Seeds for Life in Zambia

Next month sees the start of the rainy season in Zambia. After several months without of drop of rain the parched African terrain is desperate for water. The communities are praying for good rains as last year the rains were so poor that all the maize crops perished in the Southern Province region.

Good nutrition is essential for early growth, but when your family is so poor there is never enough food to go round, with some families surviving on just one meal per day. Maize is the staple diet of Zambian people, but unfortunately it is rain dependent. Consequently we are looking at alternative crops that need less water, such a millet. One school is pioneering the use of breadfruit, which is highly nutritious and needs little water. If this is successful we will offer it to other schools.

To date we have supported fourteen schools to have sustainable feeding programs. Our evaluation has proved that the pupils perform better and attend daily if there is food available. If they have to walk several miles on an empty stomach it is comforting to know that there will be food available school. The World Food Program is supposed to provide maize to make into a porridge for every school in Zambia. Sadly this is not always the case, far too often it is only provided for one of the three terms per year, and on some ocassions the food is rotten when it is delivered to the school.

In the 21st century no child should be hungry, and yet according to the World Food Program Organization there are 795 million hungry people, of which 75% are in the rural areas of Africa and Asia. Zambia is one of these countries and the reason why, in our own small way, we aim to help alleviate hunger in children.

Funds for seeds and fertilizers are needed for schools for this forthcoming growing season. We are very grateful for your support.

Links:

• Food Projects

Bunsanga is a remote village in the Nyawa Chiefdom of Zambia. Up until now they have never received any support from charities. The Butterfly Tree recently donated a bore hole and Indian Hand Pump to Bunsanga School, which will enable them to have a sustainable feeding program. In October they will be able to plant a vegetable garden before the onset of the rainy season. It was humbling to hear that this was the first time the children and community members had ever tasted fresh clean water. 

Water is essential for all forms of life. It is four months since a drop of rain fell in Zambia, for many vulnerable families at this time of year there is a shortage of food. Children walk to school on empty stomachs relying on the school to provide a morning porridge. This is funded by the World Food Program, but sadly there is never enough for every school, some only receive the donation for one term out of three, others do not receive anything.

The Seeds for Life in Zambia project helps schools to become sustainable so that they do not have to rely on the World Food Program. Local women cook the food grown by the pupils, which is especially beneficial for those having to walk long distances to get to school. During the dry season if the school has a bore hole it provides a continual supply of fresh water, not only for drinking, but also for irrigating a school garden.

Having a feeding program helps to improve the children's performance and attendance. Zambians' staple diet is maize, but we are looking at alternative crops as maize is rain dependent. One school at Singwamba has started growing breadfruit and once the project progresses they will donate seeds to other schools. This is an excellent form of sustainability as it makes them less dependent on internatonal aid. Breadfruit is highly nutritious and the trees do not need a great deal of water.

We must reach out to more remote schools and give them the same chance as schools such as Bunsanga, which is the fitteenth school to receive a bore hole through Thr Butterfly Tree.

Links:

• Water is Essential for Feeding Programs