Elephants and Chillies
Background
Drought is a recurrent problem in Southern Zambia that seriously reduces subsistence crop yields and farmers' incomes. In turn, it has led to increased malnutrition and left farming households in the Zambezi Basin largely dependent on food aid. The damaging effects of drought have traditionally been further exacerbated in the ares of Livingstone and Kazungula due to crop invasions from elephants!
Aims and objectives
In response to these persistent problems of drought, the resulting deprivation and invading elephants, our local partner - The Elephant Pepper Development Trust - discovered that the answer lay with chilli peppers - they deter animals from raiding food crops (by making elephants sneeze!), yield high prices and are drought resistant.
Hence the aim of the Elephants and Chillies project has essentially been to address the issue of deprivation in Southern Zambia through using innovative, sustainable solutions that help the local population to reduce poverty, deprivation and malnutrition in the area.
Activities
To achieve these aims, Africa Now with its partner - The Elephant Pepper Development Trust - has been carrying out the following activities:
- Training in more productive farming techniques to build on farmers' existing knowledge, introduce skills for chilli cultivation and new, more sustainable agricultural techniques to protect natural resources and increase incomes.
- Promoting small business development to build the capacity of farmers to manage their own businesses.
- Giving farmers access to finance and agricultural inputs through a village bank which will be owned, managed and used by community members, giving people the sustainable structures and support to lift themselves out of poverty.
- Empowering women farmers to take part in decision making processes and to be fully represented within farmer organisations.
- Assisting farmers to form trading associations and co-operatives to improve market power and reduce collection/distribution costs through the establishment of centralised sales points, negotiation of fair prices and achieving Fair Trade certification.
- Capacity building of local partner organisations to deliver quality business management advice and support to farmers.
- HIV/AIDS education, prevention and counselling programmes will tackle stigma, raise awareness and provide coping mechanisms and information.
Impact and beneficiaries
The project is directly benefitting 1,000 households which will, in turn, affect approximately 5,500 individuals. All training focuses on household rather than on individual participation, so that in the event of illness or death (commonly the result of HIV/AIDS), the ability to earn income is not lost.
Women are also being assured of fair representation among registered farmers and will be assisted to become active members of management committees. A community-owned Village Bank will strengthen local infrastructure and enable communities to access financial savings and loans, and tackle exclusion.
This project is being funded by the European Union, Oxfam Hong Kong, and other UK Trusts and Foundations.
"Oxfam Hong Kong is excited about the collaboration with this innovative organization that both develops small-scale businesses in poor communities and promotes ethical trade."
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