US Dept of State Grant!
Supporting 'Chakudya Chatu', Urban Food Security Program, Lusaka, Zambia
Spring 2025 | We made it to Zambia!
Hello, Everyone!
In a time of uncertainty when it comes to climate action and the flow of US federal funds to support sustainability projects, we’re excited to share some amazing news. Members of Brym’s Global Working Group have received a grant supporting our work in Lusaka, Zambia. This project, led by Andrew Banda, Global Working Group member since 2023, was also accepted for funding through Brym’s Fund for Peace & Sustainable Worlds this year.
Combined, the Federal Grant & Brym Funds will go towards launching Chakudya Chatu - Below, you’ll see an introduction to the program written by Team Lead, Andrew!
Author: Andrew Banda
Lusaka, Zambia,April 7, 2025
Brym and Kamwisani Youth Hub (which I recently Founded) will be doing a Reciprocal Exchange project called “Chakudya Chatu,” supported by the Mandela Washington Fellowship. This project will train young people in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, how to set up and train others in urban gardens as mitigation measures against food insecurity in Lusaka’s low-income households.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Since 2014, nearly 7,200 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Fellowship. The Fellows, between the ages of 25 and 35, are accomplished leaders and have established records of promoting innovation and positive impact in their communities and countries. I was able to be a part of last year’s program and visited the US!
Now, this year the Reciprocal Exchange gives U.S. citizens the opportunity to apply to implement projects in sub-Saharan African countries to continue collaborative work with Fellowship Alumni on the continent. These partnerships and professional connections are intended to form lasting relationships, expand markets and networks, and increase mutual understanding. Imani Cenac, Malik Saric, and Thomas Guest, Brym Global Working Group members, were accepted to join this next phase!
The Chakudya Chatu Project, meaning ‘Our Food’ in local language, will begin by exchanging knowledge with 50 young people and women, sharing techniques for establishing a garden in their yards, using materials that can easily be found, then working with their surrounding neighbors to build towards collective food security, neighborhood by neighborhood.
The project idea has been a long-standing idea of Kamwisani of how food insecurity can be reduced in low-income areas of urban areas, starting with Lusaka. Shocks to the food systems as seen through COVID-19 and the 2024/2025 drought that continues to affect Zambia, has strained urban food systems, contributing to the increase of urban poverty.
The BIG IDEA is, what if more urban dwellers grew part of their food, that would supplement food for most families and create a social net. How does this theoretically look like? Train 50 young people and women in two parts of Lusaka, train them not only on how to establish these gardens, but on how to train others to do the same. Hard work, but then comes the next part, supporting these 50, to train others and establish their gardens, creating a supportive community, who also advocate for greener spaces.
All of these first steps with Imani, Malik and Thomas will be done for that BIG IDEA, reducing hunger, and creating healthier and greener communities. Above all this is what the Reciprocal Exchange project is coming to do, try and start a revolution, the food revolution if you can believe it. More than that, the exchange will allow for the transfer of skills from our U.S partners and vice-versa, creating common understanding and a better Lusaka, a greener and healthier Lusaka, for a start.
For Brym, this is a huge next step in our journey. Global understanding evolving from virtual meetings over Zoom towards in person, local actions - led by our members on the ground.
We look forward to keeping everyone updated on the progress of this project once we return home. For now, here are a few pictures from our first days here and our first workshops with community members in Lusaka.
Excited to share more soon and maybe even some clips of us on Zambian TV!
If you are willing and able to financially support projects like Chakudya Chatu across the world, consider becoming a paid subscriber to this Substack, which puts a portion of that support back into our Fund. Every bit helps as we try to keep sources of funding flowing to amazing projects like this.
Brym Global Working Group Members & Kamwisani Youth Hub Team
Workshop on Mushroom Farming Led by Local Partner, AgriEn
Brym and Kamwisani Teams at the US Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia
Sack Gardening - A Strategy & Tool
