Location
Choma District
Choma District • Strengthening Food Security and Resilience of Vulnerable Groups in Choma
Strengthening Food Security and Resilience of Vulnerable Groups in Choma
Partners
Gesundes Afrika
Project Duration
July 2026 – December 2028
Status
Active
About This Project
The Strengthening Food Security and Resilience of Vulnerable Groups in Choma project is a community-based initiative being implemented by Keepers Zambia Foundation in partnership with Gesundes Afrika e.V., with financial support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The project seeks to strengthen food security and socioeconomic resilience among vulnerable households in Choma District. It responds to interconnected challenges including food insecurity, limited access to safe water, declining agricultural productivity, poor dietary diversity, and limited access to savings and credit opportunities.
Through an integrated approach, the project will promote climate-resilient agriculture, improve access to safe water, strengthen nutrition knowledge and practices, and establish community-based savings and lending mechanisms.
Partners and Support
The project is implemented by Keepers Zambia Foundation (KZF) in partnership with Gesundes Afrika e.V., with collaboration from relevant government institutions including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, the Department of Water Development and Sanitation, the District Health Office, and Choma local government.
Project Locations
Southern Province - Target Communities
- Macha HAHC
- Njase
- Mangunza
- Batoka
- Simaubi
- Mbabala
- Sikalongi
- Masuku Mission
Target Groups
The project directly targets vulnerable households and women in the selected communities.
Planned reach includes:
- 1,000 women participating in 40 VSLA and women's nutrition groups
- 1,000 households / 5,000 people reached through safe water handling and storage awareness
- 300 households / 1,500 people benefiting from rehabilitated or upgraded water points
- 40 community-based volunteers trained to support household-level water and hygiene awareness
The project also anticipates approximately 8,000 indirect beneficiaries through knowledge sharing within households and communities.
Key Objectives
Improve access to safe water and strengthen household knowledge of safe water storage and treatment.
Strengthen household economic resilience through Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups.
Promote climate-resilient food production through community learning gardens and improved agricultural practices.
Improve nutrition and dietary practices through women’s nutrition groups and knowledge on preparing nutritious meals using locally available and traditional foods.
Key Activities
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
The project will rehabilitate or upgrade six water points and train households in safe drinking-water storage and treatment. Forty community-based volunteers will be trained and equipped to support household-level awareness and training.
Savings and Economic Resilience
Forty VSLA groups will be established and trained, providing women with opportunities to participate in collective savings and lending. Training will also strengthen financial literacy and the capacity to use savings and credit mechanisms for productive activities.
Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Women’s nutrition groups will establish community learning gardens and receive training in climate-adapted cultivation, preservation, and multiplication of productive assets. The approach will promote diverse and nutritious food production rather than reliance on drought-sensitive monocropping.
Nutrition Education
Women participating in the nutrition groups will receive knowledge on nutrition and food preparation, including methods for preparing nutritious meals from locally available and traditional foods.
Project Gallery
Photos from our work on the ground