Dioscese of Livingstone

SCIAF began working in partnership with the Diocese of Livingstone in 2002 to provide support for emergency food aid. From 2003 SCIAF has been working with the Diocese of Livingstone on agricultural capacity building and to support the Kazungula Food Security Programme, which provides training in conservation farming and agricultural materials to households at risk of chronic food shortages.

At present SCIAF is supporting the Diocese of Livingstone in a three-year project which focuses on livelihoods, food security and HIV and AIDS awareness. This project works with local farmers to promote organic conservation farming, crop diversification and livestock farming to increase each household’s food security.

The project has been successful, with many farmers adopting the conservation farming practices which in the long term will increase their access to food and help generate an income. In 2008 it is estimated that 1,400 people benefitted as a result of this project.

SCIAF has successfully brought the Diocese of Livingstone together with three other partners in western and southern Zambia to establish a programme which promotes rural food security in Zambia. This programme promotes sustainable farming methods amongst small-scale farmers to increase their long term food security, household incomes and their resilience to climate change and natural disasters. The Diocese of Livingstone’s role in this programme is to work with 280 households in the Kazungula province to improve their household food security through the promotion of sustainable agriculture, crop diversification and small stock rearing.

In September, SCIAF took all four partners on a study tour visiting Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Burundi. The study tour allowed members of each organisation to view different techniques, such as organic agriculture and agro-forestry, in practice and successfully improving food security among farmers. The aim of the study tour was to stimulate the participant’s knowledge and understanding of different approaches and techniques that can be used to improve food security.

In August 2009 SCIAF gave a grant of over £30,000 to the Diocese of Livingstone to assist them in their work.