Govt attributes Ignorance to high rate of HIV Infections

 

Photo Credit: ZNBC 

 
By Lumbiwe Mwanza

Health Minister Jonas Chanda says Zambia has made remarkable progress in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Chanda further said the southern African country has scaled up investment in health care in a bid to enhance access to health services.

Speaking recently during the Virtual National Adolescents and Youth HIV Surge indaba 2021, held under the theme “Adolescents voices for HIV,” Dr. Chanda said among notable progress made, is the suppression of the viral load by 95% which will translate into reduced transmission rate.

He noted that in Zambia today, nine out of ten infected patients are on Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and therefore called for ways in which adolescents can be part of the effective elimination of the epidemic.

“Let’s us all show support to all adolescents living with HIV/AIDS and show them how they can live positively,” Dr. Chanda stated and highlighted that stigma and discrimination is still a reality which needs to be addressed.

Dr. Chanda stressed that there are also other health challenges facing adolescents such as sexually transmitted infections as well as gender-based violence (GBV) which require smart investments in health care systems to prevent.

He further revealed that 48,000 people each year get infected in Zambia with the HIV virus attributing this to ignorance.

Meanwhile, speaking earlier at the same event, Zambia’s First Lady Esther Lungu noted the need to out-scale all HIV preventive programs in view of reducing new infections in the country.

Mrs. Lungu observed that to date adolescents and young people still have challenges to access HIV testing services which she said leads to new infections in communities.

She pointed out that misconceptions among young people on HIV still remains a worry hence the need for them to continue seeking information for trained health personals.

She further noted the need for young people to seek guidance from experts regarding the HIV pandemic to be able to take a leading role in preventing the spread of the virus.

She noted with concern on the increase in HIV infection rate amongst the sexually active youths in the country which she said requires up scaling of programs and awareness to effectively address the pandemic.

The first lady said the time for youths to just sit idle and watch the trend continue is no longer there but requires concerted efforts to prevent new HIV infections through enhanced epidemic control measures.

“Rise and speak your mind and engage with us your parents. My door is open,” Mrs. Lungu assured.

She has since called for enhanced access to HIV services as well as comprehensive knowledge about the epidemic in order for the youths to be well equipped to effectively fight the disease as key partners.

 

In Africa, Sisters Lead the Way to Replace Orphanages with Family Care

 

Sr. Caroline Ngatia of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters of Eldoret shares breakfast with the street families in Nairobi, Kenya. Her center, Kwetu Home of Peace, accommodates homeless boys ages 8 to 14 who are rescued from the streets and slums in Nairobi and inducted into a process of reintegration. (Doreen Ajiambo)

 

By Doreen Ajiambo, Gerald Matembu, Derrick Silimina

The goal is as simple as it is complicated to achieve: Shift the care of children from institutions like orphanages to a family or family-like environment.

Catholic sisters in three African nations — Uganda, Zambia and Kenya — are leading the way in creating new models for caring for children. Their efforts are the core of the recent launch of Catholic Care for Children International (CCCI) under the auspices of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) — one of many faith groups leading policy reform and family-based alternatives to institutional care.

In traditional African culture, children were raised by their clan and extended family relations who nurtured them into responsible adults, but various socio-economic factors contributed to a break-up of such family ties. That has led to the formation of large childcare institutions which generally lack the necessary environment for children to thrive and develop.

Decades of research has shown that children living in institutional care are extremely exposed to neglect, physical and sexual abuse. A lack of a stable relationships and interactions among children in institutions affect their foundations for brain development, resulting in poor mental health, academic failure, and increased chances of behavioral problems later in life, studies show.

Most African countries, including Uganda, Zambia and Kenya, have endorsed the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which recognizes that children should be raised in a safe and loving family or within a community to realize their full potential.

That's a key reason the international sisters' group UISG is encouraging congregations to end the placement of children in large institutions and instead support community-based, family-like alternatives.

During the launch of this global initiative Oct. 2, which was streamed online, religious orders of women and men were urged to join the initiative. "We understand that the family is the best place for a child to grow holistically," Sri Lankan Good Shepherd Sr. Niluka Perera, coordinator of Catholic Care for Children International, told participants. "Therefore, it is the responsibility of us who are committed to the care of vulnerable children to give the best place and environment for a child to grow."

Loreto Sr. Patricia Murray, executive secretary of the UISG, noted that there are at least 9,000 Catholic residential institutions or orphanages worldwide serving almost 5.5 million children. She urged religious institutions to learn from what others are doing in different countries to provide the best possible care for the vulnerable children.

Sr. Mary Margaret Itadal of the Little Sisters of St. Francis* poses outside of her office at Budaka Cheshire Home in eastern Uganda. The center, which was started in 1970 to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities, under the Catholic Care for Children program, now serves as a short-term foster care and transition care center where the child is admitted awaiting return to the community so that they are adopted by other families. (Gerald Matembu)

"Catholic Care for Children functions well in three countries — Zambia, Uganda and Kenya. It's associated very closely with the conference of religious in each country, and we see that as a very good model," said Murray in an interview with Global Sisters report. "We can move our focus to supporting family life because we know that 80% of children are not orphans but have a living parent or a family structure, and that family structure can be helped to keep the child at home." UISG is carefully considering other countries where the model can be implemented, she said.

Poverty and family breakdown have contributed to the growth of institutional care, said Kathleen Mahoney, a program officer of GHR Foundation, which has "Children in Families" as one of its program areas. Through the respective religious associations, GHR has been providing funding in the three countries for the training of sisters in social work, case management and child care programs, and assisting in the transition from institutional to family care.

"GHR has a long history of working with Catholic sisters around the globe, and we really see them as tremendous spiritual and social asset for the world," she said. The social and spiritual aspects came together in Zambia and Uganda and recently in Kenya where "we really see sisters at the helm," she said. "Catholic Care for Children is a sister-led, charism-driven movement to improve care for children. We see real potential for this to grow."

Global Sisters Report reported from Uganda, Zambia and Kenya on the program models and how UISG is aiming to play a role in expanding these models to elsewhere in the world and trying to de-emphasize institutional care.

1 Mary Lunyolo c.jpg

Sr. Mary Lunyolo, a member of Sisters of Mary of Kakamega, explains the new child integration guidelines. (Gerald Matembu)

Uganda

The Catholic Care for Children's initial pilot project started in Uganda five years ago. The initiative began when the government of Uganda raised a red flag over poor quality of care in childcare institutes across the country, especially those run by the churches. The government threatened to close several children's homes, including those belonging to the religious sisters because of a lack of training to handle children, according to sisters interviewed for this article.

The East African nation had about 36 residential child care institutions in 1996, and now has an estimated 800 institutional care centers with around 150,000 children, according to available data published in 2019. Only 70 institutions are licensed by the Ugandan Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, according to this report.

Catholic Care for Children in Uganda (CCCU) sought to reform child care institutes with the objective of ensuring a stable and secure family environment for every child. CCCU, which is an initiative of the Association of Religious in Uganda (ARU) and financially supported by GHR Foundation, began by training dozens of religious caregivers on the importance of family care rather than institutional care.

CCCU offered scholarships to more than 80 religious sisters in the areas of social work and social administration. A majority of the sisters attained a bachelor's degree in social work, some obtained master's degrees in social work, and others trained in a certificate course on protection of children. The sisters received their training at Makerere University in Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development.

Sr. Mary Lunyolo, a member of Sisters of Mary of Kakamega, said the motive of training was to help the sisters with skills to support family reintegration, avert future family separation and finally end institutionalization within Uganda, a country of 44 million people.

"Many of the childcare institutes were run by sisters who had inadequate skills on institutional childcare," said Lunyolo. "But many of our sisters right now have received training in various aspects of childcare."

Lunyolo is the administrator of St. Kizito Babies Home, which was established in 1968 to care for babies whose mothers died during childbirth. It now serves as a short-term foster care and transition care center. Children are admitted awaiting return to the community so that they are adopted by other families, she said.

Sr. Mary Lunyolo, a member of Sisters of Mary of Kakamega, poses for a photo with Rachael Weginga, a social worker at St. Kizito Baby's Home in eastern Uganda. (Gerald Matembu)

She said the home, which admits children from newborns to age 3, has been able to reintegrate 18 children, who are monitored in the community by sister caseworkers. Lunyolo estimated that thousands of children have been integrated with family members or adoptive families since the program began in various centers run by religious women in Uganda.

"The initiative is really working well because the community has bought into the idea," she said, noting that age levels and policies had to be changed. "Previously this home used to keep children up to 9 years, but now we strictly see them off within 3 years under the new policy." Sisters had been reintegrating dozens of children every week, she said, before the pandemic.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, has hampered the new policy of permanent unification in various centers across the country, Lunyolo said. The institution could not hold social meetings and trainings due to COVID-19 restrictions, which also hampered the ability to place children with foster parents.

"Sisters are not able to receive more children at their centers right now because they do not have the necessary check-up and isolation facilities," she said. "Visitors and parents are also not allowed to visit the centers for reintegration or adoption."

The reintegration process can have shortcomings that expose the child to more risk of abuse and neglect in the hands of the caregivers, especially relatives, said Lunyolo.

"Sometimes you find all is well, but sometimes you find there is a problem," said Lunyolo, clarifying that the majority of caregivers lack parenting skills or financial resources to care for the children. "Some of the resettled children hardly receive the parental care from the caregivers as majority of them often lack parenting skills or are economically handicapped." The region, which includes Mbale in the eastern part of Uganda, ranks almost double the country's poverty index, at 40% compared with the national average of 21.4%, according to the Uganda National household survey in 2016-17.

Srs. Caroline Ngatia, at left, in white veil, and Caroline Cheruiyot, far right, and members of the staff work together on behalf of the street children, some of whom are pictured here, at Kwetu Home of Peace in Nairobi, Kenya. The center, which is run by the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters of Eldoret, since 1993 had been taking in homeless. (Doreen Ajiambo)

Sisters try to address such issues by providing startup kits, which include basic requirements such as food, clothing and bedding. In some cases, they offer income generating activities such as poultry keeping and livestock rearing. The institution also equips economically limited parents with skills such as hair dressing, tailoring and small business to boost their livelihood.

The home sensitizes parents and the community on child protection, which includes parenting skills training prior to the transition. The institution also makes follow up visits for two years to ascertain the welfare of the child. If conditions are not good, their intervention is limited to reporting to the probation officer, who by law reserves discretionary power to delay the unification or recall the child from the caregiver if the child is deemed to be unsafe. Where necessary, the institution links the children to partner non-governmental organizations for further support, said Rachael Weginga, a social worker attached to St. Kizito Babies Home.

Catholic Care for Children Institutes Uganda is emphasizing a holistic approach to transitional care, including family counseling and economic strengthening and parenting, aimed at ensuring that the family or foster care giver is ready to receive the child, based on the "do no harm" principle. "It is not about taking the child home," said Joseph Ssentongo, an official from the Kampala-based CCCU secretariat.

The Catholic Care initiative in Uganda now works with nearly 20 religious institutes operating 46 child care institutions with almost 2,000 children. The pilot program, which began in 2016 and ends in December 2021, is being implemented in three phases.

The first phase of the project started with CCCU assessing religious caregivers' skills and qualifications to run the institutional care. In its second phase, CCCU carried out research to find out whether religious sisters running the institutions were implementing the legal frameworks for child protection.

Sr. Winnie Mutuku of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul founded Upendo Street Children (USC), an organization that serves homeless boys in Kitale, Kenya. She is already championing the importance of family care for children. (Provided photo)

The results from the two phases revealed that there was greater need for training to be done on child protection so that sisters caring for children are able to carry out their duties with skills and qualifications required, said Lunyolo.

The issue of funding is also delaying the new model of permanent integration, Lunyolo said. The institutions still need support to care for children on a temporary basis, to identify caregivers and provide needed support and resettlement packages to families and foster parents. This has led the Association of Religious in Uganda to launch a CCCU Fundraising and Transitioning Donors program aimed at winning the hearts of donors to support the new model.

Brian Carroll, founder and chief executive officer of Markempa, company that provides empathy-based marketing services, is championing the donor transition program. The program seeks to address funding gaps that are choking transitional care in many Christian child care institutions.

"Early on, we discovered there was a significant need to establish fundraising basics for the Christian child care institutions that included doing consistent donor outreach to get new donors via phone, email, social media, and face-to-face," he said. More than 10 institutions have registered tremendous progress in one year, he said, to support the transition into community-based and family care.

Zambia

A three-year pilot program through the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods started in 2019 is reintegrating children from institutions into family and community care, building on practical experience from Uganda and research conducted earlier in Zambia.

The southern African nation had about 8,335 children living in institutional care, according to government data cited in a 2016 research report by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and sponsored by the GHR Foundation. The children lived in 190 residential care facilities, with 40 being Catholic-affiliated.

The research looked in-depth at Catholic residential care facilities and what was needed to preserve families and promote alternative family-based care. Poverty — being unable to afford school fees or food — was the primary reason for placement in institutions, with the death of a parent as the second-most common reason, the research found. Plans for a Catholic Care for Children Zambia (CCCZ) program began in 2017 with the formal pilot project starting two years later.

Catholic Care for Children Zambia plans to integrate 60 children from institutional care to family care in the three-year pilot project period that ends in December 2021, according to Sr. Cecilia Nakambo, project coordinator for CCCZ. Two residential facilities were identified as initial sites for reintegration efforts, St. Martins Children's Home in the Lufwanyama district, and Lubatsi Home in Livingstone.

So far, 48 children have so far been reunited with their families from the two residential care facilities, Nakambo said. Notable signs of success include developing processes for proper documentation, planning and preparing the child to bond with its family, and engaging the family for the integration process, including identifying needed resources, she said. Resources can include food, school fees, clothing and transportation costs as most children come from rural areas.

Training of sisters and other caregivers in case management and counseling was particularly important. "We thought that a child could easily reunite with their family without proper assessment or investigations on whether they will easily be embraced back and even when they were not ready to be reintegrated," she said. The sisters also work with a government department to help find family members and reunite them with the children.

Sr. Cecilia Nakambo of the Little Sisters of St. Francis is the project coordinator for Catholic Care for Children Zambia. (Derrick Silimina)

Catholic Care for Children Zambia aims to improve the wellbeing of children by continuing to provide counseling to family members of the 48 children and others who are reintegrated, in a second phase of the program after the pilot program ends in 2021. A review of the pilot project will determine if the reintegration program expands to include more children, Nakambo said.

Training is also being provided to caregivers within the two residential care facilities, she said. "We have carried out a number of trainings such as in case management, reintegration, trauma counseling, and basic qualification care for children which helps caregivers serve effectively, and how to protect and know a child's rights in a facility," said Nakambo, adding that much of the practical knowledge has been acquired from the initial project in Uganda.

As much as Care for Children Zambia favors the idea of child integration, the residential facilities produced notable members of Zambian society, including some senior government officials, she said, opting to not identify them to protect their privacy. However, the new method of reintegration with families has even greater likelihood of producing responsible members of society, she added.

"Through the help of GHR, we are carrying out this pilot activities and I can see that reintegration is possible in the new guidelines, as well as what is needed, how much, who is on board or its challenges among other factors," Nakambo said.

Recently, the CCCZ organized a counseling workshop for 35 children who are traumatized from various orphanages in Lusaka. Reintegration is key for children in orphanages to alleviate trauma, said Charity Shaba, the professional child counselor who led the workshop.

"We have managed to counsel children against the effects of mental stress, and most of them are now opening up and coming out of the trauma they had been going through," Shaba said.

The Zambia Association of Sisterhoods is doing a great job to spearhead the reintegration program because children have been living in various orphanages not knowing who they really are, and have been traumatized after being orphaned or abandoned by their parents, Shaba said.

"I feel the program will help children discover who they really are as individuals and find their own family identity. In the near future, I think we will have better family set ups because what they just know is their foster parents from the caregiver institutions and to them that is a normal way of life," she said.

Children play at Kwetu Home of Peace in Nairobi, Kenya. The home is a rehabilitation center for street boys between the ages 8 and 14 years old. (Provided photo)

Kenya

When the East African nation began taking steps in 2018 to reduce the number of children in institutional care, there were estimated 42,000 children in over 854 children's homes across the country.

The government announced a long-standing action plan towards deinstitutionalization of children. It also further placed a moratorium on the registration of institutions, revoking some of the licenses of adoption agencies.

The government's emphasis on deinstitutionalization helped spur research and discussion among sisters in 2018 about a Catholic Care for Children program in Kenya, which formally began a year later. One key aspect is to draw on the long-time experience of one of the local congregations in reintegrating children with families.

Since 1993, religious sisters at Kwetu Home of Peace, a rehabilitation center for street boys, has focused on tracing families of displaced children and preparing these children to return home.  Other institutional care centers, especially those run by the Catholic Church, also began following this model of reintegration.

The center, which is run by the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters of Eldoret, accommodates homeless boys ages 8 to 14 who are rescued from the streets and slums in Nairobi and elsewhere and inducted into a process of reintegration. Three times a year, about 60 boys are taken into the program.

Sr. Hellen Simiyu, administrator of the center, said that using a scorecard during reintegration, sisters assess the family's needs and provide financial assistance as necessary. The center has reintegrated more than 4,500 children since 1993, with a long-term success rate of about 80%. To ensure that reintegration is successful, it is as vital to invest in families as it is in children, she said.

"We pick boys from the streets; after three weeks, we do home visiting and home tracing where we talk to parents and local leaders on the importance of accepting these children back to the families," said Simiyu. "Most of the boys we pick from the streets either have one parent or poor guardians who cannot take care of them; therefore, they end up on the streets."

Simiyu said that the model has been successful because of the strict adherence of all reintegration processes. They usually call the parents, an education officer from the government, and the area government official to ensure the safety of the child and for easy follow-up, she said.

Children should also be at the heart of reintegration efforts, she said. "Children should be listened to and involved in each stage of the process," she said, admitting that in some cases family reintegration fails because children returning to their families may not be in their best interests. "For children who don't have parents, we always get willing people from the church, others even volunteer from different institutions and they agree to support the child through foster parenthood."

Frank Kinuthia, 20, who now lives in a family unit after sisters from Kwetu Home of Peace in Kenya found him a home seven years ago, said he was now doing better socially, emotionally and physically than when he was at the center. (Provided photo)

Children interviewed said they are pleased with the model. Frank Kinuthia, 20, who now lives in a family unit after sisters from Kwetu Home of Peace found him a home seven years ago, said he was now doing better socially, emotionally and physically than when he was at the center.

"I'm happy to be in a family because I have learned to love and cherish every moment," said Kinuthia, who was taken in from the streets of Nairobi in 2009 after both parents died. The sisters found him a family among members of a parish after searching for several months. "It's a good feeling to have parents and siblings. They act as a role model. These parents will always encourage you to do good things and live in harmony with others."

Simiyu said the launching of Catholic Care for Children International will further implement this initiative for the sake of young children. "We are very happy with this initiative because it confirms what we have been doing," she said. "We are going to double our efforts to ensure every child has a normal life."

Sr. Winnie Mutuku who manages Upendo Street Children, a project run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Kitale town in western Kenya, said she has already began championing  the importance of family care for children after learning the model from Kwetu Home of Peace and other Catholic affiliated centers.

"Since we began reintegration last year in March, we have reintegrated 46 children so far," she said, adding that now her center aims to restore dignity to the homeless children, educate them and reunite them with their respective families. "I am in total support of the UISG initiative to make sure that every child gets a home. It is the best way to go and also solution to many negative social effects that are currently affecting the youths."

Mutuku who won a presidential order of service award last year for feeding street children amid COVID-19, said her center hasn't reintegrated any children this year because they were still doing home tracing.The center rescues 20 to 30 children twice a year from the streets. They stay at the center for three to six months for rehabilitation before the process of reintegration begins, she said.

After reintegration, Mutuku said "we do a follow up at least for a year to ensure the safety and sustainability of the children just to ensure they don't go back to the streets,"

"When I see children in a loving home or with parents, my heart is at peace," she concluded. "I hope this noble initiative by UISG will be adopted by many more institutions even if they are not sister- or church-led."

Sr. Delvin Mukhwana, who is responsible for safeguarding and promoting quality care for children at the Association of Sisterhoods in Kenya (AOSK) and the project manager for Catholic Care for Children Kenya, told GSR that she was planning to reduce the number of children in residential care by holding workshops to bring in important community stakeholders to create family care models that include family reintegration, foster care, and domestic adoption.

The workshops for community members and the training of sisters from various congregations about the guidelines of transitional care began in July 2019, but have been more difficult to continue because of COVID-19 restrictions. The sisters do hold some virtual meetings to discuss the progress of reintegration.

"We are involving everyone in this process of reintegration. We are currently working with the institutions that have already begun this initiative by educating them on how they should proceed moving forward after reintegration," said Mukhwana, of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters of Eldoret. "We specifically educate them on the importance of family to the growth of a child."

*An earlier version of this story gave the wrong community.

[Gerald Matembu is a reporter in Uganda and Derrick Silimina is a reporter in Zambia.]

Doreen Ajiambo

Doreen Ajiambo is the Africa/Middle East correspondent for Global Sisters Report. Follow her on Twitter: @DoreenAjiambo.

Gerald Matembu

Gerald Matembu is a multimedia journalist based in Mbale Town, Eastern Uganda. He is a reporter and bureau chief for Next Media Services (NBS Television, Nile Post and Next Radio), a leading media company in Uganda. 

Derrick Silimina

Derrick Silimina is an award-winning multimedia journalist based in Lusaka, Zambia, whose work has appeared on many media platforms in Zambia and abroad.

Zambian Blueberries Granted Export Permit to the Lucrative Chinese Market

 

Freshly grown blueberries in Zambia (XINHUA)

By Derrick Silimina

As the world's largest consumer market and also the largest global agricultural importer, it is projected that the total import of goods and services in China will top $22 trillion in the coming decade, according to sources from the Third China International Import Expo held in November last year in Shanghai.

With China's prominence in spearheading key cooperation projects in most African countries in areas such as energy, infrastructure, health and agriculture, and people's livelihoods has seen a marked improvement.

However, access to the large Chinese market is a critical element in the success of most African enterprises keen to export their range of agricultural produce.

Fruitful agrarian cooperation

Zambia's favorable natural conditions for agricultural development, coupled with China's cooperation in this important sector, have already shown signs of success.

Known for its quality blueberry production, Zambia has become the latest African nation to gain access to the Chinese market, where the super-food produce will no doubt be a big hit with the growing numbers of health-conscious Chinese. The export deal marks the culmination of a three-year process after Zambia applied for market access in 2017.

The Zambian freshly grown blueberry export permit to China comes barely two years after another successful story of bilateral cooperation in agriculture, where the export of Zambian honey to China deal was sealed. The honey export protocol was signed by Zambia and China during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit held in September 2018.

Although the northern hemisphere still dominates global blueberry production, South American producers and exporters have experienced a rapid rise in exports of this fruit, thanks largely to their access to key markets including the U.S., Europe and China among others.

The northern hemisphere accounts for 84 percent of global blueberry growing area. Of the 16 percent of blueberry hectares planted in the southern hemisphere, Chile and Peru account for some 80 percent, according to a recent published report of the International Blueberry Organization (IBO).

While Zambia is still dwarfed by blueberry producing giants such as the U.S. and Canada, which are vying for markets in China and South Korea, scaling up local production would further expand the industry.

Presently, the whole of Southern Africa produces less than 6 percent of the world's blueberry plantations, according to IBO. There is therefore much potential for Southern Africa to compete with South America on the global blueberry stage.

Zambian farm workers pick blueberries (XINHUA)

Sealed deal

Since Zambia was granted approval to export blueberries to China, all necessary access protocols have been finalized, and the required notice of authority has been issued by the Chinese customs authority.

Having met the stipulated phytosanitary requirements permissible for exports to China, coupled with the concerted efforts of both sides, the Protocol of the Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Zambian Fresh Blueberries to China between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and Zambia's Ministry of Agriculture was signed on September 7, 2020. The Zambezi Berry Co. is now formally listed and can export to China, with its first shipments of Zambian blueberries to leave this year.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu expressed joy that Zambia is the only country in the Southern African Development Community region to have access to the lucrative market for blueberries in China.

"My government is focusing on policy and legislative reforms to educate local farmers on the emerging trends and opportunities in the agriculture sector," Lungu said during the flagging off ceremony of inaugural export of blueberries to China on November 17, 2020. "There is a need for the agriculture sector to be transformed [to become] export oriented in order for the economy to grow."

The Zambian head of state observed that the Chinese market imports a significant quantity of blueberries from countries in North and South Americas, hence was gratified that Zambia was positioning itself to compete for a larger share of the blueberry market in China.

Preferential treatment

The agricultural cooperation between China and Zambia will have a very bright future and as a country receiving preferential treatment, more than 95 percent of Zambian products are granted duty free access to the Chinese market, according to the Chinese Embassy in Zambia.

It is for this reason that Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie is optimistic that many more Zambian companies will take advantage of the good opportunities and export more high-quality agricultural products to China.

Li said that exporting the Zambian fresh blueberries to China is a milestone for agricultural cooperation between China and Zambia. It will contribute greatly to the promotion of the bilateral economic and trade cooperation and the development of friendly relations between the two countries, said Li.

"I wish therefore to take this opportunity to extend to the Zambezi Berry Co. my best wishes for bright prospects. It is my firm belief that the company will provide quality products to Chinese customers and create more jobs for Zambians," he said during the inspection of the blueberry fields and processing plant located in Chisamba, 20 km north of Lusaka, Zambia's capital.

Zambezi Berry Co. is a joint venture between Zambezi Ranching & Cropping, agribusinesses in Zambia, and the United Exports Group, an innovative market leader operating throughout the agricultural supply chain, from breeding to distribution, focusing primarily on its OZblu blueberries globally.

Zambezi Berry Co., with an investment of $4.5 million, plans to expand up to 500 hectares and become the single-largest standalone blueberry orchards in Southern Africa.

"We are extremely excited about this new opportunity to access one of the largest markets in the world. We are confident that, by maintaining our world-class quality with these world-leading OZblu varieties while significantly increasing quantity, we can successfully compete with some of the biggest global producers," said Zambezi Berry Co. Managing Director Graham Rae.

The beginning of 2020 saw the end of some of the lowest prices of blueberries in years, but recently global prices have indicated a strong recovery with the average price of conventional berries fetching around $8.31 per kg, which is 94 percent higher than in 2019, according to FreshFruitPortal.com. "Zambia is extremely well placed to supply for export into the northern hemisphere during the August-November window and this is a marvelous achievement for Zambia and is expected to be the first of many celebrations, as Africa gains ground in the international blueberry market," emphasized Rae. 

(Print Edition Title: Berry Good News)

Reporting from Zambia

Battery-Powered Growth

© stepmap.de

 

By Derrick Silimina

 

Zambia hopes to cash in on growing global demand for electric vehicles by stepping up its production and refining of cobalt – a key component of lithium-ion batteries used in those vehicles. Zambia’s advantage is its large deposits of copper, of which cobalt is a by-product.

Batteries for electric vehicles are mainly produced in the Far East. But cobalt is indispensable in this manufacturing process. And unlike major cobalt producer Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia has the capacity to refine cobalt on a large scale for use in battery manufacturing.

Producing and refining cobalt for electric vehicle batteries can become an important job-creator in Zambia, according to Mining for Zambia, an industry group. Citing research by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, it says that global demand for cobalt has tripled since 2011 in the battery sector alone.

Further, it predicts that demand for cobalt will reach 190,000 metric tons by 2026 – a more than fourfold increase over 2017 levels. The price of cobalt has risen accordingly, from an average of $18 per pound in 2011 to over $30 by the end of 2017.

The main driver of demand for lithium-ion batteries is growing consumer interest in electric cars. “UNCTAD predicts that some 23 million electric vehicles will be sold over the coming decade,” says a June, 2020 United Nations report on the battery-manufacturing boom. “The market for rechargeable car batteries, currently estimated at $7 billion, is forecast to rise to $58 billion by 2024.”

The report adds that while two-thirds of all cobalt is produced in the DRC, cobalt refining mainly takes place elsewhere – in Belgium, China, Finland, Norway and Zambia. Investing in cobalt production would boost Zambia’s mining and manufacturing sectors. It might also provide an incentive to produce lithium-ion batteries in Africa by shortening supply lines between cobalt refineries and battery-making plants.

Africa currently does not produce electric vehicle batteries. Nor does the continent produce electric vehicles. Several Chinese, Japanese, US and European automakers have assembly plants in South Africa for traditional cars. South Africa is the only country in the region under consideration for investment in electric car assembly plants.

Advocates of adding electric-car assembly lines to existing factories in South Africa say this move would make sense in view of growth in demand for electric cars. They expect that demand will continue to grow in response to environmental restrictions on fossil-fuel burning cars and future dwindling of fossil fuel supplies.

Among the electric-car boosters is Kapembwa Simbao, a member of Zambia’s Parliament and an electrical engineer by training. “There has been a paradigm shift in the transport sector,” he says. “We are witnessing a shift from fossil, diesel and petrol driven vehicles to electric vehicles.” Global carmakers say the same. Toyota, for example, said in 2019 that it aims for half its global sales to be from electric vehicles by 2025.

Derrick Silimina is a freelance journalist based in Lusaka. He focuses on Zambian agriculture and sustainability issues.
derricksilimina@gmail.com

 

Chinese Steel Manufacturers help Upgrade the Construction Industry in Zambia

Willy Mbewe and his co-workers at his metal fabrication workshop in Lusaka (Derrick Silimina)

By Derrick Silimina

Willy Mbewe, 30, from Zambian capital Lusaka's sprawling Kalingalinga Township, is motivated by the fact that through his career in metal fabrication, he can provide a service to the community and country at large, while also creating jobs.

In 2012, driven by his passion for engineering, Mbewe studied metal fabrication at Lusaka Trades School in a bid to pursue his dream.

"I like civil engineering and I thought one day I will become an engineer, so that I could serve my country; because as a nation, while we have many qualified engineers that are doing well, most of them are working outside the country," Mbewe told ChinAfrica.

With the establishment of many Chinese steel manufacturing plants in the country, Mbewe believes that given Zambia's availability of raw materials, local metal fabricators like himself have the potential to add value to the economy by creating jobs.

Metal fabrication is the creation of metal structures by cutting, bending and assembling. It is a value-added process involving the creation of machines, parts, and structures from various raw materials.

Job creation

In 2015, armed with a small nest egg and some homemade equipment, Mbewe started his dream project. Spurred on by his father, a renowned steel expert in the area known for its expertise in metal fabrication, Mbewe established Amoson Metal Welders.

"I started with just K5,000 ($250), a welding machine and a small grinder, but today I have industrial equipment worth over K20, 000 ($1,000), which can do most of the work with ease," he said.

Five years down the line, Mbewe disclosed that he has managed to employ an assistant, as well as two student metal fabricators who are on an industrial attachment at his firm.

Barely five years into his company's operation, Mbewe has managed to build his own house and won major contracts with the Zambia National Service and the Lusaka City Council, among others. "This sector is very important here in the township as it has lifted many youths out of poverty. They are now able to do quality work such as door frames, gates, window frames and sign posts, all made of steel," he said.

In Zambia, just like any other developing country, foreign direct investment in the manufacturing industry is critical for developing any emerging market economy.

In a bid to scale up public investment to address Zambia's infrastructure needs, the government has embarked on a full-scale construction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, medical facilities, schools and bridges, among others, a strategy that is expected to spur socio-economic growth.

Not long ago, steel products had to be imported from other countries; now Zambia has the capacity to produce its own steel, thanks to a flourishing mining sector. This has in turn created jobs at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) such as metal fabricators, whose business depend on steel as a vital raw material.

While local steel manufacturers are seeing remarkable growth, they are also creating employment and primary industries along the way, as individuals and private sector have responded positively to investing in the real estate sector.

Economic experts believe that robust industrial development presents an opportunity for economic transformation and quality employment generation that alleviates poverty in any developing country. It is a fact that throughout history, this exact economic recipe has transformed most European and Asian countries into some of the world's wealthiest nations.

For this reason, through its equipped state-of-the-art facilities and a technically minded local workforce, Good Time Steel, a Chinese steel manufacturing company based in Zambia, is keen to grow its products and services in line with changing industry demands.

"Since Zambia is a good destination for investment due to its conducive political climate, we found it viable to establish our steel manufacturing plant here in 2005. In addition, the country has enough scrap metals [dealers] due to its flourishing mining industry," Good Time Steel Co. Managing Director Jacky Huang told ChinAfrica.

From its humble beginnings, Good Time Steel, which now represents more than half of Zambia's steel production, started full time operations in 2008 with a workforce of over 100; now, it boasts more than 700 workers and is one of the leading steel manufacturing companies in the country.

In terms of local market share, Huang said, "We are number one, with more than 40 percent market [share]. Our production covers a wide range of over 300 products, including pipes, tubes, wire, roof sheeting, aluminium, nails and iron bars, as well as all types of construction materials such as tiles, all under one roof."

Good Time Steel Co. Managing Director Jacky Huang during an exclusive interview with ChinAfrica magazine in his office (Derrick Silimina)

Global market

The manufacturing industry remains one of the vital economic priority areas in the country as Zambian raw materials are in need of value addition. Therefore, investment in this sector helps the country earn foreign exchange, thereby stabilizing the kwacha (local currency).

Previously, many people and companies used to import steel from China, Dubai and South Africa. But with Good Time Steel industrial acumen, consumers have expressed delight over its various competitive steel products on both the local and international market.

"Our market is not only in Zambia, but we also export to neighbouring countries, especially Zimbabwe, Malawi, Burundi, among others," Huang added.

Apart from Good Time Steel Co., Oriental Steel Manufacturing Ltd. is another Chinese manufacturer of steel and plastic products based in Lusaka.

"We manufacture building materials, for example, wire, nails and roofing sheets and also steel products such as beams. We then sell these to the Zambian market, with a focus on wholesale trade. We fabricate products for the local market only, and do not export to neighbouring countries like other steel producers," said Oriental Steel Manufacturing Ltd. Managing Director Li Jinggang.

The steel manufacturing company, which is involved with certain large projects all over the country, does not undertake any construction projects directly, but focuses on manufacturing to supply its partners.

"We supply most of the construction companies, as well as large hardware stores," said Li.

Homebase Steel is one of the renowned local hardware suppliers of steel in Lusaka and depends solely on the Chinese steel manufacturing plants to service its clientele, mostly SMEs, in and out of town.

Meanwhile ZINPRO Engineering Ltd. based in Zambia's Copperbelt Province is an EPCM (engineering, procurement and construction management) company specializing in turnkey construction projects for the mining industry. Steel being one of its critical raw materials in undertaking its fabrication projects to the mines, the company's Operations Manager Wessek Pentz said locally supplied steel is better.

"We rely on the locally produced high grade steel for our work. We also support the local companies as their steel standards and grades are up to specifications and I see no reason to import from other countries," said Pentz. 

Reporting from Zambia