Western Cluster

The Western Cluster is an integrated project focusing on livelihoods, maternal and child health, WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) and human rights in the Western Province of Zambia.The Western Province of Zambia experiences higher levels of poverty than other provinces in the country (Highlights of the 2022 Poverty Assessment in Zambia). The poor economic performance of this province has resulted in very limited employment opportunities, which is exacerbated by low levels of education and skills among the workforce. Many people work as agricultural labourers or in charcoal production and receive extremely low salaries, leading to widespread food insecurity and adverse health effects. Women walk long distances to access drinking water, dig ‘scoop holes’ in the ground or risk obtaining water from sources shared with livestock, resulting in waterborne illnesses. 

Since 2017, the project team has worked with the local community to determine the most pressing challenges, and responds to those needs through holistic interventions, while also targeting the root causes. The project empowers communities through livelihoods training in climate-smart agriculture and animal husbandry. The project provides access to safe drinking water through the provision of boreholes. Community Health Volunteers are trained to increase maternal and child knowledge in the communities, so that maternal and neonatal deaths are reduced. The project runs advocacy campaigns on protection from gender-based violence and early childhood marriage, creating lasting change for families and their futures.