The SAM Project

The SAM Project (Sustainability through Agriculture and Micro-Enterprises) is a secular, non-political organization that enables sustainable solutions to local needs, using available resources, community oversight and the mechanisms of the Zambian market economy.

The goal of the SAM Project is to facilitate local enterprise in communities in Southern Zambia who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. The SAM Project links communities to the resources and skills necessary to engage in small scale economic activities, such as gardening, egg production and beekeeping. The crops are raised and sold at local markets in order to provide cash for individuals, families, and community groups. The enterprises, once established, become locally sustainable and are not dependent on external donations.

The Sam Project is also helping rural communities to plant trees in order to provide a sustainable source of fuel, food and building materials. Most rural Zambians depend on wood to provide all their cooking and heating fuel, which has led to the uncontrolled harvest of native trees. This deforestation in turn has led to soil degradation, depleted aquifers and an increase in the number of hours spent collecting firewood.

The planting of managed woodlots eases some of these negative effects, while providing food for people and livestock and new employment opportunities. The large-scale planting of trees is considered to be one of the possible solutions for mitigating climate change and the ongoing desertification of sub-Saharan Africa.

The 3rd Annual SAMapalooza will be held Thursday, March 25 2010 at The Venue.
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The impacts of HIV/AIDS, drought, and other calamities have added to the crushing burden borne by the rural women in much of Southern Africa, already responsible for most of the daily tasks of child-rearing, water and firewood collection and food preparation. The SAM Project contributes to gender equity by improving family nutrition and reducing women's workloads. The enterprises established with the help of the SAM Project create opportunities for women to learn new skills and reduce the necessity for family members to migrate away from the home for seasonal wage labor.