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, Nyanja, Lozi, Lunda, Kaonde, Luvale
Major Religions: Christianity, Traditional Beliefs

Zambia projects

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 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.

400 farmers (50% women)

The Sustaining Enterprise Growth in Financial Associations (SEGiFA) 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.
The project, in addition to providing financial services, also 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 could range from traditional loans to equipment lease or hire.

Funded by the European Commission and the Government of Zambia, starting in March 2020, SHA will manage a €20.8m grant fund to provide financial support to agribusiness operating in any value chain in Zambia (except for tobacco and maize). The project seeks to create a step-change in the Zambian agricultural sector: creating an environment which supports the growth of SMEs while also supporting livelihood improvement for individual smallholder farmers.
It will tackle a critical challenge facing Zambian agribusinesses: lack of access to finance and financial services, while making the agricultural sector work better for all, particularly smallholder farmers. It will incentivize greater inclusivity in value chains and provide agri-enterprises with targeted technical support and advice to ensure that their business can impact positively on the resilience, sustainability, profitability of smallholder farmers and deliver employment and economic opportunities.

649,850 Smallholder farmers
35-45 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

This project is an emergency school feeding intervention which builds on Self Help Africa’s successful Home Grown School Meals (HGSM) programme which ended in September 2019. Using the HGSM model, this project will strengthen local procurement systems to take into account nutrition concerns, while enabling school/farmer relationships to ensure consistent and adequate food supply to schools.
Nutritious foods will be provided to school students and to increase income for the households in the local communities by providing a readily available and sustainable market for their produce.
The project will also support the establishment of school gardens to be used for learning and technology/knowledge transfer. The project will target 143 schools (74 in Gwembe and 69 in Shangombo) with 18,293 and 33,263 students respectively.

143 schools (74 in Gwembe and 69 in Shangombo)

The main objective of this action is to undertake an emergency response to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on 1000 smallholder farmers in Kafue, Chirundu, Siavonga and Chongwe districts. The project will create awareness on COVID 19 pandemic amongst target communities through messaging and awareness building sessions. It will support vulnerable households with emergency seed packs to help them revamp food production and build resilience against future agriculture shocks (seed and/ or food shortages).

1,000 smallholder farmers

Stories from Zambia

Wetland Farming Reaps Conservation Dividend
8th August 2023
Horn of Africa drought and food crisis – a growing catastrophe
17th June 2022

Projects Worked Directly with 275,000 Families
3rd September 2020
Supporting women traders on Africa’s land borders
20th January 2020

Country Profile

Read the Zambia Profile

TO CONTACT US ABOUT OUR WORK IN ZAMBIA:

Self Help Africa
Plot No. 121 | Off Kudu Road | Kabulonga
P.O. Box 37484
Lusaka

Tel. +260 211 236595
Email: [email protected]

our work

in Zambia

Zambia overview

Zambia projects

Climate Change: P.r.e.s.e.r.v.e Kafue

SEED: COMMUNITY-BASED SEED ENTERPRISES AND PARTICIPATORY CROP IMPROVEMENT

MF: sustaining enterprise growth in financial associations project

Economic, Nutrition and Technical support for increased Economic Returns and PRofit In SustainablE agribusiness in Zambia: ENTERPRISE Zambia.

South Appeal for Humanitarian Aid

Project-Friendly Metrics and Technologies for Better Results in Nutrition-Sensitive Projects

The Early Recovery of Drought Affected Households in Zambia

Mitigation of the Impact of COVID 19 on Rural Poor Smallholder Farmers

Upscaling Poultry Production Project: Market Oriented Rural Enterprise

Stories from Zambia

Wetland Farming Reaps Conservation Dividend

Horn of Africa drought and food crisis – a growing catastrophe

Projects Worked Directly with 275,000 Families

Supporting women traders on Africa’s land borders

Country Profile

TO CONTACT US ABOUT OUR WORK IN ZAMBIA:

Putting best foot forward in New York Marathon

Village bank provided loans to more than 72,000 (mainly) women members

Wetland Farming Reaps Conservation Dividend

World Food Day 2023: Water is Life, water is food. Leave no one behind.