Community Development Fund, Zambia

The Happy Africa Foundation works with several different communities – known locally as compounds – throughout Livingstone, including Linda, Dambwa, Libuyu and Mwandi to name only a few. The total population of Livingstone is an estimated 136,897 (Census 2010), however, figures are difficult to accurately measure given the transient nature of the town and the location of surrounding settlements. Livingstone is a tourist town and a border town (borders Zimbabwe) set to the backdrop of Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Livingstone is home to one for the Seven Wonders of the World; Victoria Falls and approx 136,000 people. Whilst it is a tourist town, behind the tourists you will find some of the friendliest communities you will ever encounter.

Zambia has no social welfare system and 90% of the workforce work in the informal sector (traders, market sellers etc) and 74% of the population live below £1.25 a day. Community schools in Zambia receive little or no money from the government meaning they are severely underfunded and under resourced. Often an unexpected cost for a family, community, business or school can be too much for them and leave them in financial trouble and struggling for survival.

The Happy Africa Foundation will help identify sustainable initiatives that will have an impact on the greater community and is able to ensure that appropriate funding and resources are distributed to projects in need. The Community development fund also acts an emergency fund for communities in need and schools in need.

To donate through Virgin Money Giving to help us raise the funds needed please click here.

Short Term Impact:
The Community Development Fund can provide the launching point for sustainable community initiatives. Having a starting point and the support of the Happy Africa Foundation can ensure projects are correctly resourced and gain buy-in from community members.

Long Term Impact:
Initiatives will become self-sustainable in the long-term through income generating activities. The Community Development Fund is also aimed at creating ownership over projects within the community rather than creating a reliance on external support. This fund enables us to support and run smaller projects in the communities which make big improvements to the lives of the people in Livingstone.

Livingstone
The Happy Africa Foundation works with several different communities – known locally as compounds – throughout Livingstone, including Linda, Nakatindi and Maramba to name only a few. The total population of Livingstone is an estimated 109,203 – however, figures are difficult to accurately measure given the transient nature of the town and the location of surrounding settlements.

Linda
Linda compound, one of the most densely populated housing areas in Livingstone, is home to some 11,600 or more people. Unfortunately this area is also characterized by an alarmingly high birth rate, the population having risen from an estimated 8,000 in just three years (potentially over 3000 births). The small clinic in Linda cannot currently offer any laboratory services or satisfactory inpatient care, thus Linda’s occupants have to travel to other healthcare providers – either in nearby Maramba or the Livingstone General Hospital – to attain these vital services.

Maramba
Maramba, located near a Zambezi River tributary called the Maramba River, was the first location sponsored by the Government from 1922 to 1927. However, like other suburbs, Maramba now contains a lot of unplanned structures. Maramba does also contain one of the only government-supported residences for the elderly in Zambia, which currently houses over 40 residents who otherwise would be left to fend for themselves due to a lack of family support.

Nakatindi
Nakatindi community established itself in 1987. The community is made up of almost 75% Lozi tribe, the remaining 25% being Tonga, Luvale and other tribes. A high proportion of Nakatindi’s 6000+ population moved from the Dambwa North region to resettle in Nakatindi in the 1980s. Nakatindi is characterized as a community with a high percentage of retirees and a low percentage of people in stable employment. It is evident that peer pressure has led to the prevalence of drug abuse and the abundance of local beerhouses or shebeens.

This is an ongoing project with the initiatives constantly changing as projects within it start up, progress, and are completed.

2015:
Linda Farm: Linda Farm is a community for people living with disabilities. The land was donated by the government in the 1960s and supports around 13 families, plus hundreds of people that don’t live on the farm. Highlands School from the UK donated tools and equipment to make a chicken run at the farm and also donated 100 chicks for them to raise (including feed). Once the chickens are ready they will be sold and all the money made will be pure profit, meaning the farm can buy more chickens and are in a strong position to start running the business themselves and giving them a sustainable income for the community.

We bought a treadle (water) pump for Linda Farm to empower people with disabilities through rehabilitation and agriculture skills and help the vulnerable residents make some income.

We repaired the security gate around the water pump at Linda School to ensure the children can have access to safe clean water

Happy Readers: Our ‘Buy a Book’ campaign has meant we have raised enough money to buy the next level of Happy Readers books as well as the accompanying teachers’ manual to use in our Adult Literacy Club and Reading Club. We are still fundraising to buy the next set for these clubs as well as buying more sets so we can implement the scheme into more schools. The fund also paid for a a refresher training course for the teachers of Linda Community School.

To donate through Virgin Money Giving to help us raise the funds needed please click here.