Tag Archives: Zambia

Wrapping Up a Successful Trip to Zambia

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Written by Marleen New, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations



Today we attended the placement ceremony of 42 draft cattle in the Kaunga Cooperative in the Masaiti region. Once again we were amazed when we arrived to see several hundred people had gathered to witness the occasion. Considering the distance between each family homestead, it was mind-boggling to imagine how far some had come to be a part of the celebration—and all on foot!


One of the more entertaining segments of the day was a skit put on by the Kayumba Women’s Group. Even though the dialogue was in Bemba, we were able to follow along easily as they acted out how their community group had formed in spite of the reservations and complaints from the members’ husbands. It was fun to see—no matter what the culture, income level or language—the interaction between husband and wife is the pretty much the same all over the world. 

In spite of the objections by these men, their wives prevailed and were able to form their group, get their application approved by Heifer, receive training, prepare for their animals and are realizing their dreams. They didn’t pass up the opportunity to poke fun at their husbands, though, and seemed to say, “See how wrong you were?!” as the crowd roared with laughter. I have to say, their husbands took it very well, laughed along with us and seemed very proud of their wives’ accomplishments.
James Kasongo, Heifer Zambia Country Director


The Heifer Zambia staff have also impressed us all this week with their knowledge, camaraderie, enthusiasm and passion for their work. As James Kasongo, Heifer Zambia Country Director, addressed the crowd, it was easy to see how inspiring a team comes naturally to him. “The seed that you have planted in partnership will mature and truly change the lives of our countrymen, pulling them out of poverty and bringing them to a life of hope. We will fly high like the eagle on our national flag,” Kasongo said in thanking Elanco Animal Health (Heifer’s partner and financial supporter of the projects).

 The community group brought the gift of a chicken to Elanco representatives Dawie Pretorius and Marta Haley

The families sent us off with their own version of this message in a song: “Elanco is the walking stick. I will be able to stand taller and move forward with this stick. Even if I am a widow I can stand with this stick!”


What a week it has been. Lelo Bwacha!

Accessing Clean, Fresh Water in Zambia

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Written by Marleen New, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
“Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink!”
The phrase I used to chant when I was a kid has been on my mind a lot this week. Access to clean, safe water is a major issue for families in the Copperbelt Region of Zambia. Although we’ve been told the water table is adequate and the quality, when accessed with the proper tools, is good, only 37 percent of the rural population has access to water. A majority of those have to walk long distances just to reach it. And when they do, it is unlikely to be from a safe, clean source— rivers, streams and unprotected wells are the only access points for a majority of rural Zambians.
For families in the Elanco-funded project we’ve visited, the statistics vary:
·      53 percent of families get their water from open, unprotected wells. Since numerous families all access water from each well, various pollutants are introduced. Hands from many households are touch the bucket lowered to fill the jug, and the bucket also picks up bacteria and other contaminates after it is set on the ground. That begs the questions: Have all (or any?) of these hands been washed recently?  Has a dog or another animal rested (or worse!) where the bucket is set down?
·      The river or a stream is the only source for water for 20 percent of families. This is the same river families will use to wash their clothes, bathe, bring animals to drink and wade through and perform other bodily functions.
·      32 percent report that the water source they use is not reliable and they have to walk long distances for access. In the dry season, the distance is even further since some of the smaller streams will dry up.
Access to safe, clean water, something we take for granted in the developed world, is definitely a major issue and concern here and has been a constant topic of our late night dinner conversations.

Lelo Bwacha: An Awakening in Zambia

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by Marleen New, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

 
A recurring theme on our trip to Zambia, I’ve found, is how such simple ideas, built from inexpensive and everyday items, can make a world of difference. 

The local Bemba phrase “Lelo Bwacha” when translated literally means “dawn” or “morning,” but in Zambia, it is used to describe an awakening, or “Our eyes have been opened” and “We didn’t know such simple things could change a life.” We heard this over and over, time and again, and it certainly seemed to resonate with what we were seeing and experiencing.
Zambian project participant showing how the Tippy-Tap system works.

 Consider the Tippy-Tap. As mentioned in the previous post, having a hand-washing facility convenient and close by the latrine improves hygiene.

Simple Tippy-Tap method

In its simplest form, this could be achieved by providing a plastic jug filled with water. If you drill a small hole close to the bottom of the jug and plug the hole with a stick, you don’t even have to touch the jug to wash your hands. Just remove the twig, wash your hands under the running water and stick the twig back in to stop the flow. Simple.

The Tippy-Tap takes this idea a step further and completely removes the necessity of handling the container.  The jug is suspended by a rope slung over a branch, which is then tied to a stick on the ground.  Stepping on the stick tilts the jug so water can flow to wash your hands. It’s hard to explain but the pictures can demonstrate much better than words.
Considering the incredibly high rate of water-borne diseases, (60 percent of our targeted community members have experienced diarrhea at least once in the last three months) this alone could make a big difference.

Today we visited some families that I had met nine months ago when I came with Elanco staff to see what was then a future project area. During that visit, we met a family that had begun to build a barn—just in case they were selected to receive animals once the project began. Imagine building an entire barn, just in the slim chance you might receive an animal. We decided the phrase “The Audacity of Hope” applied quite well to this farmer! When we returned today we found the barn completed, as well as a bigger, stronger, more impressive barn right next to it. I asked why the second barn and was told — since the barn was built before any Heifer training had taken place– the knowledge and expertise needed to construct a facility strong enough to hold a 500-pound animal hadn’t been utilized. No worries, the farmer told us, he would just use his first structure for storage and smaller animals that he planned to purchase one day. But he was mighty proud of his new one.  We could only imagine the hard work required to build it. It was amazingly strong and built using only his hands—no machinery—and not one nail!
Lelo Bwacha indeed!
Tomorrow we participate in the next handover ceremony of 42 draft cattle to 20 more families!

Simple Technology Making A Big Difference in Zambia

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Written by Marleen New, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

 A latrine with a hand washing station.
Before the handover ceremonies began yesterday we visited the homestead of the Chair-lady of the group, Royoa Shabwandwe, who lives with her husband, nine children and two grandchildren. We were impressed with how much the Shabwandwe family had been able to accomplish in just six short months, and we were equally amazed at how simple technology can make a world of difference — especially for health and hygiene:
  • Enclosing a small bathing area with thatch walls provides privacy and actually encourages family members to bathe more frequently.  Imagine having to perform this ritual out in the wide open outdoors. How tempting would it be to put it off until tomorrow? And tomorrow. And tomorrow.
  • A similar thatch enclosure can be used as a latrine and provides an alternative to the open fields close by.  We learned a lot from our partner, Village Water, about how the common practice of using the bathroom “in the bush” contaminates streams and rivers (where a majority of families get their drinking water) by run-off.  A village elder admonished the group, “We drink what we leave in the bush.”
  •  Adding a jug of water and bar of soap on a small shelf right outside the latrine encourages hand washing immediately after, which keeps diseases from spreading.

  •  Building a shoulder-high raised rack to dry your dishes on in the sun will keep them from being contaminated by dogs or goats.

Simple, simple steps to make dramatic improvements for the health of your family. Check back later this afternoon to read how a simple innovation called the Tippy Tap is also making a world of difference in the lives and health of families.

Fire Can’t Diminish Spirit

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Written by Marleen New, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Fire couldn’t diminish the hope and spirit of the  Zambian women


 Disturbing news greeted us this morning as we prepared to leave our hotel for the hand-over ceremonies.  The structure that the farmers head built for the celebration had burned to the ground the night before!

Zambia is in the midst of the dry season, with no rain since early May, and wild fires are a common occurrence.  It seems as if they pop up regularly – you even notice the haze as you fly in.  Imagine planning for a big party, with all of the work and preparation that goes into the event and at the last minute, all of your work goes up in smoke – literally!  It was heartbreaking to hear, and we hurried to the site to see if we could take part in the clean-up.

The hand-over of animals.
 

The hand-over ceremony that we were here to see was for the Go Women Group in the Kanyenda Community. They had selected 20 of their members who would receive the first of the animals – 7 goats apiece.  In preparation the families had constructed an enclosure about half the size of a football field made entirely of thatch.  The fire had reduced it to char but we arrived to smiles, cheers, hugs and a lot of jubilant dancing.  The fire had not diminished their enthusiasm – they were ready to roll!

Sturdy new barn with raised floor. Ready to receive their goats!

The hand-over ceremony began with pomp and circumstance and all protocol observed. There were lots of government officials and dignitaries to greet, prayers and singing of the national anthem – the Zambian anthem is beautiful, by the way!
The speeches by the farmers were touching and memorable.  Today marked the beginning of a new life for these families and it was an honor to witness the occasion.  For these new members of the Heifer family, just standing and addressing a large crowd with dignitaries and visitors from far away was a significant thing. Their words inspired. “We are seeds.  But don’t look at the seed as a small thing.  It has a lot of wisdom inside and soon it will grow and become a strong tree providing shade to others”.
One woman almost brought me to tears when she told me, “We never knew that people from all over the world would hear our simple voices.  This is a day I will remember all my life.”  I’d challenge anyone to NOT be moved by that comment!
The crowd sang to us as we departed at the end of the day and the words seemed quite fitting considering how the day had started – “Everywhere we go it’s like a fire, the work of Heifer is flaming like a fire. Elanco has started a fire and we will keep it going.”
But it wasn’t the fire that warmed our hearts today . . .

Preparing to Pass on the Gift in Zambia

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Written by Marleen New, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
When you think of Africa, most people would imagine hot and arid weather, but after a long 36-hour journey with delayed flights, missed connections, and lost baggage we arrived in the Copperbelt Region of Zambia to very pleasant temperatures. With highs in the 70′s and lows in the 40′s, it was nice to pull out a sweater to keep warm, while enjoying the Zambian evening.

I am here with colleagues from Elanco Animal Health to witness the hand-over ceremonies of 140 goats and 42 draft cattle in the communities of Mpongwe and Masaiti. Elanco, a Heifer corporate partner since 2008, is fully funding this project which will assist 6,210 families in this region over the next four years. This hand-over ceremony will be the first animal placement of the project which began almost one year ago. Heifer is also partnering in this project with Village Water and the National Food and Nutrition Commission of Zambia.

Our day began with a visit to the Heifer headquarters in Ndola — the largest city in the Copperbelt Region — where we learned details about the baseline data collected in the project communities. This data will be collected at intervals throughout the project to ensure the families are meeting their objectives and that transformation is taking place. This baseline will provide a starting point.
Most of the information shared today was heartbreaking:
  • Only 51% of the population has attended primary school, and nothing beyond that.
  • 53% do not have enough food to last more than 7-9 months of the year.
  • 70% do not own latrines. 
  • For 20%, the river was their only source of water, and a full 53% get their drinking water from unprotected wells. Not surprisingly health and sanitation conditions in this area are rather dismal.
  • 61% fall into the low income status. This statistic was especially shocking when it was broken down further for us. In Zambia the average amount considered sufficient for subsistence is $270 per month (US dollars). Most menial workers in Zambia bring home around $90 per month. Our target families exist with an income far below even a menial worker; so low in fact that income cannot be measured easily since it is not consistent. Families will not have income unless they sell an asset to receive funds for medical expenses, or other emergency needs.
  
Although assets are not income, the average assets (belongings) owned by these families is around $220 (I thought of my recent bi-monthly trip to the grocery store to feed my family of five. I believe it was slightly more than that).

We did receive one very positive piece of data: Although food security is an issue, these families do not suffer from a lack of access to land — land that could be used for growing crops and raising livestock. This was good to hear and bodes well for the success of the project.

Our next visit was a courtesy call to the government offices of the Permanent Secretary of the Copperbelt Province, “Willie” Lombanya (Office of the President). We were very warmly greeted! Secretary Lombanya was aware of Heifer’s work in the region, but this was an opportunity for us non-Zambians to meet him and thank him for his support of Heifer’s work.

It was a great day full of facts and figures, but all of it was helpful to know and will help set the stage for us tomorrow as we meet the families and begin to enjoy the festivities we came to be a part of.

To be continued…

A Commitment to Feed 100,000 Families

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We all agree – global hunger is a big problem, and there’s a need for big solutions. Today, Elanco announced its commitment to end hunger for 100,000 families globally through a partnership with Heifer. Together, we’ll identify small communities in developing countries that could substantially benefit from the gift of an animal, as well as training in animal husbandry, health care and other practices.

Elanco is a division of Eli Lilly and Company. At their Indianapolis-area headquarters today, Elanco’s president Jeff Simmons said, “We believe every person is born with the right to a hopeful future, and the right to be fed, but today, 1 in 6 people globally are hungry. More than 25,000 people die each day from hunger and malnutrition. That’s like 60 fully-loaded jumbo jets crashing each and every day.”

That’s a sobering thought.

Heifer’s CEO Pierre Ferrari was also on hand for the announcement, and he talked about the importance of a global network that will work in unison toward this shared goal. “This partnership involves more than just Elanco the company. It’s about the employees, too, and customers, the company’s entire network, working with us and with smallholder farmers to help them transform their own lives and futures.”

Already Elanco and Heifer work in Indonesia and Zambia, where we’re working jointly to establish local milk market outlets, improve production and conservation practices and train animal health workers. Today, Elanco announced it will partner with Heifer to work in the Hebei province of China, where more than 20 million families live on less than $1 a day. In that region, we’ll deliver the gifts of livestock and training to 800 families.

A group of Elanco executives and Heifer staffers just returned from a visit to Cameroon where they saw first hand the work Heifer is doing with smallholder farmers there. You can read their thoughts about the trip on their blog.  

So what do you think? What are some big or small solutions to the hunger problem? How could large companies follow Elanco’s example and make a real difference in the lives of hungry families?

Community Unity in Zambia

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Photos and video by Geoff Oliver Bugbee
The unity in Heifer communities shows itself in many ways. Camaraderie and joyful greetings of welcome are a part of each meeting. Members blend their voices in song and touch hands in dance and friendship. They exchange advice, ideas and the bounty of their hard work when they come together for meetings, their bicycles laden with corn, pumpkins, sugar cane, bags of ground nuts and jugs of fresh milk.
They also reach out in compassion to those in need, whether they are part of the group or not. This all grows from the values-based training that transforms individuals into communities, recipients into donors.
Ten women formed the Twashuka Women’s Group in the Luanshya District of Zambia in 1995 to address severe poverty in their community. In 2005, after failed attempts to raise livestock on their own, they applied to Heifer International for help and received five dairy cows and three bulls. Today the original group and its two pass-on groups together own 206 dairy cows.
Group members adopted six orphans in the community when the children were just one day old. As a community the women agreed to donate a liter of milk every day to the children on a rotation schedule to improve their nutrition and help provide for their care.
Pelina Lubumbe, who cares for Anna, age 5, said the girl would not have survived without the group’s generosity. “This is a child of Heifer International,” Lubumbe said in thanks.

Pelina Lubumbe, with adopted daughter Anna, thanks

the Twashuka group at a community meeting last week.

A Joyful Sound in Zambia: ‘There is No Hunger Here’

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The greatest sound in the world for Heifer donors and supporters is to hear these words from those we are inspired to help: “There is no hunger here; thank you.” It’s the soul of Heifer’s work and what we all strive for every day.
Better yet is to hear their song of thanks under a Zambian sky so bright and blue it brings tears to your eyes. The spirit of their appreciation and joy, sung in the Bemba language, needs no translation.


Click here to hear the song they asked to share with you, the donor who supports them in their hard work to break out of poverty.

In Tigwirizane, Zambia, the 28 original participants of the Fisenge dairy cattle group (phase 2) continue to celebrate the success that started in 2004 when they each received two dairy cows from Heifer International.

Today, the women’s group members are prospering from the offspring of those first cows. Many own as many as 10 dairy cows, have built improved homes, and speak of the pride they feel every day to know that their families can eat well and that their children are now able to go to school.