DIA PROJECT SUMMARY 2017 - EXPLORE, Inc · Waka Simba was initially founded 8 years ago by Gloria Steinem, Singer Rankin, and Cherri Briggs. On this initial visit they met with 14

DIAPROJECTSUMMARY2017

OVERVIEW: Cherri Briggs and RichardWilson moved from their part time home inBotswana to Zambia’s Lower Zambezi 10 years ago having fallen in love with thecommunityandthewildlifeandnaturalbeautyofthearea.This iswhereDirectImpactAfrica (DIA)began.Richard runs the constructionandorganizationofall theprojectswhileCherri servesasacommunityandgovernment liaisonand facilitatesvisits to theareathroughhertravelcompanyEXPLOREInc.

TodayDIAhascreatedorhelped facilitate the implementationof14communityprojects fromchicken farms toorganicfarmingprojects (irrigatedandprotectedby solar), fish farms, educational, sportsand school initiative,playgrounds,arestaurant,girlsandboysclubs,tailoringandhealthprojects.Over1,000ruralpeopleintheLowerZambezibenefitfromtheseprojects;over80%ofthemareformedascoopswith80%womenmembers.DIAisaprivatelyfundedinitiative,whichhas been endorsed by theWILD Foundation, 501‐C‐3 not for profit organization, based in Colorado and South Africa.EXPLOREInc.,alongwithahandfulofcommittedAfricaloverswhoregularlyvisitthearea,hasprovidedfundingfortheprojects’infrastructure.Allprojectsarefullyownedandmanagedbylocalpeople.

Belowfollowsasummaryofprojectscompletedtoday,allofwhichareongoing,someofwhichareself‐sufficient,andsomeofwhichneedfurthersupport.Pleasereviewandfeelfreetoaskusformoredetail.

WAKASIMBAWOMEN’SCO‐OP:

Waka Simbawas initially founded 8 years ago by Gloria Steinem, SingerRankin, and Cherri Briggs. On this initial visit they met with 14 localwomenunder a tree to discuss gender violence andwhatwas needed tostopit.Thatdayanunderstandingwasgainedthateconomicstrengthwasthe key component to overcoming gender‐based violence. The womenorganized themselves into a co‐op that very day, and called it ‘WakaSimba”,meaning“StrongWomen”inGoba.Thisgrouphassincecreatedasuccessfulpoultryandtailoringprojectandgoesfromstrengthtostrength.

Allthewomenhavereceivedtraininginpoultryrearing.

Over the last 3 years they have doubled the size of their production and built additional chicken coops, astorage roomandameetingplacewithassistance frombothDIAandreinvestingproceedsgeneratedby theproject.

Theirrecentlybuiltstoreroomalsoservesasafacilitytoincubateandrearchickensandquail.Anexpertinthequailmarket in Lusaka has agreed to give free assistance providing they rear hisbreedofquails.

DIArecentlypurchased thegroupasolar incubatorwhich incubates260eggsperincubationcycle.

The intention is to use disease free bird breeds requiring no inoculations, andprovideasmallprotectedfarmsothewomencangrowtheirownfeed.

A generous EXPLORE client recently donated funds and 3 days of their family’spersonaltimetorenovatetheexistingchickencoops.

ChallengeWaka Simba’s biggest challenge is purchasing and accessing feed, asfeedcostshavemorethandoubledoverthelastyearduetotheseveredrought in SouthernAfrica and ensuing skyrocketing costs for grain.Feedisonlyobtainable inLusakaandtopurchaseitrequiresa2‐daytripbylocalbusplustransportscostsforpurchaseanddeliveryofthefeed. Of course this eats up a massive percentage of profits. Bysupplyingwaterfromanexistingborehole/well,thegroupwillbeabletogrowmostof theirown feedaswell asearnadditional incomebygrowingsubsistencecrops.

CHIAWAANDMUGURAMENOPLAYGROUNDS:Thisplaygroundwasbuiltwith theassistanceofSteveKing,a longtimesupporterofDIAandCEOofLandscapeStructures Inc., an internationalcompany based in the USA. It is one of the largest playgroundmanufacturers in theworld.StevedesignedandoversawthebuildingoftheplaygroundwhereDIAhasusedlocalmaterialstoreplicateLandscapeStructures’designs.Theplaygroundisverywellmaintainedbytheschooland used not only by the school children but all the kids in the nearbyvillages.EveryfewmonthsDIAperformsamaintenancechecktoensurealltheequipmentisstillingoodconditionandmakeminorrepairs.

MUGURAMENOCLASSROOMBLOCKANDADULTWOMEN’SEDUCATION:TheclassroomwasrecentlybuiltbyDIAwithspecialassistancefromlongtimeDIA supporter, SamBoren, andconsistsof two large roomswithacapacityof50‐60kidsperroom.Itwasbuiltoutofdirenecessityasalotofkidswerebeingtaughtoutdoorsunderthetreesdueto lackofspace.One can only imagine how difficult it is to learn in these conditions,especiallyduringtherainyseason.Thedesksweremadelocallysoastoempowerthe localcarpenters.Recently theroofwasblownoffduringaviolent storm but thiswas replaced and both classrooms are now fullyfunctionalonceagain.DIA is sponsoring up to 15 adult women who attend afternoon/evening classes in order to obtain their Grade 12certificationwhichisanecessityinZambianowinordertobeemployableinmanyjobs.Thesponsorshipisbasedon

‘passrate’:inotherwords,ifastudentfailsatermthesponsorshipceases.Many of these sponsoredwomen had dropped out of school because ofrape, early marriage and other issues, therefore are keen to grasp thisopportunitysothedemandisveryhighandcostly.

ChimsamboCo‐op:

Three years agoDIA created the first farm in the Lower Zambeziwithsolarirrigation.Infact,thiswasafirstforcommunityruralfarmersinallof Zambia. This co‐op consists of 36 families who in turn providesubsistence for up to 11 or evenmore familymembers each. DIA alsobuiltaverystrongsolarpoweredelectricalfencetokeepoutmaraudingelephantsandhippos,reducing lossof lifeofbothhumansandwildlife.Duetotheever‐increasingbrutaldroughtswhichhavebecomeanannualpatterninSouthernAfrica,waterhasonceagainbecomethemostcriticalissue.

TheLowerZambezihasbeenidentifiedbytheUNastheworsthitareaontheplanetforclimatechange.Giventhiswatermanagementiskeytosurvival. DIA completed a new extension of the solar power andirrigationinJune2016,whichhasdoubledthevolumeofwaterprovidedtothefarm.

CHIAWABASICSCHOOL:ThiswasDIA’sfirstprojectattheschoolsinthearea.Werefurbishedthegirls’dormandprovidedthegirlswithbedsandmattresses.Wealsoinstalledshowersatbothdorms.Wehavefencedoffasmallareathatwillserveastheschools’garden to supplement their diets. In Zambia there used to be small farming clubs in all schools, which over timedisappeared.Itisourintentiontore‐introducetheseclubsintheLowerZambezi.Notonlyaretheseskillsimportantforthe kids to learn but also it is increasingly necessary that their skills be improved due to the worsening droughtconditions.

Our intention is tocreatea recreationalcenter in therefurbishedboys’dorm tobeusedbyboth thebasic school and the secondary school onalternatedays,soastoavoidanypotential jealousyandbullying.Itwillalsoserveasagreatplaceforallourclubstomeetandenjoyactivities.WiththehelpofagenerousclientofEXPLORE’s,werecentlypurchasedandimported8professionalqualitypingpongtablesfortheschoolandtaught250kidsandteachershow toplay.Thesport isnowpartof theweeklyschoolcurriculumandtaughttwiceweekly.

Challenge

Wewouldliketoextendthevarietyofplayoptionsforthechildrenandcreatenotonlymore entertainmentoptionswhich improvephysical strengthand skills butbroaden interests and increasemental agility. These offeringswill include boardgames, reading materials, educational videos etc. Space is also very limited andteachers teachtwofullcurriculumsperdaydueto lackofschoolrooms. (i.e.onegroupof children in themorning, one in the afternoon). Theboys arehoused inverycrampedpoorquarterswithoutbeds.Aminimumoftwosmallbuildingsareneeded to create space andmake it possible for all children to be taught at thesametime.

CHIAWACLINIC:TheimprovementoftheclinicisoneofDIA’sgreatestachievements.Whenwefirststarted the project the clinic was one tiny room with no ablution facilities orrunningwater,nobeds,mattresses,ordrugsasidefromaspirin.WomenindeliverywereonthesamemattressesontheflooraspatientswithmeningitisandTB.Thehealthrisktohealthworkerswasextreme.Withthehelpofoursponsorswehavebuilt a new labourward and reception area, installed beds,mattresses, showersand toilets, runningwater, four patientwards, and a bi‐annual drug supply. Thebeautyofthisprojectisthatduetoourexpansion,governmentdecidedtopitchinaswell,andalotofbadlyneeded,highqualityequipmenthasbeendelivered.WehavesentthedirectorofthecliniconanumberofcoursesinLusaka,enablinghim

to perform small surgical procedures andcompetentlyassistincomplicatedbirths.Wealsohave had clients of EXPLORE’s who are doctorsassist and train the nurses andmidwives in thearea.

CHITENDESECONDARYSCHOOL:ThisisaprojectDIAhasjusttakenonrecentlywhichwehavebeenconsideringforanumberofyears.OneseriouschallengewefaceinChiawaisthattheolderkidswhoboardatthesecondaryschoolfamilieslivefarfromtheareaandarerestless,bored,and ungoverned. They therefore often cause serious mischief including drinking,smoking, under aged sex, and sadly, even rape and vandalism which sometimesincludes damaging our projects. They need mentorship badly which they are notgettingattheschoolduetothehighstudenttoteacherratio.

Theteachersareverygoodandcommitted,butalsoextremelyover‐worked.Recentgovernmentmandatesdictate thatallgrade8and9pupilsnowbeincorporatedintothesecondaryschool.Thishascreatedaveryseriousspace problem. The dorms are very overcrowded and there are now not enoughclassrooms to accommodate all the pupils. The school has therefore been forced tooffertwolearningsessions,oneinthemorningandoneintheafternoon,inordertoteachallthestudents.Inotherwords,teachersareworkingdoubleshiftsdaily.Thiscanleadtoburnoutandlackofenthusiasm.

SIMBARASHE:This12‐womanco‐opstartedoffasatailoringproject,whichexpandedovertimeto includechickenrearing.Theprojecthasnowevolved furtherandopenedthefirstrestaurantinthearea,utilizingthetailoringshopforthisdualpurposesoasto maximize use of resources. The women primarily sell chicken by‐products(eggs,friedchickenpiecesetc.),butalsoofferlocalfishandvegetabledishes.Allofthewomenhavebeensentonvariouscoursesfortailoringandeachhastheirownareaoffocus,butallassistinallareaswhenrequiredtodoso.

BAOBABCO‐OP:Whenwewerefirstapproachedtoassistinthisprojectithadbeenlyingdormantfor over 12 years due to local corruption where $ 250,000 in aid provided byDaneda(aDanishGovt.Charity)vanishedunderthedubiousmanagementoflocalauthorities.Sincetakingthisprojectoverayearandahalfago,DIAhasprovidedsolar irrigation, solar powered electrical fencing and re‐built a strong co‐opconsistingof45families(80%ofwhomarewomen).

The group has proven to have a fantastic work ethic.Baobab had the largest maize harvest in the LowerZambezi this year during the worst drought in history,and this enabled the members to provide food securityfor their families for the entire year. What they aregrowing now is surplus and can be sold for profit. Thisnowbenefitstherestofthecommunityaswell,aspricesarebetterthanthoseintown.Fishpondshavealsobeenbuiltonthefarmandtheyareraisingtheirfirstharvestoftilapia.

TAFARA’SFARM:

This farmwas started as a trial farm run by a fewfamilies so that we could try different types ofproducetoassesstheirviabilityandtesttraditionalcompanionplantingpestcontroltechniquesonlocalcrops. Once proven successful then the techniquesare implemented in the larger farms. It is a fullyfunctionalsmallfarm,buttheagreementisthatpartof the land will always be put aside for trialpurposes. The farm is fully organic and we assessour companion plant experiments here as well asother organic pesticides. This has proven to be avitallearningprojectthatcontributestothesuccessofallourbiggerfarms.

KANYANGALAFARMCO‐OP:Thisco‐opwasstartedayearandahalfagotoservetheneedsofaveryremoteandhard to access village that had received zerodevelopmental assistanceofanykindinthepast.Itisimpossibletoaccesstheareaintherainyseasonsowewerealittleskepticalabouttakingiton.Thepersistenceoftheco‐opmembersin their appeals tous forhelp finallywonusover, andwecreatedoneofour

Chicks for Chic’s project in the area,whichproved to be very successful. This hasalreadyevolved into agoat‐rearingproject.The new solar farming initiative providessolar powered water to produce andsubsistence farms. Electrified fencing is not needed as it is far from the river andthere are few largemammals todealwith.Thepeoplehere are fantasticallyhardworkers.Approximately85%ofmembersarewomen.

CHISAKILACO‐OP:AnotherrelativelynewprojectDIAstartedjustoverayearagoisalsolocatedinaveryremotearea,whichisinaccessibleintherainyseason.Formanymonthstheareacanonlybeaccessedby boat. The co‐op is growing okra and maize and has a ready market for their produce;

howeveraboatisrequiredtocrosstheriverwiththeproducetobringit to a truck which comes to pick it up from the city. The co‐op iscurrently using a dug out canoe, which is very dangerous in foulweather,andledtothetragicdrowningofaco‐opmemberlastyear.As in all of our projects, a number of the co‐opmembers have beensent to organic farming training in Lusaka aswe strive to be purelyorganicatallthesites.

THEVOLUNTEERHOUSEANDPROGRAM:(Affectionatelynicknamed ‘Amy’sHouse’inappreciationofAmyRichard’songoingsupportforDIA)

Through universities, retired Peace Corps veterans, EXPLORE clients,innumerable Zambian and international individuals and specialists, wehave available to us a fantastic treasure trove of willing potentialvolunteerswhoofferavarietyofskills,talentsandknowledgethatwouldgreatlyassistallourprojects.Yetweareunabletoengagethesefantasticresources, aswehavenoplace tohousevisitorsaside fromacoupleofpricey tourist lodgeswhich are based some distance from the projects.Self‐sustainabilityofallprojectsisourprimarygoal,andtoachieveittheproject members need consistent oversight and access to training andknowledge so that they can develop the capacity to run the projectssuccessfully on their own. There is no place in Chiawa to housevolunteers, so building a househas becomeournumber onepriority and is vital to our long term success.Wehavelocatedanidealsiteandhavethenecessaryagreementsinplacetosecureusageoftheland.Nowwejustneedyourhelptobuildit!

Please contact Cherri Briggs or Richard Wilson for more details: +1‐970‐871‐0065, [email protected] [email protected]