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Zambia -- a lot of hope now
Aug 18, 2007 By: Susan O'Neill(Originally published May 8, 2006)
The effectiveness of international aid, particularly in Africa, has been the subject of much debate.
It isn’t something that can be measured in terms of projects and structures. It isn’t about bricks and mortar. International development is about people.
Throughout Zambia – a landlocked country of 10.9 million people in sub-Saharan Africa – there is evidence that Canada’s contributions are making a difference. However, there is much still to be done as Zambia tackles the challenges facing the nation.
Zambia, named last year as one of Canada’s 25 development partners, is one of the poorest countries on earth, ranking 166 out of 177 countries on the United Nations’ Human Development Index.
It is estimated that two-thirds of the population live on less than $1 a day.
The life expectancy is 39 years.
Almost 90 per cent of Zambians are unemployed.
And the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is higher than 16 per cent nationwide.
By the year 2010, it is estimated that one third of Zambia’s children will be orphaned.
Yet, progress is being made, said John Deyell, the Canadian high commissioner in Zambia.
“It is still one of the poorest countries in Africa, but it has a lot of hope now,” he said during an interview at the Canadian High Commission in Lusaka in mid-February.
The tourism industry is beginning to flourish in Livingstone, home to Victoria Falls, the commercial farming and agricultural sectors are improving, and Canadian firms are beginning to invest in Copperbelt mining operations, he said. But Mr. Deyell said it is impossible to ignore the poverty and disease.
“I don’t think any of us have met any Zambians (who) don’t have a story to tell,” he said of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is crippling many countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Access to treatment, he said, is improving thanks to a government initiative to offer free antiretroviral drugs to those in need. But at the same time, the number of orphans is rising.
“Last year it was like a dam broke. The orphans spread out onto the streets. Local people were shocked,” he said.
Malaria also continues to be a threat across the country.
“It is still the biggest killer,” Mr. Deyell said. “It is a bigger killer than AIDS.”
On the bright side, Zambia was blessed with the best rains in years this year, a big boost for local farmers.
“This (Zambia) is becoming the bread basket of Africa,” said Mr. Deyell, who believes Canada is having an impact in Zambia, particularly in the Copperbelt.
“What had been a declining area is now really bouncing back,” he said.
Although Mr. Deyell believes that private sector investment will be a key factor in Zambia’s future, international aid continues to play a major role.
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is the lead player in delivering Canada’s Official Development Assistance Program that provides aid to countries in Africa and elsewhere. The agency’s mission is to support sustainable development in an effort to reduce poverty and help create a more secure, equitable and prosperous world.
Canada has been engaged in an aid co-operation program with Zambia since 1964. The Zambia-Canada program provides bilateral support and currently focuses on health, education and the environment. Those areas are likely to shift in the coming months, thanks to an initiative designed to ensure donor support affects all sectors.
Canadian aid is also delivered through support for multilateral institutions such as UNICEF, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization. CIDA is also involved in supporting the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives and launched the Canada Fund for Africa following the 2002 G8 Summit.
The five-year, $500-million fund is a key element of Canada’s commitment to Africa and includes funding for specific initiatives centred in areas such as governance, peace and security and health.
In the 2003-’04 fiscal year, Canadian official development assistance to Zambia totalled $38.56 million.
Canada’s bilateral support to Zambia totals about $9 million a year, expected to rise to about $15 million for the coming fiscal year.
