Agriculture keeping Monze Central alive

DOREEN NAWA, Monze
AN important question in the development debate regarding rural development has been the relationship between agriculture and the rural economy.
For the people in Monze central constituency, agriculture and rural economy are inseparable.
Just their dedication to agriculture makes one realise how the people of Monze central constituency value farming.
“Even if we are an ‘urban constituency, agriculture is what keeps us going. Not everyone here in Monze central constituency is in formal employment, most of the people here are farmers,” Teddy Lombe, a resident of Hamusonde township said.
True to Mr Lombe’s word, agriculture is the main economic venture for the inhabitants with over 20,000 cattle being kept by the farmers in the constituency.
But for Mr Lombe, the challenge this year has been the migration of the farmer input support programme (FISP) to the E-voucher system.
“Much as we want to go electronic, the challenge is that most people have been left out on this list.  I am one of the affected and several attempts have been made to the banks in Lusaka to have those affected included but to no avail,” he said.
The main crop grown is maize. Vegetable growing is on the increase in the area such that most people are engaging in the production of various crops chiefly among them are cabbage, rape, tomatoes, onion and eggplant growing.
Monze central constituency is situated on the southern side of Lusaka, about 200 kilometres from the capital city, and 100 kilometres from the provincial capital of Southern Province, Choma.
The constituency is in Monze town, home to the Lochinvar National Park. The national park is the world’s best renowned wildlife and bird paradise.
The constituency has eleven wards namely Monze urban, Manungu, Chisekesi, Ufwenuka, Chipembele, Mayaba, Hatontola, Hamavwa, Katimba, Hufwa-Hamapande and Bbombo
Monze central has two chiefdoms namely Chief Moonze and Ufwenuka.
Considering that some meaningful activities only take place along the Livingstone-Lusaka road, the population too is concentrated along this area.
The constituency has 68 schools (two secondary schools and 66 primary schools),
the constituency currently has two mission hospitals, Monze and Chikuni and has 10 health posts.
The constituency is linked to the rest of the country using the Lusaka–Livingstone road. The road is sometimes called the Livingstone road and is the main highway of the Southern Province from the capital, Lusaka, to the principal tourist destination, Livingstone.
Besides the Livingstone road, the constituency has feeder roads which have not been graded for a longtime according to the member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu.
Mr Mwiimbu says the roads are supposed to be periodically maintained by the Rural Roads Unit but this has not been the case for years now.

“This is a farmer dominated area and one of the prerequisites to helping farmers access markets is better roads. Here in my constituency, the feeder roads are bad. We would like to appeal to government to consider grading the roads,” he said.
The constituency has no major industry; currently the area only has Mukuwa milling (a medium scale milling) which provides maize meal to locals at affordable prices and other milling by products.
The area has two bakeries, Mwapona and Mummys.
The constituency has its share of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), but just like several other rural constituencies, the CDF is not enough because of the numerous challenges the people of the constituency face.
“We are doing our best to ensure that each ward in the constituency gets a share of the CDF projects but the allocation is like a drop in the ocean. We have challenges regarding the poor road networks in the constituency, poor school and health infrastructure, and making an equal share of the funds amounts to nothing. As rural members of Parliament, we have brought this to the attention of the House and it is our hope that one day something will be done,” the area member of Parliament said.
From the 2014 CDF, a number of projects were approved in all the wards under the Monze District council to carry out periodical maintenance of all feeder roads in the constituency. A project to purchase 50 desk-top computers for 50 primary schools that do not have computers to facilitate the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) learning programme has been approved. Another approved project is the purchase of solar equipment for 42 schools to facilitate the use of computers.
For the school infrastructure projects under CDF, 11 schools have been approved for the completion of classroom blocks and staff housing. The primary schools are Chipembele, Namakube, Sintemba, Chiyobola, Sichiyanda, Simanansa, Namilongwe, Kabanga, Nalucha, Action Kabanana and Hamunyanga respectively.
The market infrastructure at Manungu and Hamusonde markets are underway, and under recreational facility, the Harry Mwaanga stadium will also have a face lift. The completion of the change room and the installation of the stadia front gate has been approved.
Under the 2013 CDF, several projects have been completed and among them is the completion of the ablution at Railside Bus Station.
The school infrastructure projects under the 2013 CDF that have been completed include the Chiyobola, Sintemba, Chipembele, Namakube, Simukale, Tusole, Namuseba, Kafwefwe, Chisila and Hamunyangwa primary schools.
Just like many other constituencies countrywide, Monze central constituency has water and sanitation challenges too.
To address this, the constituency and Monze district as a whole has received notable support from partners and organisations that promote and advocate better water and sanitation facilities.
“Drilling of boreholes and construction of classroom blocks and additional health infrastructure is underway in most wards,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
Boreholes have been drilled in all the 11 wards both under CDF funding and funding from co-operating partners such as UNICEF, World Vision International, and Water Aid among others.
And Monze District council secretary Tryson Chunga said the road network in Monze township area in the constituency has been worked on.
“The 15 kilometre township roads allocated to Monze township under the Pave Zambia road project have been completed. This project has added beauty to the town and the Monze central constituency,” he said.
Monze central constituency has a population of 108, 671 (2010 Central Statistical Office Statistics)
PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON JANUARY 24, 2016

Moomba: A hub of dairy farming

Joseph Kasaka at Kaumba Dairy Farmers Co-operative

DOREEN NAWA, Monze
IT’S widely believed that Southern Province has a higher number of cattle than its human population, information that adds weight to myriad cattle jokes. How accurate is this?
To begin with, when one visits areas like Moomba Constituency in Monze East, a temptation to believe in the joke arises and this is because of the number of cattle in the area.
Moomba, situated on the southern side of Lusaka, about 200 kilometres from the capital city, and 100 kilometres from the provincial capital of Southern Province, Choma, has an amazing number of cattle, evidenced from the number of farmers that sale milk to milk collection centres like Kaumba Dairy Farmers Co-operative.
In Moomba, livestock matters are a great deal, playing an increasingly important role in food security and economic development in the area.
In fact, the livestock sub-sector in Moomba is growing faster despite the challenges of no enough rainfall to enable a perfect grazing for the animals.
And importantly, the bulk of the livestock production in the area is occurring on small family farms.
Such kind of livestock farming has offered unique features to support local livelihoods and economies, especially for women.
“We use animals such as chickens, goats, pigs and cattle as a primary source of household food or as income from the sale of animal by-products here in Moomba and other areas in the country.  Our animals represent an important asset to many families throughout the continent and that is why we guard them jealously,” says Judy Nchimunya 37, of Kaumba area in Chief Chona’s area in Moomba.
Ms Nchimunya said most rural households get some income generated from livestock activities.
She said although poor households tend to own smaller livestock, specifically chickens and goats, while wealthier ones tend to own larger animals, especially cattle, all households use their animals for economic benefits.
“If one has more cattle, the better because cattle is used for hire as transport and for cultivation purposes. For others that have goats or chickens, they can sale and use that money for other activities,” she said.
While clearly important for family livestock farms in the aggregate, livestock is also economically important at individual household level.
In many rural settings, livestock production comprises the most important part of individual household incomes and livelihoods.
Moomba’s Chona ward councillor Pearson Cheembo says more than 80 percent of residents of Moomba keep livestock and this trend has contributed to the economic viability of the area.
Mr Cheembo says animals such as goats and poultry, which are often in the control of women, are used for lumpy expenditures such as utility bills.
He said Moomba, like many other rural constituencies, livestock keeping improves a family’s social capital, improving access to other community services and functions.

Milk production on a smallholder farm in Magoye, Zambia

Beyond the farm gates, Mr Cheembo said livestock keeping benefits the local in many ways. What is often under-appreciated is the level of local employment by livestock family farms, even those with only a small enterprise.“Many small farms hire part-time and even permanent full-time labourers to assist with tasks like livestock feeding and general caring. These workers are often from the most resource-poor and marginalised communities, so, these are important opportunities for employment and livelihoods for the most disadvantaged,” Mr Cheembo said.
Away from livestock, people of the constituency depend on agriculture for their living.
In every rural area, agriculture and rural development are essential to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
Most of the rural habitants depend directly on agriculture to survive.
A resident of Nkaba area in Moomba, Joseph Kasaka says agricultural has made a difference in the lives of poor people, mainly of women.
He says agriculture has contributed to both economic growth and to poverty reduction and food security.
“Moomba people love farming because we have seen its benefits. Agriculture is what keeps us going, so there is no way we can abandon this activity [agriculture] because it has changed our lives. The challenge we have is unpredictable weather which has affected our yield,” Mr Kasaka said.
Mr Kasaka said the constituency has not been spared from the effects of climate change.
He said climate change has a far-reaching impact on agriculture and mainly hit the poor adding that there is an urgent need for measures to reduce the impact on crop yields.
Moomba has four wards namely Chona, Moomba, Mwanza West and Mwanza East.
As per tradition, Moomba receives its share of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), but just like several other rural constituencies, the CDF is not enough because of the numerous challenges the people of the constituency face.
For the 2013 CDF allocation, a number of projects were approved and undertaken.
Among these projects was the construction of the Kaumba Milk Collection Centre and the drilling of a borehole at Kaumba Dairy Farmers Co-operative.
Another project in the agriculture sector is the construction of the grain storage shed at Ntambo Co-operative Society and the completion of the communal shed and office at Kayuni East Development committee in Mwanza East ward.
Construction of a dip tank at Nkaba in Mwanza West ward is another project under the 20143 CDF.
In the education sector, 12 projects in all the four wards were approved and are nearing completion. Among these projects is the construction of classroom blocks at Sikabenga, Lukamantano, Moomba, Mabuyu, Namateba, Kasaka, Muntemba, St Patricks and Nkaba Primary schools in the area.
In the health sector, the constituency scored the first when it received the health post out of the 11 allocated to Monze district from the 650 that Government intends to construct countrywide.
Other projects under CDF include construction of Hachaanga, Sikabenga, and Namateba health posts.
Moomba has two chiefs Mwanza and Chona respectively. Moomba has a population of 29,545 (2010 Central Statistical Office Statistics).
 PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON JANUARY 31, 2016

Too young to be a mother. Too young to be a wife

By DOREEN NAWA

In Africa, especially in sub-Saharan countries, there are concerns with the high rate of pregnancy-related school dropouts. This plague undermines poverty-reduction programs, the route towards gender equality and the very idea of equality of opportunity in the region.

The practice is so widespread that it does not come as a great surprise to most families in urban and rural Zambia that, during the festive season, with its parties, drinking, dancing and fun, teenagers are more likely to become pregnant.

This is the case of Betty, 16, from the Monze district, about 200 kilometers south of Lusaka. She is the elder child of five. Her parents are peasant farmers. “She is the oldest of my five children and being a girl, we committed ourselves to ensuring that she gets the education. But today, I stand here devastated because of the state in which she is in,” Betty’s mother says.

Betty stands in isolation holding her chin and clad in a green gym-dress and black shoes. Her hair are shaggy, she looks pale and not as active as her friends do. Betty is two months pregnant.

When I meet her, tears are the first response. She asks me for money to buy her an ice block. Together, we go where we find a bit of shed. “Abortion is the last thing on my mind, despite being young and still in school, I would rather give birth and leave my child with my mother and continue with my education,” she says.

When I ask her how she got pregnant, Betty tells me a very simple story. “In 2015 festive season, during a party held in her neighborhood,” she tells me. “He did not force himself on me, we were attending a party together and we ended up finding ourselves at his parents’ home. The parents were out for holiday and there was no one at home. I just had sex with him that day,” she says. “I do not want to imagine how my father will feel, he has so much trust in me and he loves me so much. He wants me to excel in my education. My mother is trying to organize her relatives who can come and break the sad news,” she continues.

Cases of teenage pregnancies are no longer bizarre in both urban and rural communities. Several girls fall pregnant before 18. Many others get married before they are 16. Zambia, like many other African countries and the world at large, has not been spared from early, forced and child marriages.

The Zambian government, traditional and community leaders, the church and other stakeholders have risen against child marriages, a discrimination that undermines women’s rights, the right to education and equal opportunities. As Chief Ufwenuka says, “There is need for the Government to put up youth recreation centers in the rural areas where young people can be engaged in career building activities, while they are away from school.”

Zambia’s teenage pregnancy statistics put Zambia 3rd highest in Sub-Sahara Africa, with 143 per 1000 between 15 and 19. School dropouts due to pregnancy increased to 17,600 between 2013 and 2014, according to the latest Demographic Health Survey. Zambia has the 5th highest adolescent birth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. About 28 percent of adolescent girls become pregnant before the age of 18. Moreover, according to the 2010 census of population and housing, the adolescent birth rate in Zambia stands at 146 births per 1000 women aged between 15 and 19 years.

Now, pregnancy-related school dropouts have become a matter of public concern in Zambia. In 2014, According to statistics at Zambia’s ministry of General education, at the secondary school level, about 13,200 cases have been recorded; while 4,800 cases have been recorded at the primary school level.

As this were not enough, usually, girls, who leave school due to pregnancy, do not return to school after childbirth. In Zambia, the government has enacted a re-entry policy, but it has not been successful because of self-stigmatization and other students’ prejudice. A solution to the problem is imperative for the future of Zambian women but also for the country at large. “Schoolgirls who become pregnant have fewer opportunities to complete their education after childbirth and have fewer opportunities for socioeconomic advancement,” Mr Kaingu says.

PUBLISHED ON THE A-id website ON FEBRUARY 1, 2016- http://www.a-id.org/en/news/too-young-to-be-a-mother-too-young-to-be-a-wife/