Africare-Zambia

Africare’s History in Zambia

It was in Zambia, in 1978 that Africare's work in the Southern African region began. Since Africare first intervened to assist refugees in the Eastern province of the country, the program has grown to encompass numerous projects in the areas of agriculture, water resource development and health. Projects have ranged from the cultivation of rice to livestock production and from the repair of rural health clinics to the construction of village wells. A major success has been Africare's work in edible oil production: a small-scale agricultural enterprise piloted in one Zambian village in 1988 and replicated in more than 2,000 locations nationwide as well as in several neighboring countries. Water projects, too, have formed a cornerstone of the Africare effort in Zambia, including village-level water and sanitation for health and, during the 1991-1992 Southern African droughts, a regional program of emergency water supply. Major programs addressing HIV/AIDS began in 1999.

 

Africare-Zambia Today

Africare-Zambia currently provides assistance to Zambians through nine donor-supported projects including Maternal and Child Health, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, Gender Based Violence, Youth Livelihoods, Water Provision and Sanitation Promotion, and appropriate Technology in Water Management.  Additionally, Africare has entered into innovative partnerships with the World Bank and the European Development Fund to support farmers at the medium and large commercial farming scales.  Africare has ten project offices distributed throughout seven of Zambia’s nine provinces and collaborates with national, provincial and local partners to contribute to Zambia’s development priorities. 

 

Country Profile Zambia

Like most of Southern Africa, Zambia suffered extensive destruction during the apartheid South Africa-backed regional destabilization war of the 1970s and 1980s. Today, the country hosts thousands of refugees from on-going and previous conflicts in neighboring countries. Also in common with most of the Southern region, Zambia has HIV/AIDS prevalence rates that are among the highest in the world, standing at about 14.3% to 15.2%. About 80% of Zambians depend on farming, although only 7 percent of the land is arable. Most live below the "extreme poverty line" of less than $1 a day. Since before independence, Zambia's economic destiny has been driven by copper, with which it is richly endowed. In 1975 world copper prices collapsed devastating the country's economy. In the wake of the global economic downturn Zambia has experienced increases in unemployment and poverty and in response the Government of Zambia has embarked on efforts to improve the agricultural sector and promote tourism.  These efforts aim to reduce Zambia’s dependence on the mining sector as a revenue source.  Among Zambia's renowned tourist attractions are the Victoria Falls along the Zambezi River, the Bangweulu Swamps and the Luangwa River valley.

REGION: Southern Africa
CAPITAL CITY: Lusaka
POPULATION: 12,000,000
LAND AREA: 752,614 square Kilometers or The size of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming combined

Country Stats Life expectancy: 42 years (USA: 77.9) Under-5 child mortality: 170/1,000 live births (USA: 7/1,000) HIV prevalence, ages 15-49: [14.3 - 15.2]% (USA: [0.4 - 1.0]%) Physicians per 100,000 people: 12 (USA: 256) People undernourished: 46% (USA: 0%) People with access to safe drinking water: 58% (USA: 100%) Adult literacy: 68% (USA: 99%) GDP per Capita average annual growth rate (%): 0.1 Annual income, another way to look at it (GDP per capita, PPP US$): $934.5 (USA: $41,890) People living on less than $1 a day: 64% (USA: 0%) Total Population (estimation): 12,000,000 (Sources: The Central Statistics Office, the UNICEF Zambia, Bank of Zambia 2010)

 

(Updated, June 2010)