbett, 2010-02-12

Hyperinflation nearly wiped out the Zimbabwean urban poor fund. The federation meets to decide how to move forward.




Eviction threat leads to exchange

written by Brazil Federation, 2010-02-09

Slum dwellers in one Brazilian state learn from their counterparts in another how to fight dispossession of their homes.




SDI conducts Kroo Bay Settlement Profile

written by Sierra Leone Federation, 2010-02-07

While international agencies dither, slum dwellers get cracking. Even when it comes to gathering data they are ahead of the game.




Women savers meet in Bolivia

written by Benjamin Bradlow, 2009-12-10

Female leaders of savings schemes in South Africa and Brazil traveled to Bolivia to exchange ideas and learn about how to organize their communities.




Federation opens houses in Livingstone, Zambia

written by Louise Cobbett, 2009-12-03

The Zambia Homeless and Poor People's Federation and the Zambian Government officially open 50 houses in the Mwandi community of Livingstone, Zambia.




Eviction train rolls into Alberton

written by Benjamin Bradlow, 2009-11-12

A community in South Africa lives on an abandoned train station. Now struggling residents worry that they may be kicked out.




Eviction of the Aoko Road Traders, Nairobi, Kenya

written by Louise Cobbett, 2009-11-11

The Aoko Road traders were served with a 48-hour eviction notice - however the bulldozers arrived less than 24 hours later




Zimbabwe federation highlights accomplishments

written by Benjamin Bradlow, 2009-11-01

While politicians and developers descended on Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, to discuss low-cost housing, ordinary poor Zimbabweans were showcasing their own solutions.




Report from Sri Lanka

written by , 2009-10-13

The latest photos from the Usaviwattha Housing project, Morotuwa, Sri Lanka




Brazil Report September 2009

written by , 2009-10-12

Rede Interacao is in partnership with the Brazilian Federation and started working with the SDI methodology in the end of 2004 and the number of savings groups increased since then as well as the exchanges and enumerations. The main activities of the last three months are detailed in the report.




Federation Responds to Flooding in Manila

written by Sonia Fadraigo, 2009-10-07

First direct reports from the Philippines Homeless People's Federation.




Latest City Watch India

written by , 2009-09-25

These are times when social unrest and xenophobia begin to emerge, and interventions are needed to address potential calamities.




Joe Slovo Enumeration Report

written by , 2009-09-15

The community of Joe Slovo "surveyed" with the exercise described in this report is a good example of an organised community willing and able to take up their own developmental issues.




SDI Signs MoU in Monrovia, Liberia.

written by Farouk Braimah, 2009-08-22

Like many countries and cities in West Africa, Monrovia is rapidly urbanizing but government and local authority have inadequate strategies to deal with, or effectively manage the change process.




Preparatory work starts on UPFI Projects in Malawi

written by , 2009-07-27

SDI affiliates now submit regular reports to UPF International. This report covers recent activity in Malawi.




Constitutional Court Judgement on Cape Town Squatters

written by , 2009-06-10

The Joe Slovo community lost the court judgement, but will they be ready to define their future. Here is the court judgement.




SDI Meets African Ministers in Windhoek

written by , 2009-06-08

Slum Dwellers International met with Ministers and high ranking officials from eight African countries at the recent Shelter Afrique meeting in Namibia.




Nambian Federation CLIP Launch

written by , 2009-04-28

On the 28th of April the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) launched the Community Land Information Program (CLIP) Document. The CLIP is the national information gathering activity of low-income people living in informal settlements and backyards throughout Namibia.




Nairobi Inventory Publication

written by , 2009-04-01

The Nairobi Inventory is a list of informal settlements in Nairobi. It also carries a standardized measure of the variables that define informal human settlements and markets. We found it equally important to collect and present the story of each and all slums and informal markets.




A Miracle Rises Out of the Ashes

written by , 2009-03-13

On Sunday March 8th, there was a huge fire at Joe Slovo settlement, leaving 1000's of people destitute. SDI responded to the crisis and helped community members create a makeshift solution that was a significant improvement on what existed before.




Citywatch India

written by , 2009-02-26

After a long hiatus SDI's founder network, the Indian alliance, has brought out a new edition of its highly informative journal: Citywatch-Sparc. This edition covers events that took place in 2008.




Thinking the Unthinkable and Doing the Improbable in Zimbabwe

written by Beth Chitekwe-Biti, 2009-01-28

When Government pursues only the policy of plunder and the economy collapses then necessity becomes the mother of invention. The Federation does what neither Zanu nor the crippled economy can do.




SDI Council of Federations Meets in Dar es Salaam

written by Joel Bolnick, 2009-01-23




SDI Affiliate Builds in Mpumalanga Province

written by , 2008-12-10

The Federation of the Urban Poor (FEDUP) has finally translated years of negotiation with Government at the highest level into housing delivery. In the city of Standerton, Mpumalanga 37 houses are under construction.




Anglican Church gives 214ha to East London's Urban Poor

written by Ronald Eglin, 2008-11-20

Anglican Church gives 214ha to East London's Urban Poor...




WUF Round up

written by Katia Savchuk, 2008-11-19

Nearly 40 delegates from 11 countries represented Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI) at the fourth World Urban Forum (WUF) in Nanjing, China, from November 3rd to 6th...




Namibians and Brazilians Support the Angolan Federation

written by Anna Muller, 2008-07-20

The Brazilians, Namibians, and Angolans visited Windhoek and Luanda in early July to share learnings about how to build ...




Typhoon Frank

written by PHPF, 2008-06-26

480,495 families were affected by Typhoon Frank and the acompanying flashfloods that struck IloIlo on ...




Namibia Community Land Information Programme

written by SDFN, 2008-05-24

The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, in partnership with the National Government and Local Authorities, recently co...




Understanding Xenephobia

written by 3 Articles, 2008-05-23

Below is a series of three articles from different voices on xenephobia. Please email us if you would like to contribute...