ZAM 10 - LIFE IN FULLNESS
Project Location
The project takes place in the area of Kaande, located 13 km from the town of Mongu in the western province of Zambia. Kaande is rural area, along the Zambezi River plain, surrounded by 7 villages of Mweeke, Itema, Siwa, Ilundu, Matiwe, Mawawa and Soopu. The Comboni Missionary Sisters have been present in this area of Kaande since 2007.
The distances are considerable and in addition the sandy area makes it difficult to move, you can visit the villages only with a 4x4 car. The problems of this area are many and the Comboni sisters are focusing in particular on prevention and medical assistance. Government clinics are not nearby and it is difficult for patients and patients to reach them. At the same time, there is a lack of a home medicine service for the care of both the elderly and children. Both these categories are most vulnerable to malnutrition very present in this area.
Moreover, the lack of work, training and the strong pressure of local culture, leads adolescents to promiscuity and consequently to the risk of infection of sexual diseases and HIV. Many young girls are mothers already at an early age with the various consequences that this entails, including malnutrition of children due to lack of food.
Project description
Until a few years ago, the majority of families depended on the cultivation of vegetable gardens, then due to the lack of rain and the increase in prices, many have adapted to cutting trees and producing charcoal, an activity that is worsening the effects of climate change. The project seeks to respond to this challenge with concrete actions:
- The training of promoters who, once trained, will periodically go to the villages to train the relatives and family members of the elderly and sick on how to monitor their health status and offer first aid care. In addition, to limit the state of malnutrition of many families, supplementary food will be provided. A special focus will be made on the men of the villages by raising their awareness of diseases of interest to them such as prostate cancer, lung cancer and alcoholism.
- Workshops will be organized for adolescents and children to accompany them in discovering their talents and developing their creativity. This will help them to better integrate into the labor market and prevent early marriages and pregnancies
- Awareness will be raised on climate change both using the encyclical Laudato Si, and through concrete actions such as planting vegetables and fruit trees.
Beneficiaries
Direct: 30 health promoters, 1,000 adults, 300 men, 100 childrens and 200 adolescents
Indirect: families and society
Referent sisters for the project: Sr. Sonia De Jesus Garcia and sr Albertina Ticcò
Objectives
- Provide basic training to 30 health promoters who help train, follow and monitor the nutrition of adults, elderly and girls
- Provide training to about 200 adolescents and 100 children to develop their creativity with manual work
- Raise awareness among men on diseases that affect them
- Raise awareness and create a new consciousness in terms of climate change
- Assist the sick and malnourished children with food, medicine and transportation for emergencies.
Project's costs