Zambia Project

Given the current pandemic and the mostly bad news, here is some good news of what's happening in Zambia with the project we have been engaged with for so long.  We have recently raised funds to conduct a 3-year nutrition project in Muzya where we have had success with water projects by drilling and repairing wells, conducting agricultural workshops and beginning a nutritional education program for mothers.  The latter has been handicapped by a severe drought with limited access to food, and failure for the local folks to continue the project.

 

We realize that improving the lives of indigenous people and overcoming poverty takes a long time.  Thus, the new project will carry on where we left off, but will begin by working with a small group of families by working more individually in their homes.

 

We are fortunate to have Lincoln East Rotarian Bob Simmering's sister-in-law to oversee the project there.  She has made two visits to the villages that have dams, to assess the interest of the leaders and mothers and to get their input as to how to solve the malnutrition problem. Because stunting (short of age), is a major marker for impaired mental and physical health in adulthood and is not easily recognized, it is important sensitize the villagers to this malnutrition problem.

 

Measuring babies has been neglected for a variety of reasons, so we will need to focus on this at this time.  As the first step, we gave the health personnel a measuring mat which they did not have.  Petronella, our liaison will send us the length and weight measurements on a selected basis and then Susanne Schuerman and others will plot them on a WHO graph to determine the degree of malnutrition.  Should you have an interest in helping with this, that would be great.  There is a short learning curve to do so, but with minimal IT skills it can be done.

 

Another positive development is we are close to having the funds to Pack the Pond i.e. providing fish for the dams, that will enable folks to give a nutritious supplement to infants in the first thousand days of life.  If you want to contribute to this cause, send your check made out to the Lincoln East Foundation, noting Zambia donation fund, to me at the address below.  Please let me know if you would like more information about the project.  I love to talk about this project that Lincoln East has so faithfully supported.

 

Chuck Erickson

7208 Sugar Creek Circle

Lincoln,  NE

erickson2003@gmail.com

Phone: 402-420-3088