Zambia: The government of Germany has been training households in Zambia to promote dietary diversity in the province. The organization has shared that they have targeted 5000 household caregivers in Muchinga, Eastern and Central provinces.
The government of Germany has invested an amount of 1.4 Million US Dollars for the project. The project seeks to ensure that the households can get access to various dietary items that are both diverse and healthy.
The project is led by the Centre for International Forestry Research and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry. The organization is also known by its shortened abbreviation CIFOR-ICRAF. The international project seeks to diversify the agriculture sector of the country.
The agriculture stakeholders of the country are urged to grow new varieties of crops and make sure that these crops are available for consumption in the market
The 1.4 million US dollar project dubbed Piloting Incentive-based Agriculture Portfolios for Nutrition and Resilience in Zambia has been active across eight chiefdoms in Eastern, Central, and Muchinga provinces.
The promotion of dietary diversification also seeks to ensure that the community can continue to access food even in the time of shortages. Provinces and districts across Zambia have been witnessing shortage of food caused by droughts and failed agriculture season.
The national, regional and international organizations have come forward to assist in various ways in these situations. The CIFOR-ICRAF project has been promoting year-round access to nutritious foods in rural communities since 2021.
The project stakeholders participate in various initiatives to support access to nutritive food to the households of targeted areas. Chasefu district in Eastern Province CIFOR-ICRAF Project Manager Chipo Chisonga said the project had trained over 5,000 household caregivers.
Meanwhile Chieftainess Nyanje of Sinda district described the project as a “game-changer,” saying it had brought essential knowledge on nutrition that aligns with cultural values in her chiefdom.
Humphrey Mwale, a volunteer trainer, praised the project’s impact on communities in Chikomeni chiefdom in Lumezi District.