Food Security for Hungry Families in Zambia

Zambezi Farm is facing yet another devastating drought. This is supposed to be the rainy season, but it has only rained twice since November. All over Zambia, the staple maize crop has died in the fields. Even if it does rain now, it will be too little, too late.

Although the steadily dropping water table limits how much we can pump, the irrigation systems that your donations added enabled some vegetables to survive. But nothing can take the place of rain, especially for big crops of maize. As it is the largest part of most Zambians’ diet, maize will have to be imported, at great cost financially, politically and emotionally. The Mama Bakhita families, who all have disabled children, will simply not be able to afford it. Already, many are subsisting on one meal a day. Some can no longer afford even that, as the Zambezi farmers point out in this video.

They will be growing as much food as possible, but it will not be enough to provide food for all the families, or to provide additional income to purchase the food that cannot be grown. So we are shifting our focus for the upcoming Little by Little campaign (April 8-12) to providing funds and food to help the Mama Bakhita community get through the difficult months ahead. 

We hope your interest in these families will continue, so that together we can help them through this crisis. 

Links:

• AACDP web site
• Video: the Zambezi Farmers discuss the drought situation

Thank you so much for keeping this project moving forward in 2023! With the help of your generous donations, the vegetable fields and goats are still thriving, and the free-range chicken project is underway. Two of the chickens each have eight eggs which are almost ready to hatch. The commercial chicken project is now in the building stage - a chicken house is being constructed from cement blocks. Once the infrastructure is in place, production should move along quickly. The farmers believe that this will provide a fast and steady source of income that will bring them closer to self-sufficiency. 

This will allow the AACDP to give more energy and funding to some of our other projects. Two that need immediate attention are support for the Mama Bakhita Cheshire Home and sponsorship for students. The Mama Bakhita, the source and inspiration for all our projects, is in desperate need of building repair so they can continue providing the care, education and support to their community’s disabled children and their families. And more and more students ask us for help to further their education, their only door to escape the cycle of poverty.

In 2024 we hope to be able to be able to fund the Mama Bakhita and more students, and still make sure that the communal farm operates smoothly. I will be going to Zambia in March and will get a first hand view of what has been accomplished. If you are interested in joining me, please email.

Links:

• Visit our website