All projects supported by Abantu are a response to Zambian’s demands. The inhabitants of each of the villages supported by Abantu set up their comity responsible for assessing the needs of the village. The projects are conceived, organised and achieved by the villagers themselves (being the drafting of a plan, assessment of the needs in material, human resources, timing…)
This philosophy is the necessary starting point for the achievement of any project.
Abantu is acting in the following areas:
a. Education
40% of the children don’t have access to schools…The first demand of each village is to have a primary school. A primary school enables children to attend school in their village.
Going to town means an increase of the cost of the schooling, or giving up schooling. Other consequences of the schooling in town is an exposure to prostitution, AIDS, drugs and family split.
b. Agriculture
The main commodities are maize, sunflower, cotton, rice, and people mainly raise cows and chickens.
The rainy season starts in November and ends in March. There are neither strong policy nor social insurance protecting Zambian farmers. They are therefore bearing all the risks of their activity.
Depending on their success, farmers and their families will consume their harvests. In good years the excess will be sold in town.
In order to insure the survival and the long lasting development of local populations, the first step is to fight against malnutrition and to set-up self sustainable access to food.
When applicable, income generated by agriculture are used to finance children’s schooling.
c. Healthcare
Healthcare is vital for every community. People are sometimes obliged to travel long journeys to have access to care. In some case this could be fatal.
To insure their access to healthcare, villages combine forces to set-up projects such as dispensaries, health centre, maternities etc. We try to assist these projects with material and financial hel.
d. Orphans
Zambia has twelve millions inhabitants amongst which 10% are orphans. Each family is confronted with this situation and some families do not have the means to support orphans. We take care of children who have no family able to offer them decent food, education or healthcare.
These children need a lot of attention and a special framework. In order to insure this, orphanages, godfathering and schooling centres are set-up.
e. Help for financing of projects
For food security sake and for several years, we have been helping farmers to purchase their seeds and fertiliser. Because of variable weather and the length of the cultivation farmers have a very limited access to traditional micro-finance.
In every village the a coordinator manages and is responsible for the loans made to women’s clubs*
Loans are granted in October , before the rainy season and paid back with interests after the harvest (in May).
In addition, Abantu helps villagers to finance their small-scale projects. Abantu mainly finance such projects when they are originated by women’s clubs.
*Women’s clubs
With the years, women’s clubs have been set-up to develop income generating activities which aim at supporting orphans and other people in need. Some club have already undertaken community project such as the renovation of a school.
Most of the activities developed by women’s club are :
- agriculture (maize, vegetables, Jatropha)
- Raising of chicken
- grinding mill, oil press
Our financial assistance helps these clubs to start their project and to take care of their communities.
Up to now, we have been working with approximately 30 women’s clubs representing more than 1,000 women.
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