About Us
Who We Are
Zeal For Zambia is a U.S. based 501c3 tax exempt foundation focused on raising funds to support rural village development in Zambia. We work through Bright Hope Zambia (www.BrightHope.org ) well as The Christian Farmers Association (https://www.brighthope.org/blog-stories/project-updates/from-barely-surviving-to-thriving-growing-farmers-in-zambia/), and their various partners. Most of our funding supports specific infrastructure development projects that are key to healthcare, education, and agricultural development. These projects typically involve water, solar power, crop irrigation systems & storage. We’ll also fund health clinic and school development with materials not locally available such as roofing and computers.
What We're Currently Raising Money For
- $45k for agricultural infrastructure in the Village of Kasuba, Zambia. This includes building a storage facility, buying a hammer mill and oil press, and upgrading / installing irrigation systems.
- $45k for similar agricultural infrastructure in the Village of Chishi, Zambia
Both Kasuba and Chishi are villages that we have been engaged with
for the past 10 or so years. With our support over that period both villages have substantially improved their educational and healthcare systems and have started down the path of agricultural development in order to improve dietary conditions (especially protein for children) and create an ongoing cash flow to support future development. This round of support will help get them to the next stage of development and sustainability.
Our Vision
“Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. And overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”
Nelson Mandela
How We Do It
OUR APPROACH: We empower the local church to build poverty free, sustainably developed, and spiritually strong communities across rural Zambia. We accomplish this by bringing local church leaders together into Care Boards, which are then trained and supported so that they can address key needs in health & nutrition, education, agriculture, and economic development. The local church is key to this initiative because it is the primary social organization in these rural villages, and really the only way to organize and mobilize the people in the villages.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: These are needs that if not addressed can lead to loss of hope, despair, and even shame. When addressed communities are empowered, rise up, provide hope, and substantially improve the quality of life for all.
SCOPE & SCALE: From 2014 through 2020 we pioneered and developed programs across 5 rural villages in the Luapula Province of Zambia. Since 2020 we've been working with these villages to ensure their economic sustainability for the long term, and to also help them reach out to the villages around them to create networks of 5 villages each. The goal is to scale from the original 5 villages to 5 networks of 5 villages each, and then onwards to impact many rural villages across Zambia.
PARTNERS: Zeal For Zambia and Bright Hope work with a number of world-renowned partners to enhance and extend their capabilities in support of their community-based Care Boards. Partners include:
- The Christian Farmers Association. A consortium of farming communities that helps local villages with farming inputs, infrastructure, and market aggregation. This is critical for improved nutrition in the villages, as well as cash flow for sustainability and growth.
- AccessWater. Solar powered water systems for health clinics, schools, and village communities
- JHPIEGO Project Echo. Johns Hopkins health initiative provides medical training, ongoing mobile phone based support, and other forms of assistance through the Zambian government.
- iDE. Leader in rural agricultural and economic development. Provides assistance with inputs (seed & fertilizer), coaching and ongoing technical support, market aggregation, and microloans.
- Zambian Government. Key to long term support and development of healthcare and education initiatives.
