Storage Bins filled with food and oxen carrying produce can be seen in villages. Visitors are fed various foods even before the main meal is given, when things are good.
The Twachiyanda ADP was started in 1998 and currently serves approximately 5,500 children, along with their families and community.
Recent accomplishments include:
- Immunizing more than 8,200 children, protecting them from disease.
- Providing medical check-ups for over 4,100 children, helping to ensure good health.
- Providing maize seed to orphaned and vulnerable children households, improving their health and generating income.
- Supplying fruit seedlings to schools to improve students' health and generate income for the schools.
- Supplying people living with HIV and AIDS with food stuffs, improving their diet and nutrition.
- Training peer educators, building their skills to educate their peers on HIV prevention and making healthy choices.
- Honoring 4,200 children with birthday parties, distributing sweets and small gifts, and helping to improve self-esteem.
Zambia is bordered by Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. The country is named for the Zambezi River, which flows from its source in northern Zambia to the Indian Ocean. Natural resources include cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, gems, precious metals, and hydropower.
The population consists primarily of people of Bantu origin. English is the official language, but Bemba is most predominantly used. Most people are involved in agriculture to provide family food. Crops include corn, rice, peanuts, vegetables, cotton, and coffee.
Rural Zambians usually live with their extended families in houses that are clustered together. A spirit of cooperation prevails as family members share work, assets, and the experiences of daily life. A large family means more hands to help on the farm and assures that parents will be cared for as they age.
In Zambia, cousins are sometimes referred to as “brothers” and “sisters.” For this reason, the number of siblings that your sponsored child writes about might change from letter to letter.
Currently, 86 percent of people throughout Zambia live below the poverty line, and 50 percent are unemployed. Almost half of the population lacks access to safe water, leading to medical problems and a poor quality of life for entire communities. Recurring droughts also threaten the food supply.
Malaria remains the biggest killer of children under age five and poses a major health problem for the rest of the population.
The HIV and AIDS pandemic is widespread with 1.1 million Zambian people living with the disease. According to UNICEF, more than 700,000 children have been orphaned due to this devastating disease. Coupled with economic challenges and food shortages, this has left half of Zambian children suffering from malnutrition.
Through sponsorship, World Vision is partnering with families and communities to help meet immediate needs and promote lasting changes that will strengthen communities and move families toward self-reliance.