Zambia – Communities

GLM has eleven partner communities including:

Central Province:

• Chisamba district: Chamuka and Chikonkomene
• Kapiri Mposhi district: Chilipamushi
• Mumbwa district: Shimbizhi
• Serenje district: Chibobo, Kundalumwanshya, Luanshimba and Nambo

Copperbelt Province:

• Luanshya district: Kafubu Farm Block

Southern province:

• Monze district: Chiyumu and Chisuwo

Chamuka

More information coming soon!

Chibobo

Chibobo is the oldest of GLM partner communities, as collaboration started already in 2001. The village is located 30km to the west of Serenje and has about 2,500 inhabitants. The community’s main income sources are the sale of agricultural produce and small livestock, such as chickens. The lack of equipment for land preparation and irrigation for year-round production pose major challenges to the community. GLM has been running several projects in the village in areas such as sustainable natural resources management and natural pesticides research. Community members have also been trained in financial management, leadership and conflict management as well as project monitoring.

Chikonkomene

More information coming soon!

Chilipamushi

Chilipamushi lies 30km to the east of Kabwe. Unlike GLM other partner communities, Chilipamushi is a typical peri-urban, largely heterogeneous community. It is easily accessible by road and has mobile network and electricity. Most inhabitants have unstable livelihood sources derived from short-term work opportunities mostly in Kabwe. Proximity to town and highway also exposes the community to external cultural influence. GLM conducted a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in the village in 2000 which formed the basis for project development. In 2003, GLM supported the formation of a local farmer club to promote sustainable land management and to build their project management capacity. The club is the smallest of the farmer groups working with GLM.

Chisuwo

Chisuwo is a new partner community for GLM. Cooperation started through the planning of the new Climate Resilient Livelihoods project in 2013. The village is located 30km to the southeast of Monze and has a population of about 500 inhabitants, the majority of them youths. Chisuwo is a homogeneous Tonga community with a strong attachment to the tribe traditional beliefs and way of life. Production and sale of bricks and stones has replaced agriculture as the main income source, and the village is a major supplier of construction materials in Monze district. Livestock provides another important source of income. GLM promotes sustainable farming methods in the village and empowers the youth to participate more in the development of the community.

Chiyumu

GLM`s cooperation with Chiyumu started in 2013 through the climate resilience project. The community is located 33km to the west of Monze and consists of four villages: Bulongo, Hatembo, Hachilala and Hanene. The main source of income is agriculture and the main crops are maize, cotton, groundnuts, cowpeas, tomato and sunflower. Almost every farmer has cattle, which makes livestock an important additional source of income for the people in the area. Only a few development projects have been implemented in Chiyumu. GLM’s new climate resilience project builds the capacity of the communities by training them in sustainable agricultural methods, entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

Kafubu Farm Block

Kafubu Farm Block is a community of about 17,000 people. Although barely 30km from the town of Luanshya, the area is hard to access due to poor roads. The area was initially allocated to Israelis as a commercial agricultural block. As they abandoned the project and left, the land was demarcated into smaller farm plots for former miners. Over time, these have developed their farming skills and are able to successfully derive a livelihood from their own production. The main produce from the community is milk and maize. Finding a reliable market and transport for the produce has, however, been difficult. GLM’s aim is to build the farmers capacity in sustainable agriculture and to establish alternative income sources.

Kundalumwanshya

Kundalumwanshya, with a population of 5,000 people, is situated 105km to the southeast of Serenje, in a hilly area at the foot of the Muchinga escarpment. Its vegetation is dominantly Miombo woodland which has, however, suffered degradation from years of slash-and-burn farming. The village’s remote location has also made it difficult for farmers to access markets for their produce. Until 2001, no NGOs had worked in the area, and GLM was the first organisation to initiate development interventions in the community. Currently five farmer groups are working in partnership with GLM. Over the years, various projects have been implemented that have promoted sustainable land management, enhanced income generation, facilitated marketing, and developed local infrastructure and services.

Luanshimba

Luanshimba lies 115km to the south of Serenje and has about 2,000 inhabitants. The main economic activity is agriculture, but several perennial streams provide great potential for commercial gardening and fish farming which have not yet been fully exploited. GLM established a working partnership with the community in 2005, and in the following year, supported the construction of a community school with funding from Edinburgh Global Partnerships (EGP). GLM has also facilitated the formation of two farmer groups which are primarily engaged in sustainable agriculture and crop marketing.

Nambo

Nambo is a village of 2,000 people located in a hilly region 120km south of Serenje. The Nambo stream flowing through the village is the main source of water for the community. The main livelihoods are agriculture and income-generating activities, such at beekeeping, run both at household and community level. GLM started working in Nambo in 2001, and currently, three farmer groups and the local community school are participating in GLM-supported projects. The farmer groups have received training in agroforestry, beekeeping, leadership, financial management and advocacy. GLM has also facilitated the infrastructure development, including the construction of a 25m bridge across the Lukusashi River. Despite the bridge, the poor state of the road still poses challenges for farmers especially in accessing reliable markets.

Shimbizhi

Shimbizhi is a peri-urban settlement in the south-eastern outskirts of Mumbwa town. The community has a multi-tribe population of about 10,000 people and is therefore more heterogeneous than most GLM’s partner communities. The main economic activity in the area is agriculture. A large part of the inhabited areas is devoid of forests, since clearing land for farming and charcoal production have led to excessive levels of deforestation. GLM works with the community in order to promote agroforestry and the establishment of orchards for improved household nutrition and income diversification.