Zambia Cattle Project!

April 21, 2002

We are pleased beyond words and want to tell everyone about the success of our project to restore 24 heifers and two bulls for two settlements in the Mumbwa region of Zambia that totally lost their cattle due to corridor disease almost five years ago.  With this they lost their draft power and milk protein source.  Women and children have been pulling plows.  The quality of an already impoverished economy had deteriorated further.


Maxwell Kasakabantu putting his hand to the plow

LifeNets committed to restore the cattle.  In addition LifeNets wanted to make certain that every measure was followed to minimize the risk of infectious diseases infecting and killing the animals.  So, in July 2000 Andre van Belkum and Victor Kubik traveled to the Mumbwa area of Zambia to assess the situation and take action. 

It was determined that 24 heifers and two bulls were needed for the two communities.  Funds were raised in the United States for the project.  After the usual delays that are typical of working in Africa, plus a hoof and mouth scare in the summer of 2001 progress was hindered.  But, finally the last week of October a training seminar was held in the Nalubanda settlement where the cattle was going to be delivered. In this seminar, Gibbson Simalyata, an agriculture professor at the University of Zambia in Monze conducted a training seminar for six days from October 28th to November 2nd. Photos below show some of the activities of the training seminar called "Pass on the Gift." Plans are to help others in the Mumbwa region who have lived in similar circumstances to the people we are working with.  Click here to see the program details of the seminar.

On December 3, 2001 the cattle were delivered as the rainy season arrived. The cattle were purchased across the major Kafue River which is only a few miles from the settlements we work in. The people from the village walked 25 miles to pick up the cattle.  They had to swim them 200 yards across the Kafue River herded by two canoes on each side of the line of swimming animals. It's quite a story which you can read in their in own handwriting below.

We were not able to find out what was going on in the remote settlements after the rainy season begins in mid-November, but after the rains in  late March 2002 Kambani Banda, LifeNets Zambia Affiliate Director traveled to Mumbwa and took these wonderful photos of the Brahma heifers which had already grown considerably since December.

We want to thank all the volunteers who helped pull this project together and make it a great success.  On the donor end we thank Vern Hargrove and the Hammond and Elkhart, Indiana United Church of God congregations who donated the first $1000 to this project. We also thank the Cape Girardeau, Missouri UCG congregation, Carl Hoffman, John Hendrick,  Ken Zahora.  Special thanks to Illinois farmers Ken and his son Alex Kerr who donated money for four calves and one plow.  We also thank all other donors.

On the implementation end we thank Kambani Banda for his tireless visits from the captial city of Lusaka and the dusty four hour trip to drive 100 miles to Mumbwa.  He has overseen the purchase of the cattle as LifeNets Zambia Affiliate Director. Thanks to Gibbson Simalyata for taking time from a busy teaching schedule at the University of Zambia to conduct the six day training seminar. Thanks to Andre van Belkum for all his coordination as LifeNets South Africa Affiliate Director as well.

We will be having more Zambia updates coming up....so please come back here to visit.

Below are photos of the heifers and new plows.



Armstrong Maninga and his wife



Maxwell and Joyce Kasakabantu

Apren Moomba trying out the plow

Jerry Shachaongo and wife

Lakson Kadaso and wife


The Training Program
October 28-November 2, 2001

Outlining a plan on how to care
for the animals



Gibbson showing how it's done!



Lecture sessions with Gibbson Simalyata

Training to make silage

Learning how to support each
other as a team

Thank You Letter from the Recipients

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