Zambia

Zambia is a land-locked country in southern Africa and is about the size of Texas.  It has a population of 13,881,336 with about 36% living in urban areas and 64% living below the poverty line.  Almost half (46%) of the population is under the age of 14 and the median age in Zambia is 16.5 years old.  Though there has been economic growth and progress in the cities, 85% of the labor force in Zambia is made up of farmers and the conditions in rural areas is not improving.  Years of farming techniques such as slash and burning and deep plowing have devastated the land and created tough conditions for agricultural development.  These practices have produced dry, nutrient poor soil and a cycle of mediocre crop production.

YouthHOPE is partnering with Lloyd Ng’ambi, the Youth Director of the Synod of Zambia for the CCAP, to equip the young people of Zambia to address the economic, agricultural, social and spiritual problems in their communities.  With the help of YouthHOPE, Lloyd is developing training seminars and conferences with young church leaders to train them in Foundations for Farming techniques, as well as youth discipleship and spiritual development.  In July 2011, the CCAP church in a village on the Malawian border received land from the chief to begin clearing and developing to be a future site for the training and conferences.  The land can be used for hands-on training as well as providing a space for building.

In the fall of 2011, Andrew and Grace Maina became national YouthHOPE affiliates.  The Maina’s have done youth ministry in Kenya, their home, for over 10 years and are now going to be moving to Zambia to join Lloyd in reaching the youth there.  The Maina’s will be helping do develop programs for mentoring, youth leadership development, entrepreneurship, and discipleship of Zambian youth.

In partnering with Lloyd and the Maina’s, YouthHOPE is striving to train and develop the youth of Zambia into well-equipped leaders in their communities, taking the Gospel to their families and friends, as well as empowering them to improve their communities through holistic development and training.