Information DSMZambia project

DSMZambia team

Duration: 2 weeks
Start: 15-28 June
Location: Zambia

Background:
Zambia is one of the world’s poorest countries. Poverty and food insecurity are widespread in both rural and urban areas, and the country remains extremely vulnerable to recurring natural disasters, including floods, drought and animal disease. Food production levels vary widely from year to year.
Food security is fragile because subsistence farmers depend on yearly rainfall and traditional hoe cultivation, and even in years of national food surplus, many subsistence farmers or households often struggle.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity levels and contributed to a decline in socioeconomic activity.
World Food Programme (WFP) distribution of food mainly targets HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and mother-and-child health clinics programmes for orphans and other vulnerable children; and food-for-assets and food-for training projects. In addition, WFP school-feeding activities provides daily hot meals to tens of thousands of vulnerable schoolchildren.

The Challenge
The DSMZambia team will actively participate in the WFP Health and Nutrition Education Campaign in Community Schools in Zambia.

The aim of the campaign is to:
At 'home'
· Raise awareness of the hunger issue and WFP’s mission and engage individuals in the cause;
· Raise awareness and funds for food for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) in community schools in Zambia;
In 'Zambia':
· Help improve nutritional and health status of orphans and vulnerable children;
· Increase access to quality education for pre- and primary school children;
· Help improve the nutritional status of pre-and primary school children.

From 15-28th June the first DSMZambia team of four DSM volunteers will deliver training on nutrition, health and hygiene to six community schools in and around Lusaka (capital of Zambia). Each school has an average of 500 children attending. Besides education the children receive a meal as part of the WFP School Feeding program.

In October two other DSM groups will go to Zambia .

Activities of the DSMZambia team will include:
· Deliver WFP food assistance in the School Feeding program
· Training and supervision of teachers and Parent-Teacher associations (PTAs) on basic
nutrition practices in an effort to improve eating habits and nutritional status among children;
· Training on basic health and hygiene for teachers, PTAs and schoolchildren in an effort to
support capacity development and behavioral change to prevent disease and infection among children;
· Distribution of information, education, and communication materials to promote

healthier behaviors;
· Impact assessment of previous group’s trainings and inputs/school improvements

funded by DSM;
· Raising awareness of the nutrition and health needs of Orphans and Vulnerable Children
(OVCs) in Zambia among DSM employees
· Raising funds for WFP Zambia

Help to make the difference
WFP Zambia provides nutritious meals for 162.000 Orphans and Vulnerable Children each day, but lacks sufficient funds. To fill a cup with a hot meal per day for a child costs only USD 0,25.
DSM want’s to make the difference.
We are therefore asking our colleagues from the different BG/ SU to help raise funds for WFP Zambia. The donation amount to be raised is USD 110.000 to Zambia's programs in 2008 and hope you will help raise the remaining USD 100.000!

With this donation we will make the difference and provide for 440.000
Nutritious meals for children!

For further information please contact
Jacoline van Blokland +31 45 578 2141
Fokko Wientjes +31 45 578 2826

World Food Programme and DSM

DSM and the World Food Organisation

World Food Programme

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