Nakonde, Zambia

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Construction of classrooms and provision of school materials has improved students’ education in Nakonde.

An ADP begins with a small group of communities and grows to cover a wider geographic area. As communities begin to reach their goals and are able to fund initiatives on their own, World Vision gradually reduces its financial help by reducing the number of sponsored children in those communities.

The good news is that after many years of hard work, with your help, the Nakonde community where your sponsored child lives is increasing in capacity and will soon be able to continue its development work without World Vision’s direct assistance.

This report lists some of the changes that have happened in Nakonde over the past few years – changes that have made a huge difference to people’s lives, bringing them hope for the future.

A selection of achievements in Nakonde

Health
World Vision’s support has greatly improved the health of people in Nakonde. A clinic and a staff house have been constructed to provide local medical services. Awareness campaigns about malaria and immunisation have helped the community to understand the importance of disease prevention in order to save lives. More than 70 per cent of children are now immunised; a significant increase from a base of 24 per cent.

HIV and AIDS

Through anti-AIDS clubs, children find out about HIV and AIDS and learn to tell their friends, here reciting poems they have written.

The Nakonde community is severely affected by HIV and AIDS, and World Vision has established systems to educate people about preventing the spread of HIV and to care for affected community members. Together with World Vision, they have:

• Formed anti-AIDS clubs for children and youth
• Provided study guides and HIV and AIDS literature
• Trained community-based HIV and AIDS counsellors
• Established a home-based care programme and trained more than 230 people to support chronically ill people, orphans and vulnerable children
• Trained teachers to incorporate HIV prevention and values-based life skills into their teaching programmes
• Assisted households caring for orphaned and vulnerable children to increase their incomes
• Formed support groups for people living with HIV and AIDS
• Supported local government to improve the policies of its district HIV and AIDS taskforce

Education

“When we were told World Vision was going to support the rehabilitation work at Kantongo Middle Basic School, we quickly mobilised parents. When people heard the good news, they pledged their very best efforts to help ensure the project succeeded,” said Mr. Mwanji Siwanzi, chair of Kantongo parent-teacher association. “When I was in grade 7, I dreaded being selected for grade 8 because the nearest school that offered upper basic education was over 7km away from Kantongo. I am indeed very thankful to World Vision and all the parents for their hard work in extending the education offered at Kantongo,” said Alinani Sichalwe, a grade 8 pupil at Kantongo.

World Vision helped the Nakonde community to construct and renovate classrooms at Kantongo
Middle Basic School. Because of this work, the Ministry of Education has upgraded the status of the school to an Upper Basic School, allowing it to teach senior high school classes. This makes it much easier for local children to continue their education to higher levels and is really exciting for the community!

Food security and conservation
World Vision has trained more than 150 farmers in modern agricultural techniques and on topics such as livestock management, crop management, conservation and agroforestry. These farmers have disseminated information to others in their communities through 21 farmers groups.

Farmers have learned to set up small fish farming operations to provide a ready source of protein and increase household incomes. Farmers have also been trained to grow vegetables and set up fruit orchards to help address malnutrition.

Reforestation of the Nakonde area has been an important activity and farmers have been taught to raise seedlings so they can continue reforesting the area.

During 1998/99 and 2001/02, excess rainfall destroyed crops. World Vision worked with the World Food Programme to distribute food to affected households. In the following years, World Vision trained the community and local government to prepare for disasters.

Leadership development
Community members have learned about leadership, project management, auditing, community mobilisation, entrepreneurship and credit management.

The Nakonde community has established a community-based organisation called Tulemane Development Trust, to continue development activities.

World Vision has trained the community in gender issues and encouraged the participation of women in development activities. This has had an influence on local government gender policy and practice.