A group of Cape Town women from Philippi, Crossroads, Khayelitsha and Strand have started a stokvel with a difference. They call themselves the Masakhe Ladies and they pool their money to build houses.
Started in January, the stokvel currently has 12 members, each contributing R2 450 a month. They then buy materials, rotating through the members one at a time.
Members decide among themselves whose turn it is for the monthly lump sum payment. The founding members met through a food stokvel.
"We can't keep on having a stokvel for food when we know that the most important thing is a roof over our heads," says Ntombekhaya Plati.
"We get a quotation and go to the hardware store to buy material or save the money to buy a house or a plot," she says.
"I am tired of staying in a shack that leaks when it rains. I want to sleep peacefully when it's raining," says Dorah Mkenku.
"I have been doing stokvel for food for more than 15 years and I have nothing to show, but this will have good results because in no time my house will be done."
She received her material on Saturday and plans to build a four-roomed house.
The members of the group have chosen a uniform of overalls and work boots to wear to their monthly meeting.
"We didn't want to wear high heels," says Lizzy Sicwebu – Republished from Groundup.org.za
