A Young Girl’s Walk for Water

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Maegan Clark

Water is a vital resource for agriculture, sanitation and for all human existence. Yet 780 million people do not have access to clean water. In recognition of World Water Day on March 22, Heifer International is highlighting the need for those struggling to emerge from poverty to have reliable access to water.

Water. A simple requirement for many of us in the world, but not for Idess, a young girl living in Zambia who has to walk a mile four or five times a day to retrieve just a bucket of water or two.

Idess lives just outside of Ndola, Zambia, in a community called Kanyenda, with her family, which has received goats from Heifer International. At 15, Idess is in the 8^th grade but school isn’t her only responsibility. She and her mother, Dainess, 46, are also tasked with going to fetch water from the community well. Though she is in her teenage years, Idess understands her role in the family dynamic.

Idess, a 15-year old girl with much hope, thanks to Heifer

I was able to spend time with Idess and her mother one Saturday to learn how they spend each day on chores like fetching water and cooking for the family. Though I had arrived early in the morning, they had already gone to bring water back once that day for the morning’s tasks. It was already time to walk back to the well to bring water for the preparation of the family’s lunch.

We grabbed our buckets and began to make the walk in the hot, African sun even though Idess and her mother do not wear shoes. As we started to walk, Idess stayed close by my side to make sure I didn’t have any trouble carrying the empty buckets or get lost along the multiple dirt roads. Though she was young, she had made this walk so many times she does it with ease.

After about 25-30 minutes, we arrived at the well, about 40 feet deep. Attached to the well was a yellow Jerry can that is dropped into the well to lift out the water. Dainess showed us how to drop the can in the well and lift it out to pour it into the bucket. She did it with such grace that the 30-pound bucket seemed effortless to lift up. Next was my turn to try. After one unsuccessful attempt to fill the bucket full of water, I tried again. Idess explained that you have to turn the can to the side and lift up, turn the can and lift up again to get it fully filled.

It was time to lift the can out of the well. My attempt had none of the grace of Dainess’ maneuverings. The bucket was heavy, the rope was wet and my hands were not strong enough to hold the rope and pull it up out of the well. Idess gave me a sweet smile and then asked if she could help. Water is a resource that no one can live without and she understands the importance of bringing back as much water as you can each trip.

Once our buckets were filled with water, it was time to return. I wanted to try to carry the water on my head the way Dainess and Idess do, to try to understand how they live each day. Idess helped me as I placed the bucket on my head. As the 15-25 lb bucket of water settled on my head, I started to feel the tension in my shoulders, back and mostly my neck. As we began to walk, water slowly sloshed out of the bucket onto my face, shirt and pants. (I had a real fear that there would be no water left in the bucket once we arrived at their house.) As we walked back, everyone was much quieter, focusing on their load.

Carrying back the water, though using two hands is cheating

After about 30 minutes, we arrived back at the house with water left in all buckets to use for cooking. To retrieve the water took about an hour and a half. Cooking prep took another hour, as did the cooking process. After about 3 hours, we had retrieved water, prepared food and cooked. Most days, Dainess and Idess have to do this two to three times for their family.

Dainess prepares lunch with the water that was collected.

The water we collected was to cook and wash dishes with for that day. The other water collected will be for the goats the family received from Heifer, for the family’s consumption, small garden and for bathing.

As we think about World Water Day, let’s think about Idess. Her hopeful smile shows that the work we do at Heifer is impacting her family by showing them how to manage water consumption and practice water conservation to not only improve their lives, but the environment as well.

Give the gift of clean water today.

Heifer Zambia to Participate in Annual Dairy Forum

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Elizabeth Bintliff

Heifer International’s Zambia office is proud to announce Zambia’s first annual dairy forum in Lusaka on December 20, 2012. The Heifer Zambia office was approached by the organizers to put together a presentation and develop strategies for making this dairy forum successful in achieving two significant objectives under the theme of “Dairy for nutrition, incomes and job creation.”

Heifer Zambia Fisenge Dairy Cattle Project Phase II

Heifer Zambia Fisenge Dairy Cattle Project participant. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee, courtesy of Heifer International.

The Government of Zambia would like to get input that will contribute to livestock development policies currently under development. Additionally, they would like for the stakeholders in attendance to provide key priority areas that will promote rapid growth in the dairy sector, meeting or exceeding the country’s great potential in this area.

Four agencies will support the coordination of the agenda for this event alongside Heifer Zambia. They include representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Agriculture Consultative Forum, Dairy Association of Zambia and SNV.

Together these agencies are at the forefront of dairy sector development in Zambia, and Heifer Zambia is proud to be a part of this momentous occasion with key presentations to include:

Historical Perspectives and Current Status of the Performance and Competitiveness of the Dairy Sub Sector in Zambia by Prof. Pandey (GART)
Government Policy, Incentives and Programs Supporting the Diary Industry by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
Dairy Sub Sector Challenges and Opportunities; Community and women empowerment in the dairy sub sector: Challenges and opportunities by Heifer International
Private-Public Partnerships in the Dairy Sub Sector by World Food Program
Dairy Markets for Smallholder Farmers: Innovations, Opportunities and Challenges by MUSIKA

This event is strictly by invitation only and will take place in the Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia.

Heifer Zambia Family Receives Visit From Minister of Gender and Children

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Elizabeth Bintliff

Heifer Zambia participant Mrs. Elizabeth Lungu lives in a tiny brick hut in a small, remote village in the community of Baraka in Mpima District, Zambia. She shares her home with her husband and their small children. On the hot, dry day that we visited her, there was not a cloud in the bright blue sky. There was a lot of commotion when our car pulled up at her home. Women in colorful Kitenge, or sarongs, gathered curiously around the yard. Children fled to cling to their mothers’ skirts, away from the visitors. Babies on their mothers’ backs looked on skeptically.

We were accompanied on this visit by the Zambian minister of Gender and Children, Mrs. Inonge Wina, a slight but passionate woman who carries a strong vision for the future of rural women in her country. We were also accompanied by Mr. Zulu, the government extension agent responsible for providing veterinary support to to thousands of families living in this area. He knows the Lungu family well, as he knows many of the livestock-owning families in the area. He is the person they call for advice with their animals or when the animals need veterinary care.

Mrs. Inonge Wina, Zambian minister of Gender and Children, admires the Jersey dairy cow Elizabeth Lungu received from Heifer Zambia. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Mr. Zulu approached the cow standing in the shed nearby the family compound with great familiarity. The Jersey dairy cow, imported from South Africa, was provided to the Lungu family by Heifer International through a Heifer Zambia project in December 2011. Within the project, 90 percent of families are headed by women, so the Minister of Gender was very interested in seeing what kind of difference the livestock can make in their lives. She probed for answers: How do they afford to feed and care for the animal? What return do they get? What is the impact on their livelihoods?

Mr. Lungu pulled out the ledger attached to the cow shed door and referred to his records. The animal costs $120 to feed every month. But in return, they earn $340 a month from the sale of milk alone. For them, the economics add up to significant income, far more in a month than they both made before receiving the gift from Heifer.

For Elizabeth Lungu, the value of the animal extends far beyond its economic benefits. It has given her a tremendous sense of dignity to own something so valuable and to have been able to Pass on the Gift of its offspring to another family in the community as Heifer’s model requires. She has also seen her children become healthier as their milk consumption increased.

The Minister explained that in Zambia, property ownership laws have only recently been changed to allow women the right to own property. For example, the law requires that 30 percent of all land should be owned by women. But this is only the statutory law. Customary law – that which is administered by chiefs and other traditional leaders – has not followed suit. “It is the chiefs who are the custodians of culture, and they are not changing as quickly with the times,” Minister Wina added.

Within this Heifer Zambia project, the livestock is given to the woman and is legally in her name. This way, in the event of her husband’s death or divorce, she will not lose her entitlement or right to the animal. Although she rightfully owns the animal, the entire family receives Heifer training and shares equally the responsibilities and benefits of the livestock.

On the day we visited, a ceremony was being held in the village’s common space to celebrate the Passing on the Gift of 44 animals to new Heifer Zambia participant farmers, who also hoped to see their lives improved like the Lungus have experienced.

The Minister nodded in understanding and amazement over Heifer’s model. “This is truly how you make a difference in the lives of people.”

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Rural Women Will Make It So

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Elizabeth Bintliff

In addition to being Blog Action Day, today is also International Day of Rural Women. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his message for today, stated, “Empowering rural women is crucial for ending hunger and poverty. By denying women rights and opportunities, we deny their children and societies a better future.” We couldn’t agree more. I have been traveling recently to our project sites in Africa, and I’d like to share my reflections on one of my field visits.

Today’s visits were a lesson in what rural women, in this case African women in a remote Zambian village, can do given a few assets and a little bit of opportunity. This morning, after a long, bumpy drive across stretches of dried up farmland in the increasingly hot sun, we arrive at the home of 53 year-old Mrs. Flora Monga. Dressed in her bright blue shirt and flashing a megawatt smile she welcomes us heartily, and after initial greetings she leads us to her cowshed and starts telling us all the things she has been able to do since she received two draft cattle from Heifer in 2009. She remembers the date as if it were her birthday: January 1. From those first two animals, she now has four, which have gone a long way to helping the former housewife improve life for her husband and six children, aged 16 to 22. “In the first year we received the animals we harvested 69 bags of food from our 10 hectares of land,” she recalls. She goes on to say that in 2010 she harvested 150 bags, then she flips frantically through the ledger in her hand, a record book, to show us the evidence and adds proudly that in the second year she harvested 200 bags; soy beans, cow peas, sweet potatoes.

Flora Monga of Zambia has big plans for her farm. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Asked if the animals produce milk she says “Yes, about two and a half liters per day.” Not enough to sell for any significant income, but more than enough to satisfy her big family. She beckons to her grandchild on the other side of the yard and shows off her healthy, beautiful face.

Flora tells me that for the purposes of the project she insisted the animals be given to her using her maiden name. I ask her why, and she smiles at me wryly; “Because I wanted it to be in my name,” she says. Her husband, Benson, is very supportive. The manure they collect from their animal shed, added to the increased capacity to cultivate land that draft animals provide have meant many happy returns for the family. She tells us about the grain mill they bought last year to grind their maize, a machine that cost approximately $1,600. Then she ushers all of us into the new house she and her husband are building, a three bedroom brick and concrete house with a tin roof, a far cry from the mud and thatch hut they once called home. There are bags of cement in the hallway, waiting to be used to finish the house. In one room, bags of grain from the farm are piled high almost to the ceiling, ready for market.

Under a tarp in the foyer is a brand new milling machine that the couple just bought with cash, for which they paid 23.5 million Zambian Kwacha, the equivalent of $4,700. With this she will be able to grind not just her grain but that of her neighbors for a fee. She names off her sources of income: 2,000 Kwacha ($4) per meter of land ploughed when she rents out her animals, 1,500 Kwacha for every five kilograms of grain ground. From the grain her neighbors grind, she keeps the bran to feed her animals as it is of no use to her neighbors. This reduces her feed costs.

I ask her about the bag of charcoal in her hallway, asking her what she will do about her fuel needs. She tells me that her next plan is to buy and install a solar panel as an alternative source of energy. “We want to be drinking cold water in this house,” she adds as if in prophecy. I smile at her and nod, and we exchange a high five. I know that from a woman like this with big dreams and big plans, a declaration like that is bound to happen, because she will make it so.

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