Food Security & Livelihood Programme

Overview

The food Security and Livelihoods programme (FSL) is one the Programmes under the Human Development Unit of Caritas Zambia. The programme was formed in 2001 to take care of the food needs of the communities and to build capacity of Diocese to effectively and efficiently deliver programmes and spearhead development through promoting sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods Skills. It arose as a transformation of the Church’s relief and social welfare department in the 1960s, which cared for people vulnerable to food insecurity and responded to the needs of the refuges. The transformation was a shift from short term relief to a long term development approach as the earlier one was seen to be promoting dependency syndrome and laziness in communities.

The Livelihoods function was added to the programmes in 2004 to promote entrepreneurial skills among communities for improved income and sustained food security.

Goal

Empowered communities in the Dioceses that are able to challenge attitudes, systems and institutions that are impoverishing them in order to attain sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty.

Strategic Focus

2

1. To strengthen capacity of diocesan teams to understand and engage in policy making analysis.

Activities

-Advocate for pro-poor implementation of government policies and programmes.
-Support and capacity building for Diocesan teams in order for them to empower communities with knowledge and skills in Agricultural production.
-Promotion of Disaster/Emergency preparedness and management.
-Promotion of entrepreneurship.
-Promotion of community wealth generating initiatives.
-Promotion of use of best practices in sustainable agricultural methods.
-Promotion of on-farm processing and marketing initiatives among communities.