The BASIC SUBSISTENCE needs of communities must be met if people are to progress toward SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Unfortunately, vast numbers of people in sub-Saharan regions of Africa lack access to these essential needs. The World Food Program estimates that 2.2 million people in Zimbabwe are currently in need of immediate food assistance and almost half of the total population suffer from malnutrition. In addition, UNICEF statistics show 21% of Malawi’s children as underweight and an alarming 46% as stunted.
Child Legacy International supplements the diets of the people located in the areas we serve until the community is strong enough to meet its own needs. We are dedicated to nurturing Africa’s youth into self-sufficient adults for years to come.
Zimbabwe Feeding Program
During the 1990s, Zimbabwe faced a devastating nationwide famine due to a dramatic shortage in agriculture production from excessive drought. Child Legacy responded by designing and implementing a comprehensive feeding program funded by the British government, which provided over 60,000 rural people with a nutritious meal every day for seven consecutive years. Nearly 40% of recipients of our feeding program were children under the age of five.
Our staff and community volunteers distributed food and also offered information regarding HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. In addition, we provided maps with directions to nearby clinics for HIV testing and general medical treatment. Noting CLI’s exceptional methods of administration, the British government funded the majority of the program with the remainder of the program supported by our international partners.
Africa’s children are her future and we are dedicated to nurturing her youth into self-sufficient adults.
School Lunch Program
The World Food Program’s “World Hunger Series 2006: Hunger and Learning” report revealed that hungry children experience “mental stunting, lower intelligence quotients (IQs), and reduced capacities to learn.” In addition, studies conducted within the United States report that hungry children experience great difficulty concentrating in school and are more likely to have behavioral problems and drop out before graduation.
Child Legacy operates various feeding initiatives that nourish thousands of families on an as-needed basis, including a school feeding program in Zimbabwe. We currently provide 1,300 Zimbabwean school children with healthy daily meals at the Marambakuzara Primary School to support their mental and physical growth and development. This meal also encourages children to attend school and work in a more productive learning environment.
Sustainability through Farming
We research and teach the local population the best agricultural methods and crop choices for the climate and soil of each specific rural community we serve. Our research findings are passed on to the local people to improve their harvests, as well as that of our own. Today, we have hundreds of mature citrus trees in our orchard and thousands of plants in our gardens yielding produce to support the needs of our Zimbabwe children’s home and the surrounding community.
In addition, our vocational training school provides in-depth education on small- and large-scale farming, including crop rotation, fertilization and irrigation methods powered by renewable energy.
Through your support, Child Legacy International will be able to provide nutritious meals to children, men and women in Africa, while training them to achieve long-term food security through sustainable farming techniques. What’s more, you will be instrumental in filling people with more than food – you’ll be filling them with hope. Join us in our mission dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through the development of successful sustainable initiatives.