CSI case study: Rural Livelihood Enhancement Programme

Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) is implementing a 4 year livestock based development programme, called the Chililabombwe Rural Livelihood Enhancement Project, in 10 rural communities of Chililabombwe. The project is a partnership with Village Water Zambia, a water and sanitation charity.

The project is targeting 5,000 people and aimed at assisting vulnerable communities to mitigate various socio-economic challenges by increasing agricultural productivity, food security, improved nutrition and employment opportunities. To participate in the programme, vulnerable farmers show they have adequate land to build a shelter and provide water for the animals.

The farmers are trained on how to use the cattle for cultivation which should enable them to increase their crop yield and income levels. To date, eight groups have received 700 goats and a further 12 groups have received 442 cattle in the Chingola, Nampundwe and Chililabombwe areas.

To date, the project has been a great success and there has been increased demand for the project to expand its reach to other communities. To ensure the programme has further reach and impact, the ‘pass on’ concept has been adopted where one beneficiary group, once their livestock has grown, passes on animals to a new beneficiary group. For example, recently in Kanenga, the beneficiary group the Faithful Women Self Help Group recently passed on 12 cattle to the Amazing Women Self Help Group.