School-based Water, Health & Nutrition:

Project Details

Each gift to TEAR Australia is an opportunity to plan seeds of God’s Kingdom in poor and marginalised communities. Working with our Christian partners, TEAR helps communities to identify their needs and helps them take significant steps out of poverty.

Zambia ranks amongst the countries with the highest level of inequality and poverty in the world. According to the World Bank, 58% of Zambia’s 16.6 million people earn less than the international poverty line of $1.90 per day. This compares to 41% across Sub-Saharan Africa, and three quarters of Zambia’s poor live in rural areas. 

In practical terms, hunger, malnutrition, and inadequate hygiene and sanitation continue to impair health, quality of life and survival in many parts of Zambia. TEAR Australia’s partner Reformed Open Community Schools (ROCS) is working with 30 community schools and 120 villages in Eastern Zambia to improve health, hygiene and nutrition outcomes in these vulnerable rural communities. 

Your gift to TEAR would help:

Deliver school-based Water, Hygiene and Nutrition programs 

ROCS works in local schools to build toilets, tapstands and - more significantly - teach children and the broader community about health and hygiene practices. The school-based program also includes nutrition classes and school gardens. This helps children learn about a balanced diet and improve their overall capacity to learn.  

Improve health and nutrition programs in the broader community 

Villages surrounding schools have been increasingly involved in the work of ROCS. Through the establishment of mothers groups, ROCS is helping community members to grow more diverse crops and improve the diet of community members. 

Support economic well-being through Savings & Loans Groups (microfinance) Initiatives

Roster is just one woman who has seen enormous benefit from joining her local village savings and loans group. Although she’s been selling fruit locally since 2003, the VSLA has made a huge difference in her life. In the past, she would have enough money to cover her needs with nothing left over. Now - with the help of the group - she’s able to purchase fertiliser that will help her yield. She’s also been able to buy clothes as well as plates and bowls for the home. The biggest difference the group has made is being able to save some money.. and earn interest on it. In the future she’s hoping to save enough money to even [re]build a house.

To make a donation to this project

Click on the donate button (which takes you to Tear Australia donation page), and then in the comment/preference field specify this project.