Finland – Ongoing Projects

Community-based strategies for sustainable natural resource management and gender equality in Monze and Mazabuka (2021-2024)

in cooperation with Afstor Oy, YWCA Zambia and YWCA Helsinki.

The long-term development objective is to promote sustainably managed livelihoods, environment and institutions to reduce inequalities and extreme poverty in six project communities Chiyumu, Kaloba, Sikalinda and Chisuwo in Monze district and Mwanachingwala and Munenga in Mazabuka district. The project is comprehensive and pays respect to many aspects that will further enhance the development of project communities in the long term.

In the project, the use of renewable energy is promoted by donating solar stoves to the beneficiaries. This reduces the use of firewood and thus deforestation. Trainings and awareness creation will promote the climate change mitigation and adaptation. The communities are supported in farming activities and adapting alternative livelihoods such as agroecology and small livestock. This will reduce dependency on one livelihood and thus vulnerability and increase agricultural yield improve food security. Water security is improved by constructing boreholes.

Women´s participation is central in the project. Women have the responsibility of the household work, and they are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Many project outputs, such as boreholes and solar stoves, will make women’s and children’s everyday life easier as the they do not  have to use as much time to collect water or  firewood as before. The project will also sensitize communities about gender equality and gender-based violence and improve access to the services for the victims of violence.

The project strengthens and creates participatory structures such as Project Management Committees and different project groups, improving the opportunities to participate in common activities and decision-making. Participation of women, youth and people with disability will be secured.

GLM Zambia and GLM Finland have three more partners in the project. YWCA Zambia is in charge of the gender aspect of the project. It has worked to promote gender equality and empower women since 1957. Afstor Oy produces the solar stoves distributed in the project. Their mission is to reduce the use of firewood and prevent deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa. YWCA Helsinki promotes girls’ and women’s rights and participation and sustainable development. They participate in the project to gain experience in development cooperation.