Food Security for Hungry Families in Zambia

Zambia is currently facing one of its most severe droughts, affecting almost ten million people in rural areas of Southern and Western provinces and has had devastating consequences for agriculture, water availability, energy, and food security. We have worked to support our community with monthly delivery of staples foods and ways to continue growing food crops on the communal farm.

This drought and resulting economic decline have made creating alternative water sources imperative. Our man in Zambia, Sydney Mwamba, is researching various ways to collect and save water when it does rain. This will be our next big initiative to ensure the farm's future. 

At the same time, we are expanding our educational sponsorship program. This has been quite successful and provides the student with a chance for a job with better pay. We are so proud of Busiku, one of our sponsorship students studying physiotherapy, who graduated last April from the University in Lusaka, and is now employed at the Mama Bakhita Cheshire Home providing care for the children there. 

The AACDP was called upon for emergency funds when Sr. Agness wrote me last month from a remote missionary hospital requesting desperately dollars for an incubator because so many babies were being born prematurely due to the drought and resulting famine. The AACDP sent out a call on Facebook for help with this crisis and raised $3600 in 2 hours, enough to purchase the incubator and other life-saving equipment: a neontal suction machine and manual vacuum!

Thank you so much for supporting the AACDP's efforts these past few years. No matter how uncertain the future, we will keep on working to provide opportunities that can led to independence and productivity.

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Links:

• Drought Emergency Food Delivery
• From Teacher's Assistant to Physiotherapist
• Sponsoring Education Pays Forward

Last month Zambia proudly celebrated its 60th Independence Day, despite the ever worsening drought. The AACDP added to our community’s celebration with a drought emergency food delivery to 46 families. Even though staple foods prices have risen on average about 15% since last month, we were able to include kapenta (dried sardines, a major source of protein), thanks to funds raised by the AACDP Italy tours.

The delivery vehicle has been moving steadily toward the end of its functional life. Not only does it need constant repair, but it is using so much petrol that it may actually be less expensive to rent a more efficient vehicle for this month’s emergency food deliveries. Our primary focus for the upcoming GlobalGiving Giving Tuesday campaign will be to fund the purchase of another used vehicle that uses less petrol and is sturdy enough to need fixing less often. We hope to be able to get a 10 - 12 year old 4X4 pickup for less than $18,000.

Right now Zambia is entering what even in non-drought years would be the “lean season”, the time when harvesting newly planted major crops is  4 - 5 months away. This year is leaner than most - with no rain last year, there are no stored crops to tide people over.

The Zambezi Farm, run by the mothers and grandmothers of disabled children from the Mama Bakhita, is still doing better than farms with no irrigation. The farmers have been rationing the little water they can still pump, and the tomatoes and kale are doing well. The tomatoes are just starting to ripen, and there are so many that they should bring in some decent income over the next few weeks. The goats and chickens are in good health and are multiplying - there are 3 new goats and 13 new chicks.

But it will be years before Zambia can recover from this catastrophic drought. Please help our friends make it through this lean season. Your donations on Giving Tuesday, 12/3/24 will help us earn more toward making their survival possible.

Thank you for caring and sharing.