Food Security for Hungry Families in Zambia

Last month Zambia proudly celebrated its 60th Independence Day, despite the ever worsening drought. The AACDP added to our community’s celebration with a drought emergency food delivery to 46 families. Even though staple foods prices have risen on average about 15% since last month, we were able to include kapenta (dried sardines, a major source of protein), thanks to funds raised by the AACDP Italy tours.

The delivery vehicle has been moving steadily toward the end of its functional life. Not only does it need constant repair, but it is using so much petrol that it may actually be less expensive to rent a more efficient vehicle for this month’s emergency food deliveries. Our primary focus for the upcoming GlobalGiving Giving Tuesday campaign will be to fund the purchase of another used vehicle that uses less petrol and is sturdy enough to need fixing less often. We hope to be able to get a 10 - 12 year old 4X4 pickup for less than $18,000.

Right now Zambia is entering what even in non-drought years would be the “lean season”, the time when harvesting newly planted major crops is  4 - 5 months away. This year is leaner than most - with no rain last year, there are no stored crops to tide people over.

The Zambezi Farm, run by the mothers and grandmothers of disabled children from the Mama Bakhita, is still doing better than farms with no irrigation. The farmers have been rationing the little water they can still pump, and the tomatoes and kale are doing well. The tomatoes are just starting to ripen, and there are so many that they should bring in some decent income over the next few weeks. The goats and chickens are in good health and are multiplying - there are 3 new goats and 13 new chicks.

But it will be years before Zambia can recover from this catastrophic drought. Please help our friends make it through this lean season. Your donations on Giving Tuesday, 12/3/24 will help us earn more toward making their survival possible.

Thank you for caring and sharing.

The AACDP has now made five drought emergency food deliveries to the Zambezi Farm community. The number of receiving families increased from fourteen in May to forty-one in September. We have also added additional supplies for the Mama Bakhita Cheshire Home, so they can continue providing the daily meal at their school for children with disabilities.

The drought persists. We have no idea how long these food deliveries will have to continue. Meteorologists are hopeful that the rainy season will begin in November, but at this point, who knows? Meanwhile, the economy of the entire country sinks further, and as the already poor people get poorer, the price of all basic food staples rises. For example, this month the price of cooking oil is 16% higher than in September, mealie meal is up 5%, sugar is up 10%. We will have to either allocate more funds for the food deliveries, or decrease the number of families who benefit.

The farm is still producing some vegetables, limited to the fields in reach of the irrigation systems that you helped fund. The farmers have harvested some kale and spinach for their own consumption and a bit for sale. But as the heat increases, the quantity of pumpable water decreases. So the little water available must be used for finishing the already planted crops of tomatoes and kale; new crops will have to wait for the rains.

In the meantime, the goat herd has quadrupled! The ten goats purchased less than two years ago multiplied into forty-one! The free range chickens are laying eggs, and new chicks are increasing the flock. The drought is also affecting the animals. They must wander further to graze, and come into contact with other animals, some of whom are drought-weakened and disease carrying. We did lose 2 small goats and 3 chickens to disease.

We pray that the Zambezi Farm community will be able to survive the difficult months ahead before the drought crisis ebbs. We deeply appreciate your generosity, which has brought us this far. Thank you!

Links:

• AACDP web site