USAID Program in Western Province Helps Vulnerable
Families Become Food Secure
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Nalwei Farmers Association
members digging a demonstration fish pond. (Photo: Chris Mahoney,
USAID/Zambia)
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On his recent tour of Western Province,
U.S. Ambassador to Zambia, Donald Booth visited with members of the
Nalwei Area Farmers Association. Nalwei is a community 80 km east of
Mongu on the road to Lusaka. The Area Farmers Association comprises
farmers in the community who are trying to improve their lives through
improved food production. Although there is plenty of land and water,
food production in the area is low, due in part to the inability of
farmers to access the inputs they need to follow traditional farming
methods. As a result, many households are vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition.
The United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) Humanitarian Assistance program supports vulnerable
households through training and capacity building to improve food production
for personal consumption and income generation. In Western Province,
the project works with area farmers associations, like the one visited
in Nalwei. Association members receive training in conservation farming,
which is key because it is organic and relies on manure, mulch, and
natural pest repellents, such as shallots, in place of chemicals. This
allows households to grow food without the costly burden of external
inputs.
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(Photo: Chris Mahoney,
USAID/Zambia)
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Ambassador Booth toured the demonstration
garden where the training takes place. In Nalwei, the garden is at the
local Catholic Church. Once a week, all the members gather for discussion
and training. They then take it in turn to come each day and tend the
garden. Once the training garden is established, members receive a small
amount of vegetable seed and some tools to establish their own gardens.
These gardens provide households with a steady supply of healthy, organic
produce. Members also generate.
