What we do

Poor diets in low income countries are still hindering progress to reach the second sustainable development goal; to end hunger, ensure food security and improve nutrition.  However, donors and the private sector have a unique opportunity to help – but only if they embrace the crucial issue of diversifying food production and consumption.

Diversification continues to be a buzzword in Zambia right now, and for good reason. The Zambian food system is not delivering enough affordable or nutritious foods for the majority of the population – a direct result of the country’s high dependence on one crop: maize.

A recent exhibition, curated by the Sustainable Diets for All program in Zambia for World Food Day, explored the changes needed to promote healthy and sustainable foods – supplementing the traditional maize-based staple nshima (hard porridge), from farm to plate.

PERSPECTIVE is a project that encourages artists to develop fresh content that highlights social issues. Umuntu, the digital production company behind the project, offers an alternative African narrative. It combines augmented reality and music to criticize the state of “our past, present and future” in Zimbabwe and beyond.

How can you fight discrimination against LGBTI people? In Zambia, the Umotto Centre of Culture decided to share stories. Their multimedia project Scenes of Change put exclusion and violations of human rights on the agenda.

Women are the real deal

We’re proud to introduce you to Leading Ladies Zambia, a 10-episode, 2D animation and documentary podcast series exploring historical women leaders and their influence on Zambia’s development.

Zambian-born health and human rights activist Chivuli Riva Ukwimi is fighting for the human rights of marginalized and excluded groups across Africa. In particular, their sexual reproductive health and rights. Having experienced marginalization and exclusion first hand as a transgender woman, Chivuli is driven by her vision for an inclusive world.

Let youth lead

When a 17-year-old girl in Zambia started a blog to discuss girls’ safety, she never imagined it would be read nearly 200,000 times in a few years. Esther Mwema started her blog to address the safety crisis she saw affecting girls. She soon found out she wasn’t alone.

Water is life

“Water is life, and we cannot live without water.” Grenda Nyangaphiza from Chinkhwiri, Malawi, gets her water from a borehole that she shares with 1,250 people. But the borehole was only supposed to supply water to 250 people. Many boreholes in her region break and don’t get fixed, or worse, are not built in the first place. “We want the power to question the government,” says Grenda.

“Zimbabwe is open for business!”

“After the media training I received conducted by Hivos and Climate Tracker, for me, reporting on climate change has never been the same. This kind of workshops help an increasing number of journalists understand the fact that energy poverty is a huge problem, and that reporting on it in a way that puts a human face on the issue opens lots of doors.”