The Chiawa Trust has been established

• to help eradicate poverty through self-sufficiency
• to improve access to education for all
• to promote sustainable economic growth through accessible livelihood strategies for individuals and communities

The charity was set up following a trip to Zambia where the poverty levels in rural communities are significant. These small communities do attract some government support, but a major source of help is through forming external partnerships with donors to identify and build a variety of improved livelihood options through agriculture, education and improved health care as a means to sustainable development of their communities.

The major problems for Zambia:

• Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world
• 76% of rural people are living in poverty in remote areas
• HIV /AIDS and inadequate access to health care are a major problem and contribute to an average life expectancy of only 32
• The population includes substantial numbers of orphans and vulnerable children
• Extreme unpredictable weather and poor farming practices cause harvests to fail and people to go hungry
• Basic needs such as a good diet, health care, education, clean water and sanitation in rural areas are limited or non-existent

Chiawa is just one of many regions in need of support. Chiawa lies 170km south east of Lusaka, in the Zambezi Valley. It is defined by natural boundaries. On the southern side runs the Zambezi river, one of Africa’s largest rivers, forming the international border with Zimbabwe. On the northern side stands the Zambezi escarpment, rising 900 metres to the central Zambian plateau. The Chiawa area nestles between the Kafue River and Chongwe River, tributaries of the Zambezi.

The population of Chiawa is estimated at 10,000 people in 1,500 households. One third of the inhabitants live in three large villages (Chiawa, Pontoon and Gota Gota), whilst the rest live in smaller villages strung out along the river bank, typically with 25 to 40 households in each.

The Zambezi Valley is classified as an agro-ecological zone, a hot low-lying area with poor annual rainfall and prone to tsetse fly. It is identified as suitable for the production of fruits (notably bananas), as well as millet, sorghum, cotton and tobacco.

The communities are currently faced with a lack of significant opportunities for sustainable livelihoods with limited job opportunities and difficult farming conditions and therefore have very limited family incomes.

The Chiawa Trust focuses on working in partnership with local communities to identify possible income generation activities and education projects to ensure a long term solution to alleviating poverty, with the community taking significant responsibility their own future.

The News section of this website details the activities that are currently supported by the Chiawa Trust and are run in partnership with Hodi, a charity based in Zambia that administers these programmes alongside government institutions that are working in the Chiawa and Kafue Districts.