A Zambian water project

Abstract

IN THE FAR west of Zambia lies a region bordered by the Zambezi River in the east, the Capri vi strip in the south and Angola in the west, an area of about 30,000 kilometres. Over the past 20 years refugees have fled here from Angola and, thanks to the hospitality of the Zambian Government and local Zambians, they have been allowed to settle, trying to farm enough for survival out of the sandy soil. Incursions by the South African army in the late 1970s and early 1980s has also caused much disruption; more importantly the poor rains and drought of the past seven years have made farming difficult, creating real hardship. Between 1980 and 1983 various relief efforts were made in the area to provide food and medical aid and to assist the local people in the construction of a number of permanent clinics. Under a tripartite agreement made in 1984 between the government of the Republic of Zambia, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)/ Zambia Christian Refugee Service (ZCRS), a project was established to help improve and promote greater self-sufficiency in agriculture, primary health care and water resources.