our work

in Zambia

Zambia overview

Large, sparsely populated and politically stable, Zambia has vast agricultural potential.

Self Help Africa’s largest project is a five-year Irish Aid funded local development project that commenced in Northern Province in early 2013. Programme focus is on two key areas: sustainable agriculture and nutrition.

Current projects cover: food and nutrition security; research into and production of improved varieties of seeds; rural enterprise development; savings and credit; income generation; watershed management; sustainable agriculture and environmental rehabilitation.

The country programme works primarily through farmer commodity producer groups, seed producer groups, research stations, local NGOs, civil society organisations and local government to reach smallholder farmers.

Full Name: Republic of Zambia
Population: 17.6 million (World Bank Data 2018)
Population Growth (Yearly): 3.01%
Capital: Lusaka
Area: 581,309 SQ KM (224,080 SQ Miles)
Major Languages: English (Official),Bemba, Tonga, Numerous indigenous languages
Major Religions: Christianity, Traditional Beliefs

Zambia projects

Since 2013 SHA has been implementing the IALDP - an integrated livelihoods programme focusing on improving the livelihoods, health and food and nutrition security of over 17,000 smallholder households. We have been working to increase agricultural production, productivity and marketing, promote improved nutrition and health education, and support local authorities to improve service delivery. So far, assessments have shown promising results; more mothers are now providing appropriate food and hygiene for their infants, and households have seen their disposable income and production levels of important nutritious crops increase. Now in the final phase-out stage, the programme is working with local government to ensure a smooth handover and sustainable exit strategy.

The project is building the capacity of the local seed grower associations by providing technical assistance on business planning, financial management and governance. We are building seed growers’ capacity to produce seed at consistent quality to improve farmers’ access to quality seed and create viable business opportunities for seed growers. SHA is also working with Seed Grower Associations and their smallholder farmer members to increase production of early generation indigenous seed and to develop a better understanding of how the different varieties perform under conservation agriculture practices in the different geographical regions of Zambia.

The project’s objective is to promote the availability, accessibility and consumption of diverse, safe and nutritious foods for improved household nutrition and health. This will be delivered through linkages formed with the private sector, trainings on food quality and nutrition, and knowledge dissemination through multimedia. The project will collaborate with a variety of Zambian actors, including the University of Zambia, agro-dealers, government extension staff, cooperatives and smallholder farmers to focus on building local capacity.

This project supports refugee households to increase self-reliance over an 18-month period, through providing training on agriculture, setting up savings and credit groups, providing a productive asset chosen by the participant and facilitating links to potential markets. In addition, each participant is also assigned a case worker who mentors them throughout the project. The project works with 300 vulnerable households from refugee and host communities to increase self-sufficiency. This will reduce dependency on aid, and enable these vulnerable households to meet their livelihood requirements.

Malnutrition remains a serious problem in Zambia, with a 2017 Global Hunger Index score of 38.2, the food situation in the country is ranked as Alarming. 40% of Zambian children are affected by stunting – well above the average for African countries with similar national income.

Home grown school feeding programmes are identified as a key strategy for enhancing welfare and livelihoods for the poor and vulnerable, and for enhancing food security and nutrition. SHA is implementing activities in six districts of Zambia (Mumbwa, Shibuyunji, Petauke, Luangwa, Sinda, and Nyimba) focusing on building community, school and government capacity and ownership of the programme to begin the transition towards independence from WFP support, developing an evidence-based model that can easily be scaled up across Zambia.

200,000 primary schoolchildren from 6 districts, across 435 primary schools

PRESERVE Kafue is a three-year project (March 2019- Feburary 2022) to improve the resilience, food, income and nutrition security of 3,000 households in the Monze, Namwala and Mazabuka districts of Zambia. The project will use the Functional Landscape Approach (FLA) to promote the sustainable use of natural resources for diversified livelihoods and increased incomes, whilst protecting and restoring essential eco-systems within the Kafue Sub-basin. The project builds on SHA Zambia’s previous experience implementing Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Kafue Sub-Basin (SCRiKA) in the targeted districts from 2016 to 2018.
3,000 smallholder farmers directly targeted
40% women from femaleheaded households
20% young people (18-35years)
40% vulnerable people
15,000 family members indirectly targeted

The project aims to enhance the capacity of financial associations to provide improved services to the Enterprise Groups to enable them to operate sustainably through improved production and market linkages.
These services will include financial services (loans, BDS and product financing) as well as market services (which include bulking, value addition and facilitating market linkages). Product development for the Financial Associations (FAs) will be key as they will be able to tailor products to meet the different requirements of their clientele. The project aims to promote and develop grain marketing/trading by the FAs, who will absorb the grain grown by smallholder farmers within their catchment areas, benefitting from quality seed provided by the Seed Grower Associations. The Enterprise Groups should benefit from the products provided by the FAs, which range from traditional loans to equipment lease or hire.

Stories from Zambia

Supporting women traders on Africa’s borders
20th January 2020
Worst drought in Zambia in generations
7th January 2020

Improving School Meals in Zambia
19th March 2019
Refugee mum gets fresh start
27th February 2019

Country Profile

Read the Zambia Profile

TO CONTACT US ABOUT OUR WORK IN ZAMBIA:

Self Help Africa
Plot No. 87 | Provident Street | Fairview
P.O. Box 37484
Lusaka

Tel. +260 211 236595
Email: zambia@selfhelpafrica.org

COVID-19 – Message from the CEO

Mary’s Mango Tree

Cashew boost for West African women

our work

in Zambia

Zambia overview

Zambia projects

IRISH AID LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (IALDP)

COMMUNITY-BASED SEED ENTERPRISES AND PARTICIPATORY CROP IMPROVEMENT

NUTRITION SENSITIVE VALUE CHAINS

PATHWAYS TO SELF-RELIANCE FOR REFUGEES

Home Grown School Meals

P.r.e.s.e.r.v.e Kafue

sustaining enterprise growth in financial associations project

Stories from Zambia

Supporting women traders on Africa’s borders

Worst drought in Zambia in generations

Improving School Meals in Zambia

Refugee mum gets fresh start

Country Profile

TO CONTACT US ABOUT OUR WORK IN ZAMBIA:

COVID-19 – Message from the CEO

Mary’s Mango Tree

Cashew boost for West African women

Responding to East Africa’s Locust Invasion