Female Lead Farmers Apply for Funding under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission
Hivos
Most communities currently face the challenge of accessing climate finance funds, which can help build resilience. Three female lead farmers in the Kanakantapa ward of Chongwe District, Lusaka, applied for funding under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission as alternatives to climate finance to build climate resilience.
These female lead farmers, Theresa Chewe, Lydia Phiri, and Happiness Mwanza, have been engaging on the project “Advocacy for diverse and climate resilient food system in Zambia“ implemented by CSPR in partnership with KATC and support from Hivos.
Theresa Chewe and Lydia Phiti applied for a K265,000 and a K200,000 loan, respectively, under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), and Happiness applied for a K450,000 loan under the Citizen’s Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC).
The three female lead farmers expressed their excitement for successfully submitting their applications for the loans, adding that this will help them meet their needs as farmers, especially with the drought and energy crisis being experienced.
“The problem being faced right now is the water and energy crisis. Given the funds, we will be able to put up a solar, water, and irrigation system which will be helpful to us in carrying out our agricultural practices and works and build resilience to climate change. We are hopeful that our efforts will not go in vain.”
Listen to the voices of other community members expressing how receiving training to apply for and accessing funding have benefitted them to start their climate smart agricultural projects.
