The Projects
Agriculture
The SAM Project has established vegetable production enterprises in 5 different villages in three Chiefdoms in the Southern Province of Zambia. These projects range in size from a small garden plot growing vegetables for 17 families to a commercially-sized market garden that produces red and yellow peppers and tomatoes for the tourist hotels near Victoria Falls. Working with local stakeholders and the Lubemba Co-operative, SAM finances site preparation, the installation of goat-proof fencing, and the building of reservoirs that collect waste-water from village wells. The SAM Project installs water-efficient drip irrigation and provides agricultural extension services in order to train local gardeners in conservation farming techniques such as composting and fallow cropping. Our program also provides valuable knowledge on crop selection and market access. SAM also hosts workshops in Nutritional Education, Reducing Elephant/Human conflict and HIV/AIDS Awareness.
Micro Enterprises
The SAM Project is working with local stakeholders to identify economic opportunities such as small-scale poultry and egg production and seed oil production in the host villages. We help connect the villagers to the in-country expertise and resources that may be provided by other NGO's, government departments, and private enterprise in order to develop these activities and provide channels for sales and distribution. In 2009, we established two poultry enterprises, which will produce eggs for local village markets.
Producers Co-operative
The SAM Project helped organize farmers and villagers from local communities to form the Lubemba Multi-Purpose Producers Cooperative, an agricultural co-op which is now registered with the Zambian Government. The Lubemba Co-operative provides a structure that enables many individuals to share in the profits of any enterprise and is an ideal platform not only for spreading ownership across many families and communities but also for the investment of capital and training.
Resource Centre
The SAM Project has established a Community Development Resource Centre at Overland Mission's base near Livingstone where we can refine the techniques and methodologies being implemented in the village projects. In 2008 we planted more than 12 different tree species and over 20 new cultivars and hybrids of vegetables. The Resource Centre was expanded in 2009 thanks to an individual donor and we have doubled the area under cultivation, installed a demonstration drip irrigation system, enlarged the seedling nursery and constructed a multi-purpose building for the germination of seeds, grafting of fruit trees, and storage of supplies.
Tree Seedlings
All the households involved in our enterprises rely on fuelwood for heating and cooking. Women walk increasingly greater distances to cut down native trees, adding to their work day and the rate of environmental degradation. The SAM Project is growing fast-growing hardwood and softwood seedlings such as Leucaena and Sesbania, which are transplanted to establish community-managed woodlots. In 2009, our first operational tree planting year, over 20,000 seedlings were established. Starting in 2010 we will be establishing a network of seedling nurseries to enable the planting of woodlots in each of the communities where the SAM Project is active.