Peace Corps

PROJECT BACKGROUND

In 1996 Peace Corps/Zambia was invited to send Volunteers to community development and conservation efforts in Game Management Areas (GMAs) surrounding the South Luangwa National Park. The primary collaborator responsible for the request was the Wildlife Conservation Service (WCS). Between 1996 and 2000, a total of 8 Volunteers were posted to GMAs around the Park. The Volunteers had been working under the aegis of the Administrative Management and Design (ADMADE) program in a "non-project" status for Peace Corps. By August 2001, all ADMADE Volunteers had completed their service under this arrangement.

New Project Initiative:

Due to the success of these Volunteers’ efforts, Peace Corps Zambia, under the auspices of the Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), initiated a new environment sector project; Linking Income, Food and Environment (LIFE), that initially placed Volunteers in GMAs around South Luangwa National Park and Kafue National Park. By 2002, the LIFE project had expanded to include Lavushi Manda, Lower Zambezi, and North North Lunga National Parks. In 2003 the Volunteers will begin work around Katanda National Park. Peace Corps' LIFE Project has also linked the CONASA Project in the Southern Province and the South Luangwa Area Management Unit (SLAMU) which is now under ZAWA.

Peace Corps Zambia's purpose in initiating the Linking Income, Food, and Environment (LIFE) Project is to improve peoples' lives in Game Management Areas by fostering a healthy relationship between community members and their environment. The conservation of natural resources and wildlife in Game Management Areas is vital to the economic and social well being of Zambia. In order to achieve a level of sustainable use within Game Management Areas, this Project aims to foster capacity building skills development, introduce environmental education, and enhance livelihood security. Volunteers work with the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) approach that prescribes an organizational structure for communities that is also ratified and supported by the Government of Zambia (GRZ). The Volunteers also assist GMA communities to improve natural resource management skills and to enhance food security through improved agriculture and agroforestry techniques, develop and implement income-generating activities and work in schools to promote environmental education in the classroom. The Project has three main goals:

Increase the management skills of the committees within the Game Management Area (GMA) CBNRM structure
Promote inclusion of environmental education in formal and non-formal GMA community activities
Enhance livelihood security in GMAs by introducing household income generation activities and improving agricultural techniques and practices.
Volunteer Activities:

Peace Corps Volunteers function as extension agents working with GMA populations, other extension agents and NGOs, and ZAWA. Their objective is to first appraise the needs of these communities, assessing current activities in the outlined goal areas. With this information they help communities identify methods for acquiring the skills, information and resources that they do not currently possess. Specific tasks include conducting participatory rural appraisals (PRA), assisting in design of local development projects, teaching skills to community representatives concerning CBNRM structure implementation, creating and teaching environmental education, introducing pre and post harvest improved agriculture techniques and encouraging income generation activities.

CBNRM:

Volunteers work with Community Resource Boards, Village Area Groups, and Community Development Committees. They assist the elected representatives of these committees to perform their responsibilities under CBNRM constitution. These responsibilities include conducting PRAs, organizing meetings, designing projects to implement funds generated by the GMAs, reviewing and implementing these projects, institutionalizing civic education, and conducting basic accounting functions.

Environmental Education:

The Volunteers assist with the establishment of environmental education initiatives and seek to create links in the community between education and natural resource management. They work with local school staff to either review or create environmental education curriculum, as well as seek opportunities to widen the audience to include the general community. LIFE Volunteers establish environmental youth clubs, lead nature excursions, and teach environmental education lessons in and outside of the classroom. Also through innovative teaching techniques such as community content based instruction (CCBI), they link important environmental concepts with village based reality.

Livelihood Security:

Focusing on community individuals and households, Volunteers assist in improving their livelihood by encouraging diversified agriculture production, introducing pre and post harvest agriculture techniques and agroforestry practices, encouraging income generation activities, and promoting a positive view of wildlife conservation.

Secondary Projects:

LIFE Volunteers may play a role in developing small business initiatives such as tuck shops, carpentry, and curio and craft making groups. LIFE Volunteers also initiate secondary projects in the community aimed at HIV/AIDS education.

The Second Goal of Peace Corps:

The second goal of Peace Corps outlines the means for a cultural exchange between Volunteers and host country counterparts. We are able to achieve this goal in part, by placing Volunteers in village settings, however, an important component is that the Volunteer becomes involved in and becomes a part of the community in which he or she lives. Community members feel free to invite Volunteers to weddings, funerals, and other non-political gatherings that are taking place. Volunteers also spend time out in their neighbor's fields and want to participate in all daily activities. When community members take an active role in helping the Volunteer to understand and appreciate the Zambian culture, they are rewarded with a Volunteer who is more effective in his or her work and life as a Zambia LIFE Peace Corps Volunteer.