Chindwin Home Based Care - Savings & Loans Association (short version) Video

The mid 1990's was a dire time in Kabwe, Zambia. HIV/AIDS had been gaining momentum for some time, facilitated by widespread ignorance, stigma and denial. The proportion of the population affected directly or indirectly by the HI virus was spiralling out of control. As parents died, grandparents took on the responsibility of stretching their meagre resources to care for the growing population of orphaned children. As if this wasn't enough, the economy in Kabwe was also dying. Almost overnight the region's copper mines halted to a stop as the international price of copper plummeted. This economic shock snowballed leading to the bankruptcy of textile factories, zinc and lead mines (see photo above) and the privatization and downsizing of Zambian Railways. The citizens of Kabwe were devastated.

It was during these crises that a handful of caregivers decided to organize Chindwin Home Based Care (CHBC). These caregivers volunteered their time and resources to care for the overwhelming number of individuals crippled and housebound because of AIDS. These efforts operated with little government support during a time when the prices of antiretroviral medication were exorbitant and beyond the means of nearly all Zambians. After a few years of fighting an uphill battle, some of the caregivers decided to develop a microcredit program whereby caregivers could invest in a savings fund. The fund acted as a source for community members to secure loans and as an investment opportunity whereby caregiver contributions would be repaid with a percentage of the interest payments. Furthermore, the remaining interest would be earmarked to the newly formed Chindwin Home Based Care - Savings and Loans Association (CHBC-SLA) who used these funds to support community projects.

CHBC-SLA is a small - but growing - group of concerned citizens with the shared goal of improving the well being of the people in the Chindwin area by offering care and support for those affected by HIV/AIDS, empowering vulnerable populations (e.g. women and children), providing micro-loans and investment opportunities, and raising money to donate to community projects. Wherever a community need is identified you will find someone from CHBC-SLA. Currently, CHBC-SLA has lofty aspirations but is limited by considerable resource constraints. CHBC-SLA still operates as a volunteer, not-for-profit organization with only one paid staff member. Anyone with questions or interest in funding the organization may contact Wilson Ngosa, CHBC-SLA program manager (info@sloansassociation.org).