widowsWidows Empowerment farming initiative:

 

Our mission is to plead the cause of widows and orphans through :

                                                                                   

 

The Need

Luapula Province is on the northern side of Zambia bordering with Congo on the Western side.  Kasumpa village is located in Nchelenge District.  As the government of Zambia laid down its Fifth National Development Plan,2006 - 2010, it brought out the fact that “In terms of the current status of poverty, high levels of poverty continue to be associated with more remote provinces such as Western Province (83 percent), Luapula (79percent), and North-Western Province (76 percent).  The rate of extreme poverty was sighted in Luapula Province where two thirds of the population was extremely poor. (FNDP)

With the abundance of lagoons, lake Mweru, Lake Bangweulu and the Luapula river that stretches from the southern part all the way to lake Mweru where fishing is the main sustenance of the people of Luapula.  Likewise, fish is the main source of protein available to the people.   Fishing is a source of income for the few who can afford boats and fishing nets. Most of the fish from this region is usually dried and sold to traders who come from urban areas. These indiscriminate fishing practices have contributed to depleting the fish population in nearby rivers.

Because of this the government has imposed a fishing ban which lasts from November to February; the period identified as a peek breeding period for the fish.   Therefore, Rev. Bupes farming effort shall engage in commercial fish farming to meet both local and commercial needs throughout the year, thereby creating income opportunities for the local people, as well as providing a continuous source of protein for their diets.

The project is both unique and effective in that for many years, villagers in this rural area have always relied on fishing and subsistence farming.  Fish farming is unique in that although people have explored fishing lakes and rivers, they have not sought to endeavor into the area of farming fish. The area allocated by the chief is south of Lake Mweru where commercial fishing is done. Aquaculture, viable as it may be has not been explored at large scale as a supplement to subsistence farming.

Fish farming is needed to both supplement people’s nutritional value and as a source of income.  While it has been observed that poverty remains concentrated in rural areas, this poverty could be attributed to not having adequate food by the majority of household due to the reliance on growing their own produce for their survival.

The fisheries sub-sector has great potential to support livelihoods because of the great demand for fish in urban areas. Increased demands on wild fisheries by commercial fisherman have caused widespread overfishing.  Consequently, Fish farming will offer an alternative solution to the increasing market demand for fish and fish protein.  As the villagers own their own fish ponds, they will be empowered economically.  Empowering the poor to have a viable source of income is perceived to be a much more effective approach in addressing their plight, than giving them aid to alleviate their poverty. Creating wealth and jobs will reduce their poverty and promote self-respect. 

waterfall-luapulaThis is the proposed project initiative for the area of land that the chief has allocated.

This initiative plans to invite companies with intensive modern methods of farming to help by:

 

The initiative plans to take advantage of emerging fields that utilizes appropriate technologies to optimize human and environmental well being on a systemic level citing healthy, natural living systems as a model. This approach represents the next evolution of natural wellness and “organic” style agriculture.

Service to the communitiesorphans

The effort shall include small scale agric and aqua farming, livestock keeping, skills training and leadership education for youths and community-driven economic development. 
Activities shall include and not be limited to:

1)    Large scale Jathropah and palm tree farming.

2)    Large scale crop cultivation (crop includes maize, beans, and groundnuts, cassava)
3)    Large scale livestock rearing (cattle, goats, chickens, ducks)
There is a high deficiency of proteins in the nutrition of this rural people.   Besides providing the nutritional value to the local people, livestock sub-sector has been identified as economically important because” it accounts for about 35% of the total agricultural production.” (FNDP)
4)  Fish Farming
5)  Education.
6)    Establishment of strong market linkages
7)    Establishment of Manufacturing Units

Subsistence farming is the main occupation in this rural area. This common type of farming is not viable enough to enable to produce enough crops to last even one year. As a result, children are malnourished and the prevalence of disease is rampant. Despite the women’s seasonal efforts of making small gardens (about .050 hectares) during the short farming season from November to April, most of them lack the tools and skills required to produce enough food to sustain themselves until the next farming season.    Consequently, deaths caused by malaria (the number one killer of children) are exacerbated by their malnourishment.

The initiatives plans are not designed to implement governmental programs but, to supplement its effort in reducing poverty among the rural people. Promoting large-scale commercial farming will reduce poverty in this area and increase rural household incomes.   Villagers will be producing crops not only for consumption but for outside income.  The identified land has abundant resources that are essential for the proper function of this farming initiative.   The local people, who have bemoaned lack of development in the area, are energized to learn of the plans for development.

 

Possible Timelines

 

Preliminary Planning and Design - 120 days

Pilot design and implementation – 6-8 months

Pilot baseline study - 12 – 18 months

Final design and full-scale implementation 2 – 3 year

Note that at each phase beyond the preliminary planning phase, the system will be producing a marketable product. Intensive design (redesign) and testing continue from initial implementation for at least three years while the system increases in complexity and capacity. The chief cultivator(s) will regularly assess what the land and resources make possible and what markets (local, regional and international) will accommodate.