Zambia
Country Profile
CRWRC has been working in Zambia since 1990. While Zambia is a beautiful land – home to the largest waterfall in the world, beautiful lakes, and amazing wildlife – it is also struggling under the burden of poverty. High unemployment, frequent drought, and the pandemic spread of HIV and AIDS are all barriers to prosperity.
CRWRC is addressing these issues by working alongside Zambian churches and organizations to transform communities. Two of the partner organizations are church diaconal ministries reaching out to the needs of the rural poor in the communities in and outside the church. These outreach programs focus on the long-term chronic needs of the most impoverished Zambian people. A large focus of the work is improving the agricultural and health skills of those that struggle to grow enough food to feed themselves and find basic access to health care. Other areas of focus include literacy, maternal health, income generation, diaconal development, and HIV and AIDS prevention.
Population: 11,862,740 (July 2009 est.)
Area Comparative: slightly larger than Texas
Literacy rate: 80.6%
Life Expectancy: 38.63 years
Population below the poverty line: 86%
Gross Domestic Product per capita: $1,500 (2008 est.)
Religions: Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages: English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
(From the World Factbook. CLICK HERE for more information on Zambia)
1. Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP)
CRWRC and its partner CCAP have developed 2 main programs working with communities located in the northern part of the Eastern Province of Zambia. In the communities in which they work, vulnerable families are identified and receive specialized training from CCAP staff and volunteers. This includes training in basic sustainable agricultural technologies aimed at increasing agricultural production and crop diversification. In Tthe second program includes mobilizing the community to; care for those living with HIV/AIDS, support the orphans and change people’s behavior to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. Thirdly CCAP engages and supports interested communities who want to run adult literacy centers, helping adults learn to read and write.
2. Reformed Church In Zambia
CRWRC works with the Reformed Church in Zambia to assist communities in need across the country. The Reformed Church in Zambia is split into Eastern and Western Regional programs.
a) With the Eastern Diaconia Department (EDD), CRWRC responds to needs of children and families in the eastern part of the country. A main focus of EDD is their food security program. Farm families are taught to grow increased quantities and quality of food in a sustainable way. Paralleled with their Food Security program is a Primary Health program which teaches parents basic preventative health care measures every family can take and which monitors monthly the weight gain of children under 5. Families of malnourished children are then given additional training on how to produce and cook highly nutritious food.
b) With the Western Diaconia Services, CRWRC works with farmers and communities in the western part of the country. Farmers are trained in agriculture techniques such as conservation farming, agro-forestry, crop diversity, dry season production, and marketing of crops. Community members also participate in literacy classes.