Guns, germs and steel in Zambia: part two

This essay is an attempt to explain the plight of one underdeveloped country and the reasons for such, as well as how Nebraskans can be of effective assistance in improving the lives of the folks there. Part one, previously presented, explained the problems encountered in this country. Part two, presented here, discusses how we may responsibly attempt to solve those problems.

By Charles Erickson, M.D.

What can be done to improve the lives of the Zambians?

If there were an easy answer, it would have been accomplished years ago. Too often solutions have been thrust upon the Zambians without their input. Besides, not all aspects of Western culture are desirable. Zambians have strong family ties, which contribute to a sense of well-being and support for one another in this land of primitive lifestyle. In spite of the hardships, the folks seem happy and are friendly. Looking after your extended family and friends is important. For example, if you are in need and request help from someone who can supply that need, he is expected to give it to you. In the future, if the tables are turned, you will be expected to help him out. This informal banking system works in many ways, but it explains why saving and storing things are not advantageous.

There are an estimated 600 NGOs (nongovernment organizations) in Zambia, 450 of which work in rural areas. However, often there is little coordination among groups, each one wanting to pursue its own vision and set of interventions.

In addition, over five billion dollars have been poured into Africa in the past 40 years, for which there is little to show in improved quality of life. Therefore, we must avoid the mistakes of the past. A brief note in US News and World Report cites Jeffrey Sachs, an economist who is an expert in world poverty; Sachs states the following:

What I’ve learned on the ground is that poor people face very specific and very practical solutions that don’t reach these communities because they’re too poor to undertake them on their own. As a macroeconomist, I tended to somehow be above the details for a long time until I started working in villages and understanding what was really happening. What I found was, not surprisingly, a lot of disease, unsafe water, lack of sanitation, schools not close by, and, especially, incredibly low productivity in farming.

 Economists don’t necessarily know about some things. How do you fight malaria? How do you grow more food? Working together with communities, the progress can be remarkably rapid. Farmers can triple or quadruple their food output. They can get malaria under control. They can get their children in school and learning better with a mid-day meal. Traditional economics is basically the view that if something is going wrong, fix the markets. But even before you get to functioning markets, people need a baseline of survival. They can’t do it on their own.

This is a succinct statement of how best to help. Sachs has stated in the past that with adequate funds and initiative, poverty can be solved in the underdeveloped countries, but he now recognizes it is important how we go about helping. Rotary wants to help in this manner.

When attempting to change certain things in a culture, it is important to understand the workings of such. Not all changes are for the better, and change cannot come too rapidly. It is unlikely that the Zambians will abandon their diet of nsima for other grains. This is not surprising, considering Americans are very slow to trade a hamburger and fries for sprouts and greens, which would improve their diet.

Since 2003, Rotary District 5650 has been involved in and around Livingstone, mostly at the Sons of Thunder Mission, which, as noted above, has a clinic, agricultural program, an orphanage, a church and a school. We have supported some of these programs, but have seen the most success through the funding of boreholes. Nebraskans call these wells, but technically the former is a shaft drilled into the ground to a depth of 30 to 200 feet. There is an aquifer in Zambia, much like that in Nebraska, which can supply clean water. In the past, water was obtained from pockets of water in dried creek beds or sometimes from small dams. In other areas, superficial wells are available, but these can be easily contaminated.

In recent years, Zambia, as in many parts of Africa, has experienced severe droughts, which have left many starving. Only about 40 percent of the mission’s farm has soil suitable for farming, but it has been shown that a farmer can produce enough produce for his family to survive upon if there is water and fertilizer. Larger fields can produce maize in greater quantities, but it is not uncommon for elephants and other wild animals to destroy and eat up a field in a brief period of time.

Providing a borehole with a hand pump for personal use, as well as to water a garden, is a blessing for the villagers. In the words of Padmore, a resident at the Sons of Thunder farm: “I can’t believe the ‘White Man’ would come half way around the world to give us water. Now my family is healthy and I have four instead of two oxen.” The District Rotarians, with matching grants from Rotary International (RI), have placed five boreholes and plan to move outside of the farm to fund even more.

In addition, we have assisted in establishing the clinic, provided supplies for the orphanages, conducted nutritional analysis, provided agricultural consultation and, most recently, helped construct racks for mosquito nets to be placed over the orphan’s beds. A work team visited Zambia in May 2008 to accomplish the latter, as well as to teach the orphanage workers about new strategies of health, nutrition, safety and child development. We found the workers extremely attentive and desiring of new knowledge. It is well known that the education of girls and women is the best way of improving health and well-being in developing countries.

Because there is no need for more boreholes on the 10,000-acre farm, we now are exploring alternative collaborating organizations. One of these is a Norwegian NGO by the name of Response Network. The philosophy of this group is to enable Zambians to solve their own problems. For example, RN has helped to establish 200 community schools that are not supported by the government. Their work is not limited to education, however, for they promote clubs and other groups that deal with any issue the villagers determine to be important for their well-being. RN believes the approaches in the past have led too often to dependency, which can be crippling to the Zambians.

In addition to water, we are exploring ways that our work teams can come and provide health evaluations, nutritional analysis and other expertise. We hope to integrate scientific knowledge with sound traditional practice. In the past, the diet was most likely a healthy one, for these folks would not have survived for thousands of years if this were not the case. Professor Ian Newman, a health educator at UNL, has pointed out that many traditional practices may be helpful even if they are not compatible with Western ideas, such as the eating of insects, which can be a valuable source of protein. (We visited a village where we were offered beer made of sorghum and a side of termites. I passed on the latter but did sample the former—I’ve tasted worse beer.)

Often those in the West want to create an environment that is similar to ours in Zambia. However, at this time, this view is unrealistic. First of all, not all of our culture is superior, e.g. drug abuse, divorce, obesity and sedentary life style. Even if it were possible for all the Zambians to live in houses like ours and drive expensive automobiles, the infrastructure is simply not there nor is there an economy that would support affluence. In my opinion, we should help the Zambians achieve a sustainable lifestyle in small steps.

Our plan is to assist in the development of schools, in improved health by teaching health education and in improved nutrition. Agriculture is another area that can be improved. As Sachs has noted above, crop productivity can be improved; however, if this requires fertilizer, pesticides and high-yield grains, will the farmers be able to afford them? We noted previously that the Green Revolution has improved the lot of many in India and China, but is it sustainable? I am certainly not an expert in sustainable agriculture, but I believe that this needs to be addressed if changes are to be permanent. However, I think one can speculate that it is better that Zambians not use gasoline-powered equipment at this time. The cost will go up, and they won’t be able to afford it. Also, the infrastructure, such as adequate roads and public transportation, is not functional and probably won’t be for some time. Therefore, subsistence farming, in my opinion, is best at this time. Thus, working the land by hand or oxen should be the most immediate goal.

Another similar issue is having the ability to cook food and having electricity in some form. Women spend considerable time gathering wood or, in some cases, spend hard-earned money to buy charcoal. The open fires are a hazard to young children in that they tend to fall into them. I have seen a burned child every time I’ve traveled to the area since 2005. Smoke from the fire aggravates asthma. Although there is ample wood, some have speculated that there may be a limited supply in the future. Our forefathers used buffalo chips, cow chips or corncobs, but whether these things could work in Zambia is uncertain. What is in abundance is sunlight. Solar cookers, which could be used to prepare nsima, are an option. A small family-sized unit can be made for two dollars and can be bought for $25 (this price includes a pot). I’ve been told that the taste of maize is not altered by cooking in a solar oven. A larger unit has been purchased for the Lubasi Home for children by Rotarians. Nevertheless, there are obstacles to their widespread use. Fires provide light in the evening, ambience (think about it) and may ward off mosquitoes. Solar ovens have been used in Kenya, so it is possible for other Africans to use them, but it does take a cultural change.

As is apparent, there are many obstacles to improving the lot of a group of wonderful people. They are not an inferior folk, but rather ones who have been dealt a difficult hand.

 In conclusion, I have discussed the similarities between Nebraska in the 1800s and in the ’30s and 21st-century Zambia, as well as reasons why our ancestors were able to create a land of plenty. Our technology, but most important, clean, plentiful water, is the cornerstone of improving the lot of folks both here and there. Rotary International has promoted water projects around the world and our District is working hard to provide funding for such. However, we need additional financial support to achieve our goals. Because a dollar given is matched with an additional 50 cents, your contributions are leveraged by 50 percent. Who can match that kind of yield in this day and age?

Not everyone is aware that Rotary International is largely responsible for the near elimination of polio in the world. The various clubs around the world have collectively contributed over $600,000 for this endeavor. Most recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has offered a $350,000 grant if RI matches it with an additional $200,000. These funds, along with those from other sources, will enable us to completely eliminate polio in the world

Our project is not as grandiose, but, as you can see, through Rotary International we can make a difference in Zambia and around the world.

We invite comments and would be pleased to discuss our project with any group or individual.

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