Update on Zambia Project

This project is work through Rotary + ADRA (Adventist Development & Relief Agency) = Teamwork

Some of the work is done through SAM, therefore Rotary + ADRA + SAM = Empowerment for the local Zambians.  The region in Zambia is in the Muzya Region.

 

There host was Maambo Lilianda, is an honorary Rotarian and the district agriculturist and oversees activites in the nutrition program.  There are 12 program leaders who assist at the monthly Under 5 Clinics.  They attend meetings, and walk great distances to visit mothers and children in their homes.  They are vital to the nutrition and behavior strategies education.  Along with nutrition education, behavioral strategies to promote positive behavior changes in the children’s nutrition are being implemented during home visits and at the monthly clinics.

 

There are five areas that is checked at the “Under 5 Clinics” which are:  Education, Weight, Length, Documentation and Consultations.  All vitals are documented so that the program leaders know how they can consult and help the children’s mothers.  Shari shared that it no easy task to getting the length of a young child, but one of the Program leaders, Damaress, is an expert at it.  The children’s growth data is recorded on each child’s card and also a master document.  Ms. Chipo is a nurse and she collects all the data monthly and sends to Lincoln so it can be monitor and see how the children are growing.

 

The Rotary Nutrition program is monitoring the growth of 20 children in Siandwaze and 16 in Mungala.  A recently acquired new grant will enable them to include more children into this program.

 

One of the nurses monitors the health of the pregnant women.  They also work to make sure that the undernourished mothers can lead to low birthweight babies.  Ms. Chipo visits the homes of children who have not shown growth to find out what are the obstacles to good nutrition, what are the current feeding practices, what small changes to behavior can be encouraged to improve nutrition.

 

Dan shared about the dam in Siandwaze.  The village of Siandwaze has a very bountiful garden which utilizes the dam and canal for watering.  Dan said that the canals required maintained so that the water could continue to flow. There are two drinking resources located in the garden area, but this drinking water is seepage from the dam where cattle also drink and live.  Dan shared a photo that showed where a ground well was located in the village of Lifalali which is used for drinking, cooking and washing.

 

A discussion with several mothers in Lifalali about the causes of diarrhea led to a better understanding of the barriers and myths about boiling water.

 

DiWaSSAA – Diversifying Water Supply in Semi-Arid Africa … because the conventional approach of drilling blindly for groundwater is leaving behind large populations in rural Zambia.  The problem: Extreme Water Scarcity.  In Masanzya in 2019, women and children would walk ≥5km one way to dig for water beneath stream beds and dangerous, unprotected wells.  What are common in Zambia is boreholes with and pumps, and earthen dams.  Using “New” water supply technologies has been proven elsewhere in arid SSA such as: check dams, subsurface dams, sand dams, household filters, and protected wells.

 

 

This testing alternatives by install in traditional water points.  This is paired with new shallow water pump – very cheap and easy to maintain.  The cost is $700.  The community is very enthusiastic about the results and has been installed in Masanzya 4x but the eater quality is still poor at some sites.

 

A “Thank you” to their many partners:  Lincoln Rotary members, First Plymouth Congregational Church members and many other organizations and individuals have partnered for many years with local Zambian partners and Rotary International to develop a village-based and evidence-based program that improves health outcomes for Zambian children.