Outnumbering adults disproportionately, teens and young adults in many parts of Zambia face an extremely tight job market. However, change has been occurring in the rural village of Chongwe.
Five years ago, youth in Chongwe engaged in market research, skills training and mentoring through ChildFund Zambia`s Youth Empowerment Program. Their objective was to work together to create opportunities for long-term employment.
After determining that a banana plantation would be an ideal livelihoods opportunity, ChildFund provided a grant for seeds and a solar-powered irrigation system, and a local chief donated land. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture taught participants about growing bananas and maintaining their equipment, and a fertiliser company provided training on farming techniques. After years of hard work, this has resulted in a flourishing plantation of more than 1,500 banana trees, and a huge employment boost to youth in the village.
Many youths have also learnt about running a business, how bananas fit into the larger world economy, and how to follow commodity prices daily. Additionally, several involved young people have used the skills gained from ChildFund`s Youth Empowerment Program to lay foundations for other businesses, including one young man who has turned a small vegetable garden into a thriving grocery business.
What began as a challenge for youth in Chongwe, has become a key economic opportunity for current and future generations. The banana plantation will remain a testament to what can happen when youth are empowered to create change within their communities.
Khang lives in a small mountainous village in the rugged terrain of Nonghet district, Laos. While her community is reliant on agricultural production, several of the Hmong artisans, mostly women, also practise a traditional textile art as a supplementary form of income for their families.
Khang is a mother to two young sons, and is also physically challenged every day by her left leg, which is much shorter than her right. Nonetheless, she has always been determined to make an income even though conditions may be difficult.
In order to assist women like Khang, ChildFund Laos, with the support of the Australian Government, established a small embroidery group in her community in April 2015.
While embroidery has been passed down through generations in the small community, many of the families were unable to afford the materials required to practise their embroidery and sell their textiles.
Khang is the leader of her village`s embroidery group, and support from ChildFund now provides nine families with the materials and fabric they require. This has encouraged community members to keep their textile traditions alive and created extra income for their families. With this new ChildFund program, Hmong women are now able to produce beautifully patterned clothing and fine suits.
“I can make two suits per month and sell them for US$50 each,” says Khang.
In addition to the embroidery group, Khang also leads the ChildFund-supported livestock raising group. Khang’s village is one of 15 in the area that has received goats, pigs and ducks. Khang teaches the group how to raise and care for their animals in order to sell them at the local market.
These two leadership positions and alternative livelihoods programs have given Khang a new sense of responsibility, and enabled her to earn extra income.
“With the money I get from selling, I can buy clothes, books and pens for my sons,” she says.
Khang is also able to purchase cooking ingredients and pay household bills without reliance on her husband.
“Unlike before, I now contribute to the financial position of my family and make decisions,” explains Khang. “Since joining the groups I haven`t had as much time to do housework such as cooking and fetching water, so my husband has been doing it to support me instead.”
Empowering women and girls is a key area of ChildFund`s work. On International Women’s Day (8 March), we celebrate women like Khang who are taking the lead in their community to provide better opportunities for themselves and their family.