The Kumena Project improves lives in Zambia

Zambia is on the frontline of the climate crisis – a crisis that is beyond the country’s control, and which is having a devastating impact on its people.

For communities who survive by farming, changes in weather patterns and an increase in floods and droughts is making life really difficult.

But, thanks to your help and the support of the Scottish Government, we are now working with more than 1,000 farming families in the region of Kabwe to improve the resilience of their land, and make their income and livelihoods more robust in the face of an uncertain future. 

Through the Kumena Project, lead farmer Kahumbu has learned how to farm organically, producing crops in harmony with the land. She is now able to make manure; she understands why pesticides and fertilisers can be so damaging; and she has mastered a range of new farming techniques.

For her family – her five children and six grandchildren – our training has provided some certainty for the future. And, this year, has resulted in her harvesting maize, beans, ground nuts, lentils and vegetables.

In addition to improving agricultural practices, we’re working with local partners in Kabwe to tackle the spread of misinformation around COVID-19, to help establish loans and savings groups, and to provide access to clean drinking water.

Before the project began, 46-year-old Eunice struggled with her literacy and had a very low income – this meant she didn’t have enough money to send her children to school, and her family couldn’t afford fresh, nutritious food to eat.

Today, whilst challenges still exist, things are starting to look a lot brighter for Eunice.

Eunice is now a proud member of the village loans group, and she is able to read and write some words and solve basic mathematics. This vital education, combined with her better understanding of how to look after her farm – plus the gift of some goats – is making a huge difference to her life.