Where: Serenje, Mkushi, Chitambo in Zambia
Solutions: Biodiversity and nature-based solutions, Green jobs, Capacity-building, Youth
Zambian Youth for Conservation, Agriculture and Livelihood Action- ZYCALA! This project is building the capacities of 420 youths across three districts of Central Province, as effective agents of change, demonstrating and campaigning for more sustainable agricultural, livelihood and natural resource management practices. Through trainings, implementation programmes, and awareness raising campaigns, they are increasing participating households’ net income by 40% and food and nutrition security over a 3 year span.
The project has conducted 54 separate learning events and has trained 1108 participants in total across the 3 districts of Serenje, Chitambo and Mkushi. The 54 learning events included:
- Beehive construction training: Youth trained in how to construct hives to support the production of honey in 14 demo plots. 104 new hives were constructed to make up a total for the project of 290.
- Youth leadership training: Ongoing capacity building of leadership amongst youth demonstration site groups.
- Beekeeping training for new youths: Youth trained in all elements of beekeeping including hive baiting, managing, harvesting and hive cleaning.
- SILC - Saving and Internal Lending Communities: training for new groups and training in village banking model to promote accountability and management of financial resources. A community driven initiative that promotes self-reliance and management of resources.
- Solar drying training and value addition on how to dry and preserve targeted crops.
- Solar drying construction training: Youth trained in construction of solar dryers as a means to increase the number of dryers available to communities.
As the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to playout through 2020, they are pleased that the project has experienced limited impacts on activities. The ZYCALA team has been adhering strictly to Zambian Ministry of Health guidelines and remain confident that with the current situation on the ground they will be able to continue the majority of activities. Another unexpected challenge arose in relation to honey production whereby colder than normal conditions meant that bees were consuming more honey to survive, which led to very low honey production for the winter harvest (July). This issue extended to all central provinces were honey production occurs. The team chose not to harvest the small amounts of honey to give the bees a good chance of survival so that greater harvests can be achieve for the summer harvest.
Photos provided by May East
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