September 2018

On 22nd July 2018, the Chitandikaassembly was privileged to have therepublican president of Zambia,Edgar Lungu, (photo right) attendthe Sunday gospel meeting.

The President was in the area toattract support for the Mayoralcandidate, but prior to any politicalrally he normally likes to meet withChristians at a bible believingchurch.

Brother Mussa Tembo, theSHAREAfrica Zambia farm manager, preachedfrom Isaiah 53 v 5 and Acts 3 v 19. The messagecentred on the substitutionary death of theLord Jesus Christ and the need for repentance.

After the service, the President was given anopportunity to greet and say a few words tothose present. He exhorted the believers toshow brotherly love and unity, adding that notrue Christian would wish to do harm to hisbrother if God was resident within him.

Our SHAREAfrica Zambia project managerMwewa Mwindula, who was also present,took the opportunity to inform the presidentof SHAREAfrica Zambia’s activities within thecommunity. The President was delighted tolearn how the organisation is impacting thelives of the poor.  He praised those involved inthe work and promised to visit our processingplant in Lusaka.

Chitandika AssemblyChitandika assembly is in an area in the Eastern provinceclose to the Malawi border. It is one of 14 small ruralassemblies in the region. It started in 1986, following theoutreached work conducted by the late brother NedsonNyirenda.

Brother Nedson resigned from his work at the mineralmines in the Copper-belt in answer to the Lord’s call toserve as a full-time worker in his home province. Afterresigning he returned to his home village in Chitandikawhere he began evangelising the surrounding area

Brother Nedson pioneered most of the assemblies in the Chipataregion, including the assembly at Chitandika.

The assembly at Chitandika started with a small number of saintscomprised of five couples and their families. It continued to grow overthe years but suffered a great set back when brother Nedson wascalled home in 2003.

The assembly is currently overseen by three elders: Mabvuto Tembo,Bornface Sakala and Paul Banda. The average attendance at thebreaking of bread is 50, with over 100 at a gospel meeting.

The assembly is so enterprising that they managed to build the GospelHall through money raised from a shop run by the sisters.

Despite having very limited resource, the assembly has been able topay the school fees for some of the orphans kept by believers.

Supporting widows and orphans in their fellowship remains theirgreatest challenge.

President Edgar Lungu visits an assembly in Eastern Provence

President with Mussa to his left

Fighting Malnutrition - Soya Blend for OrphansMalnutrition is a major public health concern in Zambia

Malnutrition underlies 52% of all under-five deaths inZambia. The 2016/17 Zambia Demographic and HealthSurvey notes that 40 percent of children under five areeither stunted or wasted (stunted is age-to-height andwasting is weight-to-age).

To improve the nutritional dietof children on the orphanProgramme, the SHAREAfricaZambia factory has begunproducing a Corn Soya Blend(CSB) which will be distributedto the children duringvisitation. We also try to sellthe food to other ‘feedingprograms’ to cover the cost ofproduction. Our CSB supercereal is made to thestandards specified by theWorld Food Programme. Thefood is enriched with 13vitamins and 3 minerals.

The 2016 Global Nutrition Report notes that malnutritionand poor diets constitute the number-one driver of theglobal burden of disease. For Zambia, a country that cangrow such a variety of nutritious food such as maize, rice,millet, sorghum, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, cassava,groundnuts, soya beans - and many other fruits andvegetables - it is concerning that malnutrition is at such ahigh level. The root problem is poverty, where people eithercan’t grow or afford to buy the type of food they need for ahealthy diet. For far too long in Zambia, ‘Food security’ hasbeen the catchphrase, meaning that people can survive onmaize or nshima (a staple food in Zambia, similar toporridge) - but this is not enough.

Nutrition challenges have now shifted to ‘House foodsecurity’ and ‘Nutrition security’, which the Food and

Agricultural Organisation (FAO) defines as ‘access by allpeople at all times to the adequate utilisation andabsorption of nutrients in food, that will enable them to livea healthy and active life’.  Having ‘food’ – however defined –does not guarantee a nutritious diet. The food must be ofthe right quantity, quality and variety.

However, when most people live below the poverty line andcannot afford to buy the food they need, the answer to suchaspirations is complex. Economic growth lies at the heart ofpoverty reduction and improvements in health andinequality. The reason why SHAREAfrica Zambia is involvedin such activities is to try and help our fellow-believers (andothers) improve their income by creating and supporting‘self help’ opportunities.

Our small food processing factory, which buys the grainfrom the rural farmers to make several products, addsnutrient fortification to these products to enhance theirnutritional value. The SHAREAfrica Zambia facility wants tocontribute in whatever way it can to fight malnutrition,especially among our fellow-believers and their children.

Office BurglaryOn the 13th July 2018, thieves broke into our offices at Makeni and stole all the computers, other valuables and, ironically, theoffice Safe - a total loss of about £4,000.

The burglary was reported to the police, but no arrests have been made. The site is guarded by a security company and theguard on duty was taken into custody, but no information has been forthcoming. It is unlikely that any of the stolen equipmentwill be recovered.

Our greatest loss was the back-up data for the computers. These were held in the fire safe along with some legal papers.Thankfully our accountant had a month-old copy of the accounts on a home computer. He is now in the process of re-enteringthe lost data. Fortunately, the Orphan data is held on a ‘cloud’ system which is unaffected.

The burglary has highlighted the need for a more robust security system. We are planning to install surveillance cameras andalarm systems, as well as erecting a razor wire on the surrounding wall and fence. We are moving the accounting system to the‘cloud’ so that the financial information is also stored remotely.

In the past we have had a borehole pump and truck parts stolen but this break-in has been the most serious.

The Seed Farm

The yield for 2017/18 SHAREAfrica Zambia Out-growers(SAZ OTG) farming season was unfortunately belowaverage. The scheme has recorded a reduction in yieldcompared to 2016/17 season. The reduction is mainly dueto rosette disease which severely attacked most of thecrops of the farmers on the scheme.

Despite a drop in yield, the scheme still reported a numberof positive achievements, for instance:

� 10 farmers that were sub-contracted by the SAZ farmto grow a rosette resistant groundnut seed variety haveall met the projected yields. This means that this newseed will be available to farmers in the coming season.

� New groundnut shellers have proved to be far betterthan the old ones. Farmers are delighted with theinitiative confirming that the new shellers are workingwell without breaking the nuts.

� Though some farmers had a poor harvest, otherswhose fields were not affected by rosette disease havemanaged to make a reasonable profit (see farmerstory).

Impact of the Out-Growers SchemeIt has been proven that the use of certified seed produces abetter yield than recycled seed.  Farmers on the out-growers scheme have confirmed that they have seen atremendous improvement in yield since we began givingthem certified groundnut seed. We are confident that our

new soya and bean seed will have the same effect nextyear.

During the 2017/18 season, an additional 500 farmers inassembly fellowship (farmers who are not on our Out-growers programme) benefited from maize seed which wasgrown at the farm. We provided the seed on condition thatthey give back some bags of maize after the harvest.Almost all the farmers who planted the seed reportedimproved yields compared to previous seasons. They areappealing for the same help next year.

We cannot currently commit to freely distributing seed tofarmers who are not on the Out-growers programme.However, as more farmers are sponsored, we will be ableto freely distribute more seed and meet this widerdemand. If you would like to sponsor a  farmer, please visitthe SHAREAfrica site at www.shareafrica.com or contact usdirectly for more information.

The 2017/18 SHAREAfrica Zambia(SAZ) farming season is the bestexperienced by the farm thus far.Apart from the favourable rainfall, theexemplary farm management, coupledwith experience acquired over theyears are some factors thatcontributed towards a successfulseason.

During the last year, three seed cropswere grown at the farm, namely:Soybean, Sunflower and Groundnuts. Atotal of 75 acres was cultivated, withSoybean taking up two thirds of thefield, and one third shared betweenSunflower and Groundnuts.

The Soybean harvest exceeded ourprojected yield by almost 30%. Theyields for Sunflower and Groundnuts

were average considering that thecrops experienced a partial droughtsoon after planting.

The government institute responsiblefor the regulatory compliance of allseed companies has already conductedfield and laboratory tests for all seedgrown at the farm. We are pleased toreport that they are happy with theresults.

The seed is now being packaged intoprinted bags in readiness fordistribution back to the farmers. Thesurplus will be sold to coveroverheads.

Some assembly believers are alreadyrequesting orders for Soybean seed togrow next season. A lack of quality

seed has been the main cause of poorharvest amongst most of the believersin the rural areas.

Our aim is to grow more drought anddisease resistant seed and to make itaffordable to other poor farmers whoare not on the Outgrower Programme.This is a way of helping them improvetheir crop yields and consequentlytheir livelihoods.

Out-Growers Harvest

Soya Seed ready for distribution

Unloading maize New SAZ shellers

To provide an insight into the family life of a rural farmer, we have included a feature story about one of the farmers on ourOut-growers Scheme. This story is about Ekelesi and Philip Mwale and their family who live in Mgawa. They attend theassembly in Mgawa and farm 10 acres of land in the same region.

Ekelesi was born on 4 January 1979

She is married to Philip and together have 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls.Isaac their first born stopped school in grade 9 due to financialchallenges

Martha and Mary are still in school doing grade 9 and 10 respectively

Jackson, the fourth born is in grade 5. Kennedy and Mercy have not yetstarted school.

During the 2017/18 planting season they grew 3 field crops namely:Cotton, maize and groundnuts

The harvest for cotton was low due to poor soil conditions. Althoughtheir maize crop struggled due to a period of drought immediatelyafter planting, they have managed to harvest 40 x 50kg bags whichis enough to last them to the next season.

The yield for groundnuts was good, which SHAREAfrica Zambiapurchased for 10% above market value.

The revenue realised from the groundnut sale was used to build a newhouse and pay for their children’s school fees.

Their old house was on the verge of collapse, hence the income madefrom their groundnuts came at an opportune time for them to erecta more substantial replacement.

Their greatest challenge is to continue to raise their annual income, sothey can support their children’s education and remain with enoughfood to last them throughout the season.

The couple are grateful for the support provided, particularly inproviding seed and soft loans to enable then to hire labour to helpthem work their field.

The pictures tell the story of how they have improved their living conditionsand how proud they are that they have been able to provide shelteredaccommodation for their family. We believe that  providing them with themeans to work their field profitably is the best approach to help alleviatetheir poverty. Ongoing dependency is not a long-term solution to sustainedimprovement - but we believe that increasing income will reduce the needfor such support.  Hopefully Philip and Ekelesi may soon be in a position tobuy a range of quality seed from SHAREAfrica Zambia rather than have itdonated to them. Please pray for them and their family.

Out-Grower Scheme - Feature Story

Progress on the New Office BlockThe new office block is taking shape. The shell is almost complete, and we hope tostart working on the roof and windows in October. We want the buildingwatertight before the rains come in November.

The new office will be a significant improvement on the converted containerswhich have been used since the outset of SHARE operations in Zambia.  The newbuilding will be more spacious, with improved security, air-conditioning andproper toilet facilities. The roof, windows and finishings will be the mostchallenging and costly stage of the build. We thank everyone for their continuedand ongoing prayerful and practical support.

Old House

New House

Ekelesi, her Husband Philip, Mary andMercy

Besa KatangaBesa is a fifth-

year studentstudying for aBA degree inCivil and Envi-ronmental En-gineering atthe Universityof Zambia. Despite being

an orphan, having lost both parents ata young age, she is a young lady with astrong Christian testimony who is tak-ing her education seriously.

Besa is encouraged by the words ofPaul in Philippians 4v13, quoting themto us when she states “I can do allthings through Christ who strengthensme”. She goes on to say “I haveexperienced God's amazing grace andunconditional love shown by Hispeople. The unfaltering support I havereceived from SHAREAfrica Zambia andthose supporting the work has indeedhelped me see how truly God providesfor His children. It has also helped mesee how much God's children arewilling to sacrifice. When I think deeplyabout such selflessness, tears fill myeyes and I am but compelled to go anextra mile in my efforts towards myacademics as well as other avenues oflife. I believe and trust that greatreward awaits them that serve theLord earnestly”.

Besa will finish this year and go on tofull-time employment. Zambia is awareof the need for young engineers todevelop their economy.

Besa is one of only four students weare sponsoring through tertiaryeducation. While such supportprovides a great opportunity fortalented students, the costs are high.In future, it may be possible to set up a‘further education’ fund for studentswith exceptional talent, but, as always,it is a question of balancing resourcesacross our many commitments.  Pleasecontinue to pray for Besa’s spiritualprogress and preservation, as well asher studies and future employment,God willing.

Clement Sicoobo

Clement is 17 years old and currentlylives with his elderly, partially blind,grandfather. Clement and his youngersister Nora are both sponsored by ourOrphan Programme. The school theyattend has a separate feedingprogramme provided by anotherorganization – they say without thisthey couldn’t survive. Despite thehardship, Clement is doing well atschool. The head teacher commendedhim as a well behaved and hard-working boy.

SHAREAfrica pays his school fees andprovides an education support pack,but school uniforms are not included inthe allowance. Clement bought hisschool uniform from money earneddoing part-time work during the schoolholidays.

Support Pack Distribution

The recipients of support packsexpressed excitement after receivingthe packs recently. Most of thebeneficiaries are from vulnerablefamilies, many of whom havesignificant needs. Once the foodfactory becomes more self-sufficient,we would hope to increase the help toorphans like Clement and others.

Presently there are two types ofsupport pack; one for secondaryschool children and a different one forprimary school children. Secondaryschool children get school fees, aschool bag, Bible, dictionary, pencilsand books. The primary school children

get school fees (as required), a foodpack and supplementary items. Thenutritional pack is tailored to combatthe effects of malnutrition.

The distribution process is coupledwith the provision of practical andspiritual support to both the orphansand the guardians.

General UpdateThe online record keeping system iscontinually being updated. If you are asponsor and are unable to log-on or ifyou have a question about theinformation being provided, pleaseget in touch. Presently we have 188sponsored children. Because thesystem has been going for manyyears, sponsors are paying variousamounts ranging from ten to twentypounds. It currently costs abouttwenty pounds each month to providethe various orphans with theirsupport packs via a personal visit.

If you would like to sponsor anorphan, then please visit our websitewhere you can set it up online.Otherwise please contact us and wecan make the necessaryarrangements.

Orphan Programme – Feedback and General Update

Food packs being distributed

Schoolbags being distrubuted

Clement with his aged grandfather

The dangers of toxins and theneed for a test lab

What is Aflatoxin? It is a toxic compound produced bycertain moulds found in food.

Why is Aflatoxin control important? Because it isharmful to human health and can lead to liver damageand cancer.

What causes Aflatoxins? They can develop as a resultof a number of factors, including poor  agriculturalpractices, high humidity or severe drought conditionsand agricultural commodities that are moresusceptible to it, such as peanuts. The species ofmoulds that combine to form Aflatoxin grow in soilswhen conditions are just right, including whendecaying food, plants, hay and grains are piledtogether to decompose in areas with high moistureand high temperatures.

How many types of toxins are there? There are at least13 different types of naturally-occurring Aflatoxin toxicmoulds that researchers have been able to identify.

How prevalent are aflatoxins in Zambia? The currentlevel of aflatoxin nationally is between 40 and 60 ppb(parts per billion). The official safe limit in Zambia is15ppb! In other words, the toxic level is at least 3times higher than it should be.

What about our food processing factory in Lusaka?Given the national prevalence of aflatoxins in Zambiaand the significant health problems that can result,this issue is a key risk that we constantly measure andmonitor. The peanut butter made in our factoryactually has an extremely low aflatoxin range ofbetween 6 and 8 ppb, making SHARE peanut butterthe safest in Zambia.  However we are not complacentand aim to reduce this level even further.

How is this achieved? As well as being trained on howto maximise returns on their crops, the farmers wesponsor in the out-growers scheme are also taughthow to control aflatoxins in their fields and at post-harvest handling.  A combination of physical and bio-control measures has resulted in a 70% reduction inaflatoxin levels being achieved. Further proceduresand practices at the factory also help to minimise theincidence and levels of aflatoxin.

What can be done further? We would like to establisha small laboratory within the factory to perform avariety of critical tests for aflatoxins, salmonella, totalcoliform and Ecoli.   Moisture analysis and otherquantitative tests could also be carried out on site,allowing a more timely response in measuring andmanaging these risks. At present we rely on externaltesting services.

Contact informationSHAREAfrica, PO Box 401,

Harrogate, HG2 9WZTelephone: 01423879280 or 07889433979

www.shareafrica.comInfo@shareafrica.com or

SHAREAfrica is a registered UK charity 1094198Gift Aid applies

If you would like to support the work of SHAREAfrica bymaking a donation you can do this in a number of ways.

1. BY DEBIT/CREDIT CARD using our websitewww.shareafrica.com and selecting ‘Donations’from the main menu bar.

2. BY ELECTRONIC BANK TRANSFER using either on-line banking or by instructing your local bankbranch to make an electronic transfer. The SHAR-EAfrica banking details are as follows

a. U.K. DonationsAccount Name: Share AfricaAccount Number: 10592935Sort Code: 20-29-23b. Overseas DonationsIBAN GB56BARC20292310592935SWIFTBIC BARCGB22

If you make a donation by this method, itwould be helpful if you would please notifyus by email or post (see contact informationbelow) so that we can identify your donationon our bank statement.

Electricity UpgradeAfter waiting a year, the power upgradeto the Makeni site is now complete. Itwas a costly exercise; we had to pay fora transformer, poles, overhead cablesand underground armoured cables. Wetrust the expense is justified byimprovements in factory productivity.

Smart PhonesWe collect unused ‘smart phones’. (SamsungGalaxy 3 or above). They are helpful intracking activities in the rural areas. They canalso be pre-loaded with a copy of the Bible inlocal language.

Trustees: Cliff Brown, Leonard Currie, Jim McPhail, Paul Richardson, Alistair Rogers