Smart agriculture amid scorching drought

By Derrick Silimina

In the parched terrain of Magoye in Zambia's Mazabuka District, about 150 km south of the capital Lusaka, Dixon Lungu braves the blistering afternoon heat as he waters his scorched maize crop.

As the days turn into weeks without rain, Lungu understands the importance of the rainy season better than most. Every drop of water is precious on his 1-hectare farmland, where he grows maize.

"It's been over a month without rain after the planting season, so the effect on the maize field is very bad. We're just praying to God for rainfall so we can have something to eat," he told Global Sisters Report. 

He expressed concern that if the dry spell continues to hit Zambia's staple food and cash crop, the government will have no choice but to source food aid to feed its citizenry as the once lush fields of the Magoye area lie barren, a vivid reminder of the effects of climate change. 

Despite last year's drought, Lungu harvested about 13 bags of maize, each weighing 50 kilograms. 

"Looking at my current withered maize field, I doubt I will get even 10 bags this year," he said.

The Emerging Farmers Initiative (EFI), established in 2019 by the Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit, offers a way out of poverty for local youth and at-risk families. The project combines academic education with eco-friendly integrated farming skills and entrepreneurship literacy for young people and established small-holder farmers at the New James Corboy S.J. Secondary School under the Monze Diocese. 

"For over 10 years now, the southern part of Zambia has been hit by drought. Even when the rest of the country receives rain, this region suffers droughts the most. So it dawned on us that climate change has become real for us," Sr. Juunza Mwangani told GSR. 

In response to the effects of climate change, Mwangani, who is the project manager of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit, recognized the opportunity among the people of southern Zambia, who are farmers by nature. 

"Our calling now is to journey with our people, to face how we will survive the effects of climate change. We are also called to work with the people in their culture and in their way of life," Mwangani said.

She said that since 2022, the smart agriculture training hub has produced more than 100 graduates in fisheries, gardening, piggery and poultry for egg and meat production. The facility is equipped with a feed production unit and a drip irrigation system, all integrated to ensure the efficient use of water resources, which is crucial in Mazabuka's arid climate.

Regardless of their academic background, young people are equipped with hands-on training in eco-friendly agriculture, enabling them to create sustainable livelihoods among their communities for generations to come.

While other teenagers are attracted to early marriages after dropping out of school and seeking odd jobs in the Nakambala Sugar Estate, Jenipher Habeenzu is excited about pursuing a lifelong agriculture skill that will one day usher her into agribusiness.

Habeenzu, 23, is among 50 young people currently enrolled in the general agricultural course at the New James Corboy S.J. Secondary School production unit.

"I have learned quite a lot during my six-month course here. I understand how vital it is to take agricultural production as a business," Habeenzu said. 

Mwangani said local women have not been left behind. The Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit have taught the project to the Handmaids of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and the Religious Sisters of Charity.

She said that local beneficiary women are encouraged to work with crops and livestock so that when the crop fails, their livestock can thrive and raise household income.

"Each of the five congregations has called on 15 more women to work with. Each woman is to mentor two other women in integrated agriculture for the initiative to have a ripple effect," Mwangani said. 

She said they started with one congregation, then expanded from four to 75 women, and doubled because their emphasis is on food security, an issue women struggle greatly with.

"I have learned quite a lot during my six-month course here. I understand how vital it is to take agricultural production as a business," Habeenzu said.

Mwangani said local women have not been left behind. The Religious Sisters of the Holy Spirit have taught the project to the Handmaids of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and the Religious Sisters of Charity.

She said that local beneficiary women are encouraged to work with crops and livestock so that when the crop fails, their livestock can thrive and raise household income.

"Each of the five congregations has called on 15 more women to work with. Each woman is to mentor two other women in integrated agriculture for the initiative to have a ripple effect," Mwangani said.

She said they started with one congregation, then expanded from four to 75 women, and doubled because their emphasis is on food security, an issue women struggle greatly with.

On the brink of starvation, Eucaria Hamaundu, a peasant farmer in the Magoye area, reminisced about the drought during the 2023-24 farming season that hit the southern African country, leaving millions in need of lifesaving assistance.

"Many thanks to the sisters for building local women's capacity in integrated farming and eco-friendly agricultural practices. I was empowered in March 2024 with five goats, which have since reproduced to 15," said the 60-year-old, one of the local beneficiaries of the project. 

Charity Hamukulule, another beneficiary, is aware of the looming drought due to the effects of climate change, which will likely induce a food crisis in her community.

Hamukulule, 50, from the Magoye area, works tirelessly as the breadwinner of her female-headed household, supporting a family of 10 through subsistence agriculture.

"The sisters' EFI project is an eye-opener. Instead of relying on rain-fed crop production, I diversified into poultry production and horticulture. I can now afford to feed and take care of my children's educational needs," she added.

Last summer's blistering El Niño ravaged Zambia, impacting both the country's food and energy security. Weather experts have anticipated that the subsequent likelihood of La Niña in 2024-25 — a weather phenomenon that brings wetter and cooler summers to southern Africa — is now low, a development that could lead to crop failure and food insecurity.

Mazabuka District veterinary officer Irvin Mweetwa acknowledged that the sisters' eco-friendly and integrated agricultural project is a life-changer in the district.

"Our collaboration with the sisters is a success thus far. This project aligns with government policy of addressing youth unemployment and engaging local women to embrace innovative agricultural practices to boost their household income amid the effects of climate change."

Nourishing Uganda’s next generation

By Derrick Silimina

Adriano Kanyesigye and his friends walk up to 5 miles each day to attend a school where they are served a free meal. It’s a journey that pupils in Karamoja in northeast Uganda willingly make to avoid starvation. 

“I’m really grateful that my kids have at least one meal a day when they go to school, rather than staying home where food is scarce,” Anisha Kanyesigye told ChinAfrica. “At home, we have nothing to eat. Sometimes we boil sorghum or eat adaka - a residue from locally brewed alcohol.” 

The 30-year-old resident of Karamoja explained that the region is struggling with hunger, as the local population is severely impacted by a food crisis caused by drought and pests. 

Every year, more than 1,000 children under 5, from a population of 22,740, are referred to the Moroto Referral Hospital with severe malnutrition, according to hospital statistics for the financial year 2022/2023. 

Kanyesigye is relieved that the introduction of the School Meal Programme has allowed her child to benefit not only from a free meal, but also from free education at Moroto Primary School. 

As lunchtime approaches in Kotido District, children in one of its schools stand on the grass holding their plates, eagerly awaiting their meal - a poignant image of human suffering. Many children are accompanied by their siblings, as this is the only way to escape hunger. 

“I feel bad knowing the food may not be enough for all of us. But at least I can share with my baby sister. Having a decent meal at home is nearly impossible,” said Natalie Ssenkubuge, who brought her two-year-old sister along. 

Hunger crisis 

Karamoja is predominantly a pastoralist region. The rainy season of 2024, between March and July, was the driest on record since 1981, leading to droughts that decimated crops and livestock, and caused water shortages. Seasonal pests and diseases further exacerbated the crisis. 

As government-funded schools become overcrowded with non-learners scrambling for food and porridge meant for students, Karamoja is witnessing high dropout rates at the primary level and a decline in secondary school enrolments, partly due to the food shortage. 

“We know that without enough food, children cannot concentrate. But we can’t turn non-learners away to starve and possibly die,” said Emmanuel Lotuke, a teacher at a primary school in Moroto, one of Karamoja’s nine districts hardest hit by hunger. 

School meals 

In 2020, the African Union recognised school feeding as a strategy for sustainable development across the continent. Uganda has since worked to develop a national school feeding programme aligned with its Vision 2040 and National Development Plan. 

“We will continue to work together to overcome barriers to education by combining quality education with nutrition interventions,” said Uganda’s State Minister for Education and Sports Joyce Kaducu during a Chinese food-aid handover ceremony in Kampala. 

Kaducu emphasised that the school meals programme is crucial for nourishing the next generation, and stressed the need to address obstacles to both food delivery and quality education. 

She reiterated the government’s commitment to developing a national school feeding policy by 2025 and creating a dedicated budget line in the national budget, with funds allocated to the school meals programme starting in the 2025/2026 financial year. 

Chinese assistance 

In response to the food crisis, China has donated 1,480 tonnes of beans and maize, along with 152 tonnes of cooking oil worth $2 million through the UN World Food Programme (WFP). This donation has benefitted 229,000 children in schools across Karamoja. 

“This donation is part of our rapid response to the Ugandan government’s urgent request to address food security in Karamoja,” said Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong. 

Since 2018, China has provided three batches of emergency food aid to support vulnerable populations in Karamoja through the WFP, helping nearly 500,000 people, according to the Chinese embassy in Uganda. 

The WFP praised the Chinese government for supporting its School Meals Programme in 315 schools across Karamoja, where daily hot meals are served to over 210,000 children. The programme aims to keep children in school and protect them from various social challenges. 

The WFP reported that the funds donated by China were used to purchase food locally, stimulating local agriculture and improving the livelihoods of Karamoja’s farmers. In 2023, the WFP purchased 2,300 tonnes of food from local farmers, injecting $2 million into the regional economy. 

“We are deeply grateful to the Chinese government for their $2 million donation, which will help to sustain the School Meals Programme through the second term,” said WFP Country Director Abdirahman Meygag.

Sisters help reintegrate vulnerable children into families

 

By Derrick Silimina

Timothy Siazanga, a grade 10 student at Linda Secondary School, walks home after class, braving the sweltering afternoon heat while anxiously yearning to see his mother at her home on the outskirts of Zambia's tourist destination - Livingstone, about 480 km (or 297.6 miles) south of the capital, Lusaka.

He spoke to Global Sisters Report about a stressful ordeal he went through after his father died in 2014.

"A year after dad and mum got divorced, dad became very sick and died. Our relatives [took] all his properties, including a herd of cattle he had entrusted me," said the 17-year-old.

"I fled from Choma following my paternal relatives' abuse. I then got stranded on the streets of Livingstone while looking for my mum's place. Luckily, the police rescued [me] and [brought] me to Lubasi Home."

Just like Siazanga, Ackray Munsaka is one of over 1,000 vulnerable children who have passed through Lubasi Home, a facility offering care and protection to abandoned, neglected, vulnerable and orphaned children. They also reintegrate children into loving families through foster care and adoption.

Munsaka's grandmother, Eneles Phiri, said her grandson's poor health deteriorated due to his family's negligence after they discontinued his antiretroviral treatment.

Phiri explained that Livingstone General Hospital helped to restore his health. After he recovered, the medical authorities involved with the Department of Social Welfare brought him to Lubasi Home.

"I am grateful to the government and Lubasi Home for taking a swift decision to save his life," she said.

Lubasi Home was founded in 2001 by Anthony Ranjan, who was involved in community schools in Mwandi, Linda and Libuyu townships following the death of his son in 1995. The Sri Lanka-born Catholic sought to safeguard the lives of vulnerable children and restore their dignity.

Lubasi, a Lozi name that means family, has been a place of hope and love since it was founded in 2001. The facility officially opened its doors in 2003 after receiving support from Zambia's former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa.

Research has shown that babies and young children raised in institutions can experience substantial developmental delays, and larger delays seem to be associated with prolonged stays.

Therefore, Zambia is making progress in its quest to shift orphans and other vulnerable children from institutional care to family-based care so that children are raised in a safe, loving family or within a community to realize their full potential.

For this reason, Lubasi Home, one of the 33 Catholic-affiliated child care residential facilities supported by the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods, or ZAS, has taken a pivotal step in transitioning children from institutional care to a nurturing family environment.

"We picked Lubasi Home in Livingstone and St. Martin's in rural Ndola as a pilot project in line with the government's reintegration policy due to their locality and the high number of children admitted," said Sr. Catherine Mpolokoso, of the Little Servants of Mary Immaculate and ZAS project coordinator. She added that over 60 vulnerable children have been successfully reunited with their families.

Mpolokoso, who joined the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods in 2019 when the child reintegration drive was in its second phase, said the pilot project went up to 2022 and covered phase one, and ZAS took over in the second phase. The project is currently in its third phase until 2026. They have now added three more child care facilities to the reintegration process.

The Zambia Association of Sisterhoods' case review committee meetings assessed every child in its facilities and established that not every child could remain in child care. Family members were contacted, and parents understood the need to take their children home.

Mpolokoso, 48, said that since 2019, many family beneficiaries in Livingstone who have reunited with their children from Lubasi Home have received empowerment packages, including skills training. They have also set up cooperatives, tailoring and carpentry, among other entrepreneurial ventures, to ease the burden of those looking after their children.

Eneles Phiri said, "I am indebted to ZAS for my empowerment package worth K3,600 [$138], which has boosted my carpentry business. I made over K8,000 [$308] worth of furniture."

Requesting anonymity, Melody — a beneficiary of an empowerment package before reunification with her nephew — told GSR how her young sister abandoned her 5-year-old son at Lubasi Home. Progress is being made to reunite the child with the family before the end of this year, and Melody has been given a sewing machine from the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods to have a sustainable income to support her nephew.

With the help of the Department of Social Welfare, Lubasi Home and the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods have been working closely with relevant government agencies with the transfer of guardianship.

"Our collaboration with ZAS and Lubasi Home has been a success," said Olipa Manenga, Livingstone District assistant social welfare officer. She added that they have guidelines on reintegrating a child, preparing families for reunification and ensuring they are financially stable to support a child. Children are also psychologically and emotionally prepared to facilitate a smooth family reunification.

Mpolokoso, a registered nurse and midwife, is upbeat that reintegration efforts are in the best interest of the child and the family.

"Since 2019, so many parents have been empowered. In 2020, we built a two-bedroom house for a family. We are yet to empower seven more families by 2025."

A dream school for special needs education

By Derrick Silimina

In the heart of Zambia's small mining town of Luanshya, is a dream school for inclusive special needs education about 300 kilometers north of the capital, Lusaka.

Hope Chipete and her grade 11 classmates are absorbed in their assignments and studying for the end-of-term examinations at Da Gama Special School for physically disabled children. The school is run by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi, who help vulnerable children make the most out of their education.

"I used to complain to God about why I am like this, especially as a kid. I worried that I wouldn't be able to do anything because some people used to say that I can't do many things like writing," Chipete told Global Sisters Report.

The 17-year-old was born with hypochondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that results in short stature and disproportionately short arms and legs. However, her dream of studying journalism after high school is a testament to her determination and perseverance in the face of discrimination. As the only child with a physical disability in her family of three girls, she is upbeat because she can thrive academically.

Chipete paid glowing tribute to school administrators for providing a conducive environment for her and other children with disabilities to access holistic education and hope for a brighter future. 

"I am now able to write and draw with ease. I also participate in our school's debate club and do all sorts of things. I feel comfortable here because I can see a lot of people who are differently disabled. I thank God because if I were able-bodied, I wouldn't have reached where I am today."

Chipete has moved many hearts with her eloquence in school debates and poetry, including the Zambian First Lady, Mutinta Hichilema, during a school tour at the State House in Lusaka, the official residence of the president of Zambia. She was among 10 girls with disabilities who earned a school scholarship from the office of the First Lady through the Merck Foundation, which sponsored their education until the tertiary level.

Established in 1961 as a home for unwanted children and later transformed into a facility for children of the British working class during Zambia's colonial era, the facility has evolved into a special needs learning center. In 1972, the institution was declared a grant-aided school, which means the facility receives funds from Zambia's Ministry of Education. It consists of a boarding school for 140 children with physical disabilities and a day school for 30 vulnerable children from nearby provinces.

According to the 2015 Zambia National Disability Survey, 10.9% of adults and 4.4% of children between two and 17 are disabled.

Sepo Namukolo experienced a fair share of discrimination during her primary school days in a society where disabled children face rejection and isolation and are considered a burden to their families.

"I discovered that I was disabled at the age of seven, and it hurt to see people laughing at me whenever I went to school. Few people really loved and supported me, but the majority mocked me because of my disability. They said I was an outcast and [that] my parents were cursed," Namukolo told GSR.

Namukolo, 18, was transferred to Da Gama Special School in the third grade and is now in grade 11. The school has improved her academic performance and given her a positive outlook in life. 

Despite her disability, Namukolo now works at Da Gama Special School and is determined to pursue her dream career.

"I hope to become a pediatrician and open an orphanage to give a helping hand to many vulnerable street children in the country," she said.

When she was two, her mother, Roydah Namukolo, 50, discovered she was not growing like other children. The mother of three became depressed and remained in denial for several years. 

She explained that her discomfort was triggered by the stares and poor treatment her daughter faced daily, especially by her schoolmates. As a result, she quickly sought a transfer request for her daughter to the Da Gama Special School.

"I am thankful for the school management, headed by religious sisters, who mold our children to become better people in society. My child is progressing very well academically without any discrimination on account of her disability," she told GSR.

Stigma against people living with a disability is common in the southern African country due to negative traditional beliefs, entrenched stereotypes and ignorance. As a result, children and adults with disabilities are often neglected, isolated and discriminated against.

Sr. Ruth Ndhlovu, the headteacher at Da Gama Special School, has worked at the institution since 2022 and is in charge of primary and secondary schools from grades one to 12.

"In 1966, the facility became our apostolate, and since then, we provide care for all learners with holistic education through rehabilitation and spiritual insights and later integrate them into society," Ndhlovu told GSR.

Ndhlovu, 48, has worked as a teacher in government and mission schools since 2001. She said that the facility deals with various physical disabilities, including children suffering from spina bifida, brittle bones and muscular dystrophy, among others.

She said the institution helps students and their guardians to go through counseling, especially those who have not yet accepted their physical disability, to help demystify their condition and avoid stigma.

"We know it's not easy for some people with traditional beliefs, but we assure parents and the community that disability is not an inability."

The school's deputy head teacher, Jane Chabala, said special education requires patient, loving teachers to teach children with disabilities, especially since some learners cannot write using their hands but use their feet or mouth instead.

Chabala, who has been at Da Gama Special School for 14 years, shared many success stories, including its impressive pass rate. "Right now, so many of our students are in universities, including the Copperbelt University, Mulungushi University and Mukuba University, among others," she said.

Keeping the catch

By Derrick Silimina

In the village of Kilwa Masoko located some 300 km southeast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital, fishing is a lifeline of locals as it is not only a source of food, but also a source of income. 

As wads of Tanzanian shilling exchange hands among fish famers and traders, the latter jostle to procure as much as possible of the limited amount of fish that is auctioned at Kilwa District’s old harbour. 

The fish trade is big business, a sign that the local economy heavily relies on the fishing industry. Despite the daily struggle to line up at auctions for the catch of the day, local fish traders like Sheila Sijaona are buoyant.  

“Our livelihood depends on selling the fish; but with limited catch, everyone is tussling for a larger share to maximise profit,” said Sijaona. 

“While fish is a major source of income, a lot of the fish is rotten due to lack of cold storage facilities and other infrastructure,” Gershom Abdala, a local fisher, told ChinAfrica. 

The Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port project is expected to solve that problem. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan recently laid the foundation stone for the port, which is set to drive forward the country’s blue economy. A project of monumental importance to the economy of Tanzania, the construction of one of East Africa’s first modern fishing harbours is expected to create over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

With a 1,400-km coastline and a 287,000-square-km exclusive economic zone, the East African country is endowed with rich marine fishery stocks, according to the Tanzanian government data. 

Fisheries experts say infrastructure facelift including improved docking infrastructure, fish treatment equipment and ice-processing facilities, among others, can contribute to national development. 

Infrastructure upgrade  

Despite its rich marine resources, sea fish accounts for less than 20 percent of the country’s fish supply, with the rest coming from inland fishing, according to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. The Tanzanian government says a lack of proper infrastructure is hampering fish production. Building a fishing port can be a game changer. 

The fishing port in Kilwa District is being constructed by China Harbour Engineering Co. (CHEC), and is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which seeks to promote global trade and connectivity. 

As of the end of June 2023, China has signed more than 200 documents on jointly building the BRI with 152 countries and 32 international organisations, and milestones have been set in collaboration and people-to-people exchanges under the framework. 

As Tanzania follows some of its neighbouring countries in capitalising on the vast potential of deep-sea fishing, the Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port project is poised to change the sector’s fortunes. The modern fishing port, scheduled to be completed in 2025, is expected to boost commercial fishing in sea.  

CHEC has said that the state-of-the-art harbour will create a number of advantages, including a refrigeration centre for fishermen to process and store their catch and a reliable market for locals by adding value via processing. 

“After completion, we would like to see this port contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of Tanzania,” CHEC Project Manager Yao Huafeng recently said, adding that the harbour, which will be managed by the Tanzania Ports Authority, will also house fish processing plants and a workshop for repairing fishing ships and boats and making fishnets. 

CHEC Tanzania Maritime Project Department recently revealed that the construction of the fishing harbour has provided jobs to more than 1,000 local workers, and an estimated 30,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created during the facility’s operation.  

Project Engineer George Kwandu said that once completed, the docking infrastructure will be big enough to accommodate all kinds of vessels. “We are also building a fish treatment refrigeration centre with a capacity of 1,300 tonnes,” Kwandu noted, adding that some of the fish will go directly to the fish market, enabling fishers to sell directly to the consumers. 

As the port is expected to help to diversify the country’s fishing sector, the government projects it will raise the sector’s contribution to the country’s total exports, as well as national GDP, from 1.8 percent to 10 percent by 2036.  

“This pivotal milestone will the pave the way for immense economic development, job creation, and income generation for the coastal region and Tanzania as a whole,” Abdallah Ulega, minister of livestock and fisheries, recently stated. 

Waves of opportunities 

Ulega said that once the port is operational, an estimated 5 million Tanzanians would derive their income from fishing and related activities, including boat manufacturing, net repair, fish processing, and various small-scale businesses. 

The minister added that as Tanzania positions itself strategically in the global fishing market, the country will expand job opportunities for locals and augment productivity for both small-scale and large-scale fishermen. 

With hopes and aspirations riding high on the waves of the Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port, fish traders like Sijaona are optimistic about the new opportunities that will transform their way of doing business.  

“I expect the new harbour to connect our fishing business to the international market, and when we sell to other countries, our export income will increase immensely. Our lives will certainly change, as many new opportunities will come up in our fishing business,” Sijaona said with confidence.  

In Kilwa Kivinje, located 25 km from Kilwa Masoko, fishermen squeeze in a crowded wooden boat, catching fish with a humble net and selling the catch directly off the boat. This daily hustle has sustained them for generations for centuries.  

“I am excited that the Chinese-built harbour will boost our fisheries value chain, improve our household income and help us to contribute to the socio-economic development of our country,” said Juma Mahanje from Kilwa Kivinje.