Zambia

Project: Senanga Food Security

Category: Agricultural support

Where?

The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka, located in the southeast of the country. The population is concentrated mainly around the capital Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt to the northwest. This project is implemented in the Senanga District situated in the Western province of Zambia, located on the flood plains of the river Zambesi.

Why?

Zambia is one of the least developed countries in the world. The 2006 United Nations Human Development Report ranked Zambia 164 out of 182 countries. Poverty levels are very high and about 80% of the population survives on less than a dollar a day. The levels of poverty are more pronounced in the rural than in the urban areas and more pronounced among females. Senanga has been classified as a chronically food insecure area because of its proneness to drought and flush floods. This affects farmers who grow their crops in the relatively richer alluvial soils in the plains and leads to food shortages.

What?

ADRA-UK completed successfully a 2-year EC funded project in the district that has helped to make significant improvements in the area. This project is building upon our experience and is providing two years of ongoing support to the district.

Download a report on the EC project results here!

Read some succes stories here!

How?

Ongoing training in improved agricultural techniques will address the low agricultural yields and will enable households to produce enough food stocks to last them a whole year. Training in crop diversification and drought tolerant crops will enhance the resilience of households to deal with food shortages by shifting to the drought tolerant crops like cassava which if prepared well have the same nutritional value like the “traditional” staple food - maize. The project also trains people in food preservation methods to reduce wastage.

Who?

The project is financed by ADRA-UK.

When?

The project started on the 1st of January 2010 and will end on the 31st of December 2011