Chipata Dzithandizeni Nutrition Group
on A Zambian Experience (Zambia), 21/Jan/2011 14:25, 34 days ago
Making the decision to return back to work was a difficult one. Leaving friends and family behind again to venture back into a life which was abruptly interuptted by sad news, was so difficult but somehow deep down I knew that I had to carry on and see it through.When I arrived in Chipata, my colleagues from the Nutrition Group came out on force to visit me and welcome me back to the community. One visit from the Chairperson had brought the good news that the proposal I had been working on with them over the last year had achieved some success. A grant for the repairs to the grinding mill had been deposited in the account and work was to begin at the centre to get the mill up and running.Grinding mills are a necessity in Zambia. With Maize being the staple crop of most of Sub-Saharan Africa, thousands of kilograms of Maize are sent to grinding mills daily for grinding into the popular maize mealie-meal which is the key ingredient for porridge and nshima. Soya beans are also ground to make HEPS (High-energy protein supplements).With the mill up and running at the Nutrition Group, it will provide a market for local farmers and a service to the community, which at the moment does not have a grinding mill in the area of Kapata. Profits from its service will be used to sustain the work of the Nutrition group and allow them to provide much needed food supplements to orphans and vulnerable children. It was such welcome news for 2011 and thank you to ZOA UK and ZOA Zambia (Zambia Orphans of AIDS) for their financial contribution to this project.