Concern Blogs

Concern promotes the growing of vegetables such as cabbage. Above, a farmer, Mufungulwa Kalunga, explains his success story to fellow farmers during a field day in Mongu. Photo: Zambia, Concern Worldwide

By Rakesh Katal, Concern Worldwide Country Director, Zambia

Zambia’s economy continues to show encouraging growth, which now stands at seven percent. And in the past year, Zambia’s agricultural sector produced a record food surplus, with a grain harvest of 2.8 million tons that literally overwhelmed storage capacity. This surplus was underpinned by subsidies for small-scale farmers, generous minimum price guarantees offered by the Zambia’s Food Reserve Agency and good rainfall in previous years.  Nonetheless, the very poorest and most vulnerable families are still struggling to survive.

The terrain in remote areas of Zambia is rough; to reach communities you must cross rivers, wetlands and vast swathes of sandy territory.  Concern is the only development organization working in some of these remote areas, such as districts in the Western Province. Read the rest of this entry »

Rakesh Katal leads then Deputy Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Moses Muteteka to officially launch Concern’s livestock and farming inputs distribution program in Mongu District. Photo: Zambia, Concern Worldwide

Concern Zambia Country Director Rakesh Katal recounts the joys and challenges of working with communities in rural Zambia

Our organization works in the remotest areas of Zambia where the terrain can be rough and reaching program participants means crossing rivers, wetlands and vast swathes of sandy territory.  In some cases, apart from the lower level government structures, Concern is the only development organization addressing the needs of the community.

Doing this is both a challenge and a delight. A challenge because the needs of the people, arising from the high levels of poverty, obviously overwhelm our human and financial capacity; but a delight because we are glad to be at the service of the people who desperately need development to change their way of life.

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