Habitat volunteers serve the mission in many ways, like Mulenga Muleba, board chairperson for Habitat Zambia.  

Since 2019, Mulenga has successfully led efforts to increase funding, recruit new partners, strengthen collaboration across sectors and introduce innovative housing solutions. 

Mulenga has seen firsthand the impact of Habitat’s work. He once visited a mother of four at her new home in Makululu, one of the country’s largest informal settlements. Here, families have partnered with Habitat to build more than 300 homes, and women are building financial literacy through over 500 training groups. “She told me, ‘I am so proud I can now polish the floors of my house,’” Mulenga says. “That house gave her security and dignity and hope for her children. Those are the moments that remind me why we do this work.” 

Among many initiatives, Mulenga has pushed for indoor toilets in new home designs and is working to bring solar power to communities. “When my tenure is up at the board, I want to have laid the foundation for increased funding and sustainable impact,” he says. “After all, once a volunteer with Habitat, always a volunteer with Habitat.”  

Volunteers like Mulenga are key to what we do. When people step forward to give their time, leadership and energy, more families can build safer, stronger futures.