Among them was Christina, a single mother caring for four children. After the storm washed away her home, Christina and her family were relocated to the Namchidwa camp, where they lived in a temporary tent alongside hundreds of other displaced families. With no stable shelter and no source of income, the future felt uncertain.

Recovery began when Christina partnered with Habitat for Humanity Malawi, local leaders and the district council to rebuild a safe and permanent home for her family. What started as support for one community soon grew into something bigger. With funding from the Gale family, 17 permanent homes were constructed in Namchidwa village. That initial effort inspired additional partners to step forward, making it possible to build 37 more homes.

Recovery efforts also focused on long-term resilience with 17 young people receiving vocational training, and over 1,000 community members participating in sessions on safe shelter practices. 

Today, Christina and her children are rebuilding their lives in a safe place they can call home. Across the community, recovery work is still underway as families continue to rebuild their lives and look toward a more secure future.

Their story is a reminder that recovery after disaster often begins with a home – opening the door to resilience for families and communities alike.

A documentary capturing the experiences of families in Namchidwa was produced with support from the Gale family, sharing the voices and resilience of those rebuilding after the storm.

Encouraged by the campaign, she reinitiated her appeal process. In September 2025, after 31 years of persistence, Emebet finally received the title deed to her home.

“Now I feel like a homeowner. I sleep well and can focus on building my future,” she said.

Today, she gives back to her community by partnering with Habitat Ethiopia through the campaign to train other women facing similar challenges.

For Emebet, the document represents more than legal recognition. It represents peace of mind, dignity and the freedom to focus on her livelihood and future.

Ketty builds a future through skilled work – Uganda

In Uganda, Ketty is building her future through skilled work.

Today she works as a skilled welder, producing metal products and earning a steady income that allows her to support herself and plan for the future. The journey to this moment required determination and the opportunity to learn a new trade after financial challenges forced her to leave school.

Through a collaboration between Habitat for Humanity Uganda and the Citi Foundation under the Global Innovation Challenge, Ketty received vocational training in welding — one of several construction and technical trades where young people are gaining practical, marketable skills that contribute to building and improving homes and communities.

Ketty is the only female trainee among 150 youth gaining hands-on experience in fields such as welding, carpentry, construction, electrical installation and plumbing. The program is helping young people transition into sustainable livelihoods while contributing to stronger, more resilient communities.

In a field where women are still underrepresented, she is proving that skilled trades are not limited by gender. For Ketty, the training has opened the door to independence and dignity.

“Now I can earn my own income and take care of my needs,” she says.

Her supervisor notes her commitment and skill in the workshop, describing her as a talented craftsperson who produces high-quality work and continues to grow in confidence.

Protecting livelihoods and coastlines – Ghana 

In the coastal community of Woe in Ghana’s Anloga District, Madam Comfort is helping restore the mangrove ecosystems that protect local livelihoods and shorelines.

A vegetable farmer, fishmonger and mother of four, Comfort has witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion and flooding have damaged crops and threatened incomes for families who depend on the land and sea.

Comfort volunteers in mangrove restoration through the Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities – Adaptation Fund project, a regional initiative co-implemented with UN-Habitat, ActionAid Ghana, the University of Twente, the Abidjan Convention, and national governments. The efforts are designed to strengthen natural coastal defenses and safeguard community livelihoods.

Over the past weeks, she has joined other volunteers in planting mangroves along vulnerable sections of the coastline. 

Mangrove ecosystems are a lifeline for coastal communities, reducing erosion, absorbing floodwaters and protecting shorelines from storms while supporting livelihoods such as fishing.

For Comfort, resilience begins with collective action. By restoring mangroves, she and her community are helping safeguard their homes, livelihoods. 

“I feel happy knowing that, in my own small way, I am contributing to a cause that will positively impact my generation and generations yet unborn,” she says.

Joyce’s dream of homeownership – Kenya

In Nanyuki, Laikipia County, Joyce and her family recently celebrated a milestone she once thought impossible: becoming homeowners.

Joyce lives with her two daughters and grandchildren and supports her family through casual jobs in the community. For years, stable housing felt out of reach.

In January 2026, volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Kenya and Habitat for Humanity Greater Rochester partnered with Joyce’s family to begin construction of a safe, decent home.

Joyce laid the first brick herself as the foundation took shape. Over the following days, volunteers and family members worked side by side mixing mortar, carrying materials and raising the walls of the new home.

“I never thought this day would come,” Joyce said. “Now I am a homeowner, and my family has a safe place to live.”

For Joyce, the house represents stability, security and a new chapter for her family.

Building foundations for opportunity

The stories of Emebet, Ketty, Comfort and Joyce show how access to housing and land can open doors to opportunity.

When women have a safe place to call home, they gain the stability needed to pursue livelihoods, support their families and contribute to their communities.

As we join the world in celebrating the strength, resilience, and leadership of women, it is imperative that safe and affordable housing is recognized and prioritized as a foundational investment in well-being and gender equality.