Kabwe, Zambia

DAY 1 | Saturday: Arrive at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport

Your adventure begins today with your arrival in Lusaka at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. We will arrange your transfer to your hotel, where you will have time to unpack and unwind. You will finally get to meet your fellow volunteers, your Team Leader and the Habitat for Humanity coordinator. Overnight stay in Lusaka.

DAY 2 | Sunday: Transportation to Kabwe, welcome & orientation

The day begins with breakfast, welcome orientation and advocacy session to introduce the team to Habitat for Humanity Zambia’s mission and the week’s objectives. The team will then travel to Makululu Community in Kabwe and transferred to the build-week hotel. After lunch, you will visit the community members - the partner families as well as the construction team. Settle in, relax, and gather for dinner as you prepare for the build ahead.

DAY 3 | Monday: Begin construction of the house

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for your first day on the build site. Upon arrival, there will be a site safety orientation led by Habitat for Humanity Zambia staff.
Spend the day working on laying the foundation of the home, taking breaks for tea and snacks mid-morning and sharing lunch with local youth. Return to the hotel by late afternoon to refresh, enjoy dinner and gather for a team reflection session to share the day’s experiences.

DAY 4, 5 & 6 | Tuesday - Thursday: Construction and Social Learning Exchange

Begin each morning with breakfast at the hotel before heading to the build site. The next few days will focus on home construction and strengthening bonds with the community.
Take part in a social learning exchange activity and learn about sports development in Kabwe on Wednesday. Lunch will be shared onsite, offering opportunities for connection with local families. Evenings include time to rest, have dinner, and informal team discussions reflecting on the progress made.

DAY 7 | Friday: Home dedication and farewell celebrations

The closing day is emotional for everyone involved. You will spend the morning on site for the final build activities and a House Dedication Ceremony, celebrating the completion of the home alongside the partner family and community members.
Share a farewell lunch with the community, followed by a farewell dinner in Kabwe to commemorate the week’s accomplishments. Overnight in Kabwe.

DAY 8 | Saturday: Departure Day

After breakfast, check out and travel back to Kenneth Kaunda International airport. For earlier departures, alternative arrangements can be made upon request. Though the trip ends, the memories and impact will inspire your commitment to Habitat’s mission.

Typical Housing Solutions:

HFHZ offers beneficiary families a 9.2x4m housing unit which comes with a ventilated pit latrine to ensure good sanitation. The house is made with 6’’ concrete blocks, steel window and door frames, hard wood door, concrete floor and a corrugated roofing sheet.

Typical Volunteer Tasks:

1. Drawing water
2. Moving blocks from one point to another
3. Laying blocks
4. Mixing mortar (sand, cement and water)
5. Cutting wood and steel, etc.

Through peer-to-peer fundraising, Global Village volunteers contribute a program and build donation that will advance Habitat’s work in communities with the greatest housing needs. Build donations cover volunteer accommodations, meals and ground transportation. Crucially, the program donations also directly support Habitat’s housing programs in the countries.

Once you register for a this Global Village build, you commit to fundraising:

$3875 minimum fundraising target

What's Included

• Double Occupancy Accommodation
• All meals for the week
• Daily transportation to and from site
• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Snacks and water
• All necessary building materials and safety equipment
• 24-hour support
• Insurance whilst on the build site

*What's Not Included

• Flights to and from Zambia
• Travel Insurance
• Visa
• Vaccinations

Meet Kathryn Petrovich!

Hi there! I am Kathryn, and I’m thrilled to be leading my next volunteer build in Zambia!

Habitat for Humanity holds a special place in my heart—both personally and professionally. For well over a decade, I've had the pleasure of dedicating much of my time as a team leader, guiding diverse groups to build homes and various projects in communities around the world. From Toronto to Peel to Kitchener-Waterloo region, I’ve also rolled up my sleeves closer to home. More recently, I volunteered with HFH Ottawa, contributing to local initiatives and events in our nation’s capital.

I have even had the honor of working at Habitat Canada’s head office, where I coordinated teams like this one, as part of the Global Village department. So, it's safe to say I’m fully immersed in Habitat’s mission and values. And I am so grateful it has enriched my life and the lives of so many others.

I’m passionate about life-long learning, exploring, traveling to the unknown, creating meaningful memories, giving back, and experiencing a culture firsthand by being fully immersed while learning directly from native residents. There's no better way to give back and dive into a community than through the Global Village program.

To join our team, a spirit of kindness, compassion, and understanding is key and are the only pre-requisites. It’s important we lead with patience and flexibility, adapt to new challenges, and work together to overcome any unexpected obstacles that may come our way. While it’s admirable to have a drive to achieve audacious goals, it’s the respect, adaptability, and open-mindedness that will truly shape the success of this journey—both for the community and for yourself.

If you want to be part of an extraordinary team that will make a lasting impact (and surprisingly a difference within yourself too), I would genuinely appreciate hearing from you! Together, we will not only help a community, but we’ll grow and create meaningful memories that will stay with us for a lifetime! Please reach out to: kathryn.petrovich@gmail.com

Global Village Frequently Asked Questions