WIDNet

Zambia Association for Research & Development (ZARD) in empowerment route

Zambia Association for Research & Development (ZARD) in empowerment route Zambia is among a few countries in Africa that are striving very hard in achieving economic development through equal partnership between women and men in all economic endeavors. It is for this reason that some Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Zambia have put up some stringent measures in fostering economic empowerment for women to attain equality with their male counter parts. Among these NGOs with this particular interest of equipping women with various Income Generating Activities is the Zambia Association for Research and Development (ZARD) which is based in the country’s capital city, Lusaka . Lusaka clubs receiving donations from ZARD The Association has gone wild into the far flung areas with it’s Motto “Men and Women Equal Partners in Development” in trying to find ways of addressing the economic hardships which people who reside in some of the so called ‘designated places’ of the country are currently undergoing. Since 2005, the association (ZARD), has been supporting several women clubs under the project 'Reducing Vulnerabilities of Young Women to HIV/AIDS funded by ZNAN'. Two of the clubs are based in the peri-urban areas of Lusaka ( Garden and Chilulu compound). While the other five are based in one of the remote areas in the Southern Province of Zambia in Monze District in Chief Ufwenuka’s area. ZARD has been making several visits to these community clubs trying to see the progress being made in creating self-sustainability among the people in the rural areas. These Clubs include Tigwilizane, Singonya, Silwiili, Ufwenuka, Rusangu and Simukale. ZARD strives at sustaining people’s needs by putting up some supplementary measures which would uplift the living standards and boost the economic base of most of the people in the rural and peri-urban areas. During the implementation of the project ,ZARD had carried out the following  training activities; Gender, HIV/AIDS and reproductive Health, sexuality and Human Rights, basic bookkeeping and club management. Training of Community Action groups in methodology for teaching peers. Apart from several workshops and trainings that are offered to our women clubs, ZARD has also helped to establish resource centres for the 5 Monze Clubs. This project is very relevant to the community in that it helps reduce vulnerabilities of women and increase their capacities to protect themselves through economic empowerment and knowledge. Protecting young women is protecting the future of the communities. From the prevailing situation, 80 percent of women in the rural areas of Zambia are still subjected to all kinds of unfair treatment by their male counterparts. The problem is as a result of the rural women having no ample opportunity to involve themselves in the advancement of their education. Some rural women especially those in Chief Ufwenuka’s area in Monze district of Southern Province have expressed gratitude at the efforts being made by the Zambia Association for Research and Development (ZARD) of empowering people in the rural areas. Speaking to the women when ZARD donated various income generating items to various clubs in the district, Ufwenuka ZARD women’s club chairlady Bridget Mwiinga, said it was pleasing to see some organizations striving to create income-generating activities to the people living in far-flung areas. Mrs. Mwiinga said women still undergo many economic hardships that make them more vulnerable to all kinds of injustices from their male counterparts. She further thanked ZARD for coming up with such initiatives that would in turn improve the living standard of many people in the rural community and empower them economically with some income generating ventures. Mrs. Mwiinga said the club intends to utilize the money raised from the items wisely to create a base for their financial sources. She said the initiatve may be a source of funds for many women especially those who don’t have men to help them in doing various works. In addition,Clara Mainza who is one of the widows and happens to be a member of ZARD said she was amazed at how she has seen some privileges flowing from the same initiates of self sustainability. Mrs Mainza said she encountered many hardships after losing her husband five years ago. However, she says she is now empowered financially and able to take the children to school because of the support she is getting from the ZARD clubs. Mrs Mainza said seeing such projects being capitalized by the local community would help to reduce the burden of school fees that many widows are undergoing in supporting the orphans and other children left with them. She urged other NGO’s to emulate ZARD by putting up some strategic framework that would help people to be empowered with various business units which would also increase economic activities in the area. Mrs Mainza said the support from ZARD to the five community clubs was a clear testimony of how some organizations are sticking to the regulatory framework based on the establishment of their associations. Speaking during the handover of the items to various clubs in Singonya and Ufwenuka, ZARD Acting Executive Director; Mrs. Pezo Phiri said her association is willing to empower women and men in the rural areas with various income generating activities. She said women though still lived in times when they depended so much on men; a situation, which she said, should never be allowed to prevail in order to create some ways of self-sustainability when a woman loses her husband. Mrs. Phiri said the clubs under ZARD once fully utilized by the local people could help many others have ways of overcoming some economic obstacles that they may be facing. Some Members of the Monze Clubs supported by ZARD From the above, it is clear to understand that the way forward for Zambia’s  development does not only lie in the hands of the Government alone, but with the involvement of stakeholders and organisations which would see sustainable development to the country. If all these issues are fully implemented, then the country’s aims of achieving the Millennium Developmental Goals (MDGs) will be a success especially that of empowering women in the rural areas. The ZARD clubs also consist on men because we belive that equality can easily be attained if main understand and appreciate its importance.