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AgriPredict: The App Assisting Small-Scale Farmers in Zambia

Small-Scale Farmers in ZambiaCurrently comprising 20% of the country’s GDP, the agriculture sector in Zambia is seeking new ways to engineer growth and stimulate economic productivity. Zambia is home to far-reaching land labeled as having high farming potential; however, 90% of farmers are small-scale and produce crops for subsistence, occasionally selling produce to local markets. 

As more and more small-scale farmers in Zambia are encouraged by the state to move to small-scale commercial farming, more efficient tools are required to enable the farmers to navigate the rough waters of weather pattern changes, crop disease and market penetration. AgriPredict, a platform explicitly curated for farmers, is doing just that. 

Agriculture in Zambia: Untapped Hectares

Most of Zambia’s poverty-stricken communities are concentrated in rural areas that bestow the land on which 90% of the country’s farming practices take shape. Trade liberalization and the private sector prioritization of imported goods have run roughshod over the kinds of agricultural development policies that would enable small-scale farmers in Zambia to yield more crops, enhancing food security and potential profits. 

The inadequate development of the agriculture sector materializes in many ways, most consequentially being the absence of irrigation systems and the lack of technologies and mechanizations available to farmers. Because of this, small-scale farmers in Zambia rely heavily on natural weather patterns. Of course, these patterns have become much more unpredictable due to the effects of natural disasters, causing shorter periods of rain and longer spells of drought. 

What’s more, the 2016/2017 farming season in Zambia saw maize, the country’s primary cash crop, become victim to the fall armyworm pest, leading to the devastation of the staple crop. 90% of fields were infested, allowing the fractious pest to have a devastating impact on the food security and incomes of small-scale farmers in Zambia. 

AgriPredict: Revolutionizing Farming 

Having realized the constraints that small-scale farmers in Zambia must confront to enter the market, coupled with the challenges they persistently face in subsistence farming, AgriPredict set out to alleviate the hardships of the country’s agricultural producers. Averaging 26,000 users over November 2022, AgriPredict is a platform designed to provide farmers with detailed information regarding crop diseases, weather patterns and changes, the best agri-services related to their needs and potential sellers to connect with. 

AgriPredict functions via an app that can be downloaded on smartphones and a USSD code-based service that can be used with any kind of phone. This is essential as the pioneers of AgriPredict discovered early on that smartphone usage amongst small-scale farmers in Zambia was initially low. Combining artificial intelligence with agriculture, the app enables farmers to take a picture of their affected crop and receive an instant diagnosis of the diseased plant. Information regarding agro-dealer locations and possible crop treatment options are also provided to the user, thus aiding them in protecting their yields and income. 

The ambitious minds behind AgriPredict sought to construct a tool that would prevent the mass crop destruction between 2016 and 2017 from happening again, so perhaps most importantly, the platform is specially equipped with an early warning system that notifies farmers when an external threat from a pest arises. AgriPredict is the ideal risk-management tool for farmers across Zambia as it allows them to increase the efficiency of their agricultural production without the high costs of consulting agronomists. 

The Future of Farming

Abundant with rich, fertile land, it is atypical for such a country to experience the same agricultural underdevelopment as Zambia. AgriPredict has identified the main challenges that have withheld small-scale farmers in Zambia from achieving maximum yields of crops and in turn, has created a platform to propel agricultural producers into the future of farming, a future where food is secure and crops are safe. Technological advancements within the agriculture sector, such as AgriPredict, allow Zambia’s poverty-affected rural communities to access more opportunities with less risk, thereby demonstrating the significant impact that an app can have on life.

– Zara Brown
Photo: Flickr

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To a Healthier Future: USAID Programs in Zambia

USAID Programs in ZambiaThe southern African country of Zambia is on a mission toward self-sufficiency and an improved quality of life. With a population of about 20 million people and a GDP that is moderate for the continent, Zambia has substantial manpower to offer itself and the world. Despite this, Zambia has one of the highest levels of poverty in Africa as an estimated 61.4% of the population was reported as living below the poverty line in 2018. Millions of families struggle to create a healthy environment for their children. Here is how USAID programs in Zambia, as well as other organizations, are working to improve the way of life of everyday citizens in the country.

Agriculture and Malnutrition

In December 2022, USAID began its partnership with African companies to build more eco-friendly facilities and improve market circulation in Zambia. Surplus crops, specifically maize, are a major issue in the country, and reducing food loss reduces regional hunger and further maximizes the economic potential of the country.

These projects coincide with USAID’s Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance (SUN TA) program. According to USAID, 35% of Zambian children under age 5 suffer from malnutrition and stunted growth. This drastically affects their ability to learn and develop into the adolescents and adults of the future of Zambia. SUN TA works with mothers to provide household assistance and nutritious meals to children.

In a late March update, USAID announced grants totaling about $1 million to local Zambian companies to promote more environmentally friendly technology in the country and begin downsizing residential charcoal usage. Reducing deforestation and carbon emissions creates a healthier country that is less reliant on natural resources.

Charcoal and Environmentalism

Charcoal is by far the most dominant fuel source in the country. Ongoing USAID programs in Zambia also include the Alternatives to Charcoal (A2C) project. Charcoal is overwhelmingly the primary fuel source for cooking, with over 75% of households using charcoal regularly. High demand requires high supply to meet it. Because charcoal is made from wood (not coal), Zambia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world — 180,000 to 250,000 hectares are cut down yearly. To reduce both deforestation and charcoal-produced carbon emissions, the A2C project aims to establish new fuel sources and technology in the country that are more efficient than charcoal, such as electrical appliances and gasifier stoves. Due to their higher efficiency at a reduced cost, Zambians can lower their cost of living and save more for the future.

Health

Zambia is one of the most HIV-prevalent places in the world, with the population of HIV-positive individuals at about 11%. This is cited as a primary reason why over 30% of Zambian households have at least one orphaned child. To tackle this combination of issues, USAID is currently implementing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) plan and the Adolescents and Children, HIV Incidence Reduction, Empowerment and Virus Elimination (ACHIEVE) project.

By investing 57% of its annual budget into continuously improving nationwide clinical HIV services. PEPFAR is designed to reduce disease through prevention and treatment programs in the country. While HIV is the main target of PEPFAR, similar programs exist for malaria, tuberculosis and other various diseases. PEPFAR also oversees family planning to reduce the rate of congenital (present from birth) HIV. As a result of the past decade of effort, the infection rate for children born to HIV-infected mothers has dropped to under 5%.

The ACHIEVE Project is the developmental plan for Zambia’s government infrastructure to better serve at-risk minors. By improving the country’s case management systems, Zambia will be able to better track and care for children across the country, further increasing household assistance and family planning.

Other Business

The Prosper Africa Initiative has recently partnered with EG Capital to target a goal of $100 million to spread among African businesses and entrepreneurs across East Africa and Zambia. The goal is to invest in regional growth sectors such as food, climate, technology, health and education while reducing the poverty line and specifically benefiting women with employment and children for a healthier future.

In the post-COVID world, USAID programs in Zambia, among others, are growing the country to be more efficient with its food, infrastructure and manpower. More efficient use of resources not only establishes a better economy but makes a difference in the lives of the many children who live below the poverty line. Reducing diseases and better oversight of millions of households allows the next generation of citizens to grow healthier and stronger to take on the challenges of the future. With these programs, Zambia is both capable and expected to grow soon into a country with a significantly better quality of life for its average citizens than in previous years.

– Eddie Dale
Photo: Unsplash

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3 Organizations Fighting Food Insecurity in Zambia

Food Insecurity in ZambiaZambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa with a population of more than 19 million. The country received lower middle-income status in 2011, but poverty and malnutrition have only increased. Currently, 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, and 35% of children under 5 years old are chronically malnourished. Food insecurity in Zambia is an urgent issue, with only 52% of the population meeting their calorie requirements. Several organizations agree that the “key to improving the food security situation is to look at new methods to increase agricultural productivity.” Below are three programs working with local communities to find sustainable solutions.

Action Against Hunger 

Action Against Hunger is a nonprofit organization that aims to end hunger through prevention and treatment programs. To help eradicate malnutrition, they created the Seeds of Hope program in Zambia’s Western Province, where 82% of the population lives in poverty. The program provides local farmers with resources and teaches them “climate-smart agricultural practices.” Climate change has challenged communities that rely on farming; therefore, they need sustainable solutions that protect their crops year-round. 

Examples of Seeds of Hope projects include teaching water management, building irrigation systems and introducing drought-resistant crops. They also provide new tools and technologies, such as fishing gear and devices that capture excess carbon. Increasing food production will grow the country’s economy “by creating new markets and supporting agribusiness models,” demonstrating the many ways Seeds of Hope can make a difference. 

The World Food Program (WFP) 

Since 1.5 million smallholder farms produce most of Zambia’s food supply, the World Food Program has introduced a two-year project to help maximize their harvests. Severe droughts between 2018 and 2019 caused half the country and millions of farmers to lose their crops. The WFP’s project works with over 100,000 farmers in five districts across southern and western Zambia. Their goal is to implement “improved farming methods and crop management practices and technologies to reduce post-harvest losses.” They educate farmers on the entire harvesting process, from cultivating land and crop rotation to transportation and storage. 

The WFP gives farming communities the resources they need to sustain production quantities, such as affordable storage bags, seeds and mulch. The project has seen promising results, with locals yielding enough crops to feed their families and create revenue. 

United Nations Volunteers 

In March 2020, Hiroaki Sonoda, a United Nations Volunteer from Japan, started the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project. He came to the country as a Value Chain Development Specialist with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The project aims to resolve malnutrition and food insecurity in Zambia through economically sustainable farming. Sonoda personally “produced agribusiness and marketing information” to help communities earn more money for their harvests. 

FAO-trained officers work locally to implement marketing strategies and sustainable farming techniques. The officers collaborate with local governments to ensure that the SIFAZ project is accessible across the country. So far, the program has helped more than 150 cooperatives, totaling 16,000 farmers in 27 districts across Zambia. 

While rates of poverty and malnutrition are growing, several organizations have created programs that reduce food insecurity in Zambia. The projects provide new resources, including irrigation systems, marketing strategies and crop management, that create profitable and sustainable farming practices.

– Diana Grant
Photo: Flickr

Child Marriage in Zambia

Child Marriage in ZambiaChild marriage, a formal or informal union involving a person below the age of 18, is an infringement upon internationally agreed human rights, diminishing young people’s ability to realize their rights to education, health, quality of life, safety and dignity. Child marriage rates in Zambia are some of the highest globally, but increasing action from the Zambian government and international organizations is leading to improvements in legal protection and changes in beliefs around child marriage.

Child marriage exposes girls to a range of challenges, including an increased risk of HIV transmission, domestic violence and maternal and infant mortality. Furthermore, early marriages can prevent girls from finishing their education, limiting their ability to reach their potential in the future. For these reasons, Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 aims to end child marriage by 2030.
The rates of child marriage in Zambia are among the highest in the world, predominantly affecting young girls. Although rates have fallen somewhat, in 2018, 44.4% of women in Zambia aged 20 to 29 were married as children.

Child Marriage in Zambia Falls Under Three Categories:

  1. Marriages between two adolescents, usually between the ages of 11 and 14.
  2. Intergenerational marriages in which an adolescent girl marries an older man, often twice her age.
  3. A tactical child marriage which is made in an attempt to avoid disgracing the family due to situations such as teenage pregnancy.

Poverty and Child Marriage

One of the biggest driving forces behind the high rates of child marriage in Zambia is poverty, a challenge that affects 60% of the population. Families marrying their daughters off in Zambia receive a lobola payment or a ‘bride price’. Consequently, a marriage can provide a family with vital income and the means to support other children through education. In this way, poverty and child marriage form a vicious cycle.
As aforementioned, the economic gain from child marriage can often push impoverished families into child marriages. However, the deprivation of education and employment opportunities created by child marriages perpetuates poverty. A UNICEF study from 2015 identified a clear link between higher child marriage rates and the lack of access to education and employment opportunities. These processes create an intergenerational cycle of poverty and young marriages.

Legal Discrepancies

Zambia’s legal system does not currently function in a way that can support ending child marriages. The country adheres to both statutory and customary laws, creating discrepancies and uncertainty around legal protections. According to statutory law, the 1964 Marriage Act states that marriage is only legal for those over the age of 21, although a person below this age may marry with parental consent. Statutory protection is insufficient to prevent child marriage, however, as the law does not specify a lower threshold at which parental consent cannot allow a marriage to take place. Furthermore, statutory law enables a high-court judge to grant consent for a child under the age of 16 to marry.
Customary laws determine the legality of marriage by the time at which a child reaches puberty, rather than a specific age. Statutory law states that nothing in the official Marriage Act impacts the validity of a marriage carried out in accordance with customary law. As a result of these vague and contradictory laws, there is insufficient legal protection for girls who reach puberty. Instead, girls who begin menstruation, usually around the age of nine to 13, often undergo an initiation ceremony where they receive education about marriage, caring for a husband and looking after a home.

Ending Child Marriage in Zambia

UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) joined forces in 2016 to launch the Global Program to End Child Marriage, focusing on the 12 countries with the highest rates of child marriage. Zambia has been the focus of much of UNICEF and the UNFPA’s work. A 2017 report from the UNFPA recommended an approach to efforts to end child marriage in Zambia.
Firstly, efforts need to respect and incorporate different community values and systems across Zambia. This is particularly important when addressing customary law, as this is a key part of many communities’ histories. The UNFPA suggested efforts should start by aligning customary laws to an amended Constitution based on a clearer definition of marriage that states it as an act only lawful between two consenting adults. It suggests that customs and traditions around marriage may change over time through education campaigns focused on the impact that early marriages can have on children. Secondly, efforts must prioritize the safety of and care for adolescent girls, primarily through efforts to keep young girls in education. Some of the main reasons that young girls leave education and end up married are poverty, social vulnerability and teenage pregnancy.
According to the report, the creation of financial incentives for poor families to keep their daughters in school could overcome issues presented by poverty. Education campaigns, as well as the creation of ‘safe spaces’ for girls both in schools and in communities, could lower social vulnerability. Finally, lowering rates of teenage pregnancy requires long-term planning to improve sex education and reproductive health services across Zambia.

A Zambian Community Case Study

The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Program to End Child Marriage has supported the Zambian government-led Community Welfare Assistance Committee (CWAC) in the Zambian regions of Katete and Senanga. This approach focuses on the two points raised above: sensitivity to varying community values and safety for young girls.
Based on a USAID approach used to engage Zambian communities in HIV/AIDS prevention, this project to minimize child marriage uses community-based workers who understand the community and already have their trust. This allows the CWAC approach to be appropriate and targeted. Community workers with the CWAC look for signs of vulnerability and identify risk factors for young girls. Once they have identified those in need of help, workers bring in a network of community members to support the family and engage in discussions around their child’s wellbeing.
In 2020, there were 140 trained CWAC workers across Katete and Senanga. In this same year, the project helped 49 girls across the two regions avoid premature marriage. Although there is currently limited data to assess the impact of this project fully, CWAC workers have already had a positive influence on the communities they have been working in, as evidenced by the number of girls saved from child marriages.

Caring for Survivors of Child Marriage in Zambia

According to suggestions, preventative measures addressing child marriage must coincide with efforts to support survivors to overcome the barriers that they face. World Vision International followed the story of Tichoke, a girl from Zambia who married when she was only 14. Tichoke’s older husband mistreated her and she struggled to provide for her new family. Amid her struggle and facing little support from her parents, Tichoke reached out to some local counselors, supported by World Vision Zambia. With their help, Tichoke escaped her marriage and went back to school. As of 2019, Tichoke was in grade 9 and was hoping to work as a nurse when she graduated.
For child brides like Tichoke, their families’ decisions needn’t be the end of their goals and aspirations.
As part of the 2020 U.N. Women program, the Zambian government established a scheme of giving scholarships to survivors of child marriage in an attempt to encourage them back into education. Not only would this sort of scheme benefit the victims of child marriage, but it could lead to a significant increase in the country’s productivity and output. A 2017 World Bank study estimated that Zambia could increase its GDP by USD 68.2 million by ending the practice of child marriage.

The Future of Child Marriage in Zambia

Zambia continues to have some of the highest rates of child marriages in the world. However, international efforts such as the UNFPA-UNICEF program and increasing action from the Zambian government suggest that the country is heading in the right direction. Alongside general poverty alleviation support, a focus on mitigating factors and caring for survivors spark hope in the fight against child marriage in Zambia.

– Polly Walton
Photo: Flickr

How Credit Access in Zambia Can Boost Employment Rates


Credit access in Zambia is limited with only 38 percent of adults having some level of formal financial inclusion. While this number represents progress — as that percentage used to be a mere 23 percent — it also indicates that there is still room for development in the private and financial sector of Zambia.

The Financial Sector Deepening Zambia (FSDZ) is making a substantial effort to increase the availability of financial services and credit access to individuals in Zambia. By working with financial service providers, policymakers and civil society, FSDZ is creating an environment of greater financial inclusion in Zambia.

The Root of the Lack of Credit Access

One of the largest economic drivers in Zambia and several other developing countries are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are pivotal to increasing the economy, as they often provide opportunities for low-income people and contribute to Zambia’s GDP by creating growth opportunities. In Zambia, the SME sector comprises approximately 97 percent of all businesses.

However, a majority of SMEs in Zambia face obstacles when attempting to gain support from Financial Service Providers like banks and microfinance institutions to grow their portfolios. According to a business survey conducted in Zambia, a majority of SMEs do not belong to a formal business association or network. Due to this, business owners and farm owners often can only rely on their limited network of friends and family for business, which is not a sustainable growth model.

Conversely, financial institutions emphasize that SME owners often do not have the capacity to prepare bankable business proposals, which was a large constraint to accessing finance. Better relationships between Financial Service Providers and owners of SMEs may create a path of greater understanding and thereby greater financial inclusion.

Long-Term Effects of Enhancing Zambia SMEs Access to Finance

Improving credit access in Zambia and addressing its financial inclusion strategy is key to not only increasing formal financial inclusion but also to growing and developing Zambia’s ever-changing economy. Increasing financial literacy among small and medium enterprise business owners will allow them advocate for themselves among financial institutions. Organizations like International Trade Centre (ITC) work to do just that, facilitating access to financial supply for SMEs with high growth potential.

So far, ITC has provided 105 growth-oriented small or medium enterprises with business development training and individual counseling that improves business management. All of the SMEs that underwent training developed growth strategies that helped them increase sales, invest in new technologies and hire more staff. Through the timeframe of the project, 50 percent of the SMEs that received support and training were able to access formal finance.

The Ripple Effect

Increasing financial inclusion in Zambia will have a ripple effect: if Financial Service Providers provide access to services to owners of SMEs, then SMEs will have more room for growth. If SMEs grow their businesses, then there will be more opportunities for employment, especially for the country’s poor, thereby decreasing poverty rates.

There is still much that needs to be done for Zambia to become more stable as an economy. However, if business owners receive more access to formal financial institutions, then credit access in Zambia will produce many opportunities for its citizens, lead to a more robust economy and alleviate poverty rates.

– Shefali Kumar
Photo: Flickr

10 Facts About Poverty in Zambia

File:African Traditions Zambia.jpg

Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is home to approximately 20.8 people and ranks among the nations with the highest poverty and inequality rates globally.

Despite improvements in recent years, economic growth in the country is unable to support the high rate of population growth and the burden of HIV-related issues. Here are the top facts about poverty in Zambia:

  1. In Zambia, 60% of the population experienced poverty in 2022, according to the World Bank. This is caused by limited job creation, poor governance, corruption and poor management of resources.
  2. More than 70% of the total population lives on less than $1 a day by the year 2000. Due to high food prices coupled with extreme poverty, families spend 64% of this income on basic food needs.
  3. The impact of poverty on children’s development is evident. In 2018, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 35% of children aged less than 5 in Zambia were stunted and 9% were underweight, weighing less than 2.5kg. These conditions are attributed to malnutrition, which is one of the consequences of poverty.
  4. Lack of access to nutritious food also poses a problem for adults. High consumption of unhealthy diets, including an over-reliance on maize, has led to the problem of obesity, particularly for young women.
  5. Poverty is worst in rural Zambia, where 78.8% of people lived below the poverty line in 2022.
  6. Disparities between rural and urban areas are also considerable. About 90% of urban Zambians have access to safe water, compared to 53% of their rural counterparts. Similarly, urban areas have more access to sanitation, at 70%, compared to 25% in rural regions.
  7. Even in urban Zambia, approximately 70% of urban dwellers live in slums. In response, Habitat for Humanity, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), has implemented several programs to eradicate housing poverty in Zambia. One of these initiatives is the construction of houses for the most vulnerable groups in the nation.
  8. Zambia’s population is rapidly growing at 2.8% per year. With a large younger population entering reproductive age, even more stress is expected to be placed on demand for jobs, health care and other services.
  9. World Vision, a nonprofit organization, has been working in Zambia for more than 30 years. The organization has drilled more than 4,400 boreholes in 28 districts across the nation to provide everyone, including the most impoverished groups, with access to safe water. More than one million Zambians benefit from these boreholes.
  10. The World Bank is supporting Zambia’s government in achieving its development goals. Together, they have launched the Country Partnership Framework (CPF), which aims to create jobs and opportunities for the country’s rural poor.

While the burdens of disease and geographical restraints have made it difficult for Zambia to pull itself out of poverty, improvements in both qualities of life and the economy will hopefully lead to shrinking poverty in Zambia in the coming years.

– Alexi Worley

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Updated: June 01, 2024

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Improving Education in Zambia a Priority

education in zambia
At a glance, the educational system in the Republic of Zambia is not that different from the system in the Western world. Children can be taught in grades one through 12, and there are even opportunities for higher education. The major difference between education in Zambia and the Western world lies in access to adequate schooling.

There are 7,368 schools in the country, and yet a quarter million children do not attend one. According to UNICEF, 47 percent of those enrolled in school eventually drop out. This could be due to the fact that school is only free up until the seventh grade. While 80 percent of the children take advantage of the free education when they can, only seven percent manage to continue that education once a fee is required.

Even when it is free, the education in Zambia is lacking. There are not enough teachers to go around, leaving up to 20 percent of students without a regular teacher. Teachers are not the only scarcity in Zambia; basic supplies like books, pencils, chalk and even chairs are rare.

Without proper education, Zambia will remain in economic distress, as 92 percent of the citizens are unemployed. When 78 percent of citizens live on less than a dollar a day, paying for the necessary education is almost impossible. It is a vicious cycle of poverty for the people of Zambia.

Not being educated can affect life in more ways than one: many Zambians are not informed on HIV/AIDS protection among other basic life skills to increase livelihood. As of right now, the average life expectancy for a citizen of Zambia is 36—the lowest life expectancy in the world.

Combating this poverty is a large task, but improving Zambia’s education is a good start. With better education, Zambians can not only live more prosperous lives, they can have lives, period. If Zambia is aided with what could be considered the simplest of things—pencils, books and teachers—the life of an average Zambian could look very different than it looks today. Their education is very much linked to their livelihood, so aiding their schooling does not just improve their knowledge—it can save lives.

– Melissa Binns

Sources: Zambian, UNICEF, Zambia Scholarship Fund
Photo: Post Zambia