Dominated by the Barotse floodplains, the Zambezi River, and the Kalahari Sands, Western Province serves as a vital water reservoir for Zambia’s human population and as migratory lands for wildlife. Moving with the floods, the second largest wildebeest migration in the world takes place each year in Western Province’s Liuwa National Park.
USAID ACTIVITIES IN WESTERN PROVINCE
In Western Province, USAID/Zambia implements six activities in the Health and Education development sectors. Through these activities, USAID directs a large amount of funding into Western Province. USAID invests a significant portion of its overall provincial budget toward preventing the spread of HIV and providing treatment services to the 10.6 percent of persons living with HIV in the province. Additional health funding is channeled to gender-based violence prevention, family and nutrition services, and health sector development.
In Western Province, the USAID operates its flagship USAID Let’s Read program, which aims to strengthen curriculum delivery to improve literacy levels in every provincial community and government school. In 2018, the USAID Education Data Activity conducted an Early-Grade Reading Assessment which set a baseline for Let’s Read to better measure progress made towards national reading benchmarks for Grade 2 learners.
EDUCATION
USAID Let’s Read
USAID Let’s Read works with the Ministry of General Education to improve reading outcomes for over 150,000 children in Western Province. The project strengthens delivery of the primary literacy curriculum through improved teaching and learning materials, regular pupil learning assessments, school and learner performance tracking, and engagement with communities and the private sector. The goal of the activity is to ensure students read with age-appropriate comprehension and fluency in one of Zambia’s seven official languages of instruction. USAID Let’s Read is operational in all community and public schools in the province.
Prime Partner: Education Development Center
Duration: Jan. 2019 – Jan. 2024
HEALTH
ACHIEVE
USAID ACHIEVE project strengthens the capacity of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) and community structures to deliver comprehensive and standardized case management to vulnerable children and adolescents (VCA). The project improves the ability of the Zambian government to serve the needs of VCA. ACHIEVE works with MCDSS at national, province, district, and community levels to strengthen its systems and improve planning and implementation of key activities. ACHIEVE will develop a functional VCA tracking system and strengthen MCDSS systems and capacity to provide real time data to plan, identify gaps, and budget to meet areas of greatest need. The project will also strengthen MCDSS’s capacity to successfully implement government-to-government initiatives to achieve and maintain HIV epidemic control among pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, children, and youth.
Partner: Pact, Inc.
Duration: Nov. 2020 - Nov. 2025
Community Radio Program (CRP)
The CRP activity aims to improve the health of women and children by addressing family planning, nutrition, gender-based violence, and HIV, through radio programming. Each 156-minute episode is broadcast in a local Zambian language and is carefully designed to integrate cultural relevance and Western Province’s context and characteristics. The goal of CRP is to present relatable storylines that resonate emotionally with a Zambian audience and inspire long-term positive behavior change.
Prime Partner: Population Media Center
Duration: Feb. 2018 – Dec. 2022
Empowered Child and Adolescents Program III
The Empowered Children and Adolescents Program (ECAP) works to mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and improve the health and well-being of highly vulnerable children and adolescents (VCA) and their families. Targeting the communities hardest hit by HIV/AIDS, the program provides wrap-around, needs-based services to support the resilience of families to be healthy, stable, safe, and educated, working in partnership with health facilities, school, and other community structures. By responding to the unique needs of children and adolescents living with or at high risk of HIV, ECAP is contributing to epidemic control in Zambia.
Partner: CIDRZ
Duration: Sept. 2020 - Sept. 2025
STOP GBV
STOP GBV is implemented in two of Western Province’s districts: Mongu and Sesheke. The activity aims to strengthen and expand opportunities for girls, women, boys, and men and enable them to live lives free of gender-based violence (GBV) and enjoy healthy, gender-equitable relationships. The STOP GBV project builds government and traditional leaders’ capacity and commitment to GBV prevention, response, and law enforcement and works with communities to challenge unhealthy gender norms. Additionally, One-Stop GBV response care centers manage cases and provide the following: victim-support services by the Zambian Police, paralegal services, HIV testing and linkage to treatment, and child-friendly counseling services.
Partner: Zambia Center for Communication Programs
Duration: Nov. 2018 – Nov. 2023