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Zambia Empowering the Poor Through Food Security Located in south central Africa, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zambia joined the LWF in 2002. They have a membership of 5,683. Food security – or physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet people’s daily needs – is the main focus of the LWF World Service program in Zambia, where 67 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Without food security, households will eat only one meal a day, limit the amount of food per meal, and sell their livestock at give-away prices. To promote sustainable solutions, the Zamiba program has been shifting from service delivery to empowerment. The latter focuses on building the capacity of poor, vulnerable and marginalized people to increase their own food security. Of the three levels of food security – national, community and household, the Zambia program focuses on households. It deals with agricultural production, income and capacity. Agricultural production determines whether a household will have enough food to last until the next harvest. Major interventions to improve production promote sustainable land use techniques, crop diversification, aquaculture, small-scale irrigation, and improved livestock management. Alternative income sources help households meet their food needs. Income-generating activities are promoted at group and household levels, and training is given in entrepreneurship skills. A pilot project aims to develop a culture of saving for investment by introducing rural banking facilities. Such facilities are often too distant and too expensive for the rural poor. The availability of affordable LWF loans to finance alternative income-generating activities will contribute to enhanced household food security in rural areas.
Thanks for giving hope to the people of Zambia! |
