The Gungano Urban Poor Fund began with community members contributing just $1 USD per month. Since inception, the Fund has secured land for informal settlement residents valued at an estimated $84 million USD, an extraordinary achievement under difficult conditions.
The Fund was launched in 1998 in Harare in Zimbabwe, by the then Minister of Local Government. These collective savings are used as leverage to negotiate resources and partnerships with donors, city authorities, and other key stakeholders. Over the years, the Fund has weathered significant macroeconomic volatility, including currency fluctuations and record-breaking hyperinflation.
Besides providing access to land, the Fund also supports community-led financing for essential infrastructure such as housing, water, sanitation, and roads. It further provides seed capital for small business and remains responsive to the evolving needs of savings groups and the day-to-day realities faced by communities.
The fund has been decentralised to the regional level, bringing governance closer to community members to independently decide priorities and strategies for growing the fund. There is an urgent need for stronger partnerships with both state and non-state actors to ensure sustained financing and support.
Thank you to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) team for their support in producing this video.
🎥 Watch the recent Know Your City (KYC) TV short feature to learn more about the inspiring impact of the Gungano Urban Poor Fund:
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K21t1GCT4EY
📚 To learn more, please see Chapter 8 titled, ‘Urban Poor Fund and Revolving Fund: Finance by and for the people in Namibia and Zimbabwe’ in the ‘Learning from informality publication’
