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Gathering water in Chimtengo, Eastern Zambia

Water Project: Eastern Zambia

        
INTRODUCTION
Self Help Africa's Zambia water project is a scheme to provide a clean water supply to rural communities around Chimtengo village in Western Zambia. The objective is to provide clean water for household consumption, for irrigation purposes, and for livestock.

LOCATION
New clean water sources are being provided at Chimtengo, at Chikelemu and at Chakwawa in Eastern Zambia. The total number of people benefiting from the improved access to water is approximately 3000.

ECONOMY
Zambia is one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most highly urbanized countries, with almost half of the country’s 11.5 million people living in urban areas. Rural economic development has been slow however, and challenges such as population growth, HIV/AIDS, and poor services make rural communities amongst the poorest in the country.

The country’s public debt remains extremely high, although it has fallen from over 130% of GDP in 2004 to a level of just over 31%. Zambia is a major exporter of copper, although most people rely on small-scale agriculture for their survival.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE
The objective of the project is to provide clean water for household, livestock, and crop irrigation purposes, and thus reduce time spent water gathering, incidents of water borne illness, and an inability to produce food crops under irrigated conditions.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Three new water points are being provided as a part of this micro-project. Read more about the project on a blog published last year:

A Village in Africa Blog: Well Drilling in Chimtengo
Existing water sources are unclean, and present health risks to users
Gathering water from a traditional water source
Zambia facts
Full name:
Republic of Zambia
Population:11.9 million (UN, 2007)
Capital:Lusaka
Area:752,614 sq km (290,586 sq miles)
Major languages:English (official), Bemba, Lozi, Nyanja, Tonga
Major religions:Christianity, indigenous beliefs, Hinduism, Islam
Life expectancy:42 years (men), 42 years (women) (UN)
GNI per capita:US $490 (World Bank, 2006)