Zambia is the most incredible place. It is peaceful and politically stable. The people are warm and friendly and the country is physically beautiful. However, in terms of economic development the country is desparately poor. The Ministry of Education in Zambia estimates that more than 500000 children in the country do not attend school. High poverty level have contributed to high dropout levels in both government and privately run schools.
The World Food Programme in Zambia has targeted over 490,000 poor and vulnerable children under the school feeding program at an estimated cost of $8 million this year.
According to the CIA World Factbook (2009) the Life expectancy at birth in Zambia is 38.63. Only two countries in the world, both near neighbours of Zambia, have a lower life expectancy. Furthermore, 86% of the Zambian population live below the poverty line (CIA Factbook) making Zambia the world’s poorest nation according to this measure. Furthermore Zambia has one of the world’s most devastating HIV and AIDS epidemics. More than one in every seven adults in the country is living with HIV and this has had an inevitable impact on life expectancy. In four decades of independence, Zambia has found peace but not prosperity and today it is one of the poorest and least developed nations on earth.
Agriculture, from which the vast majority of Zambians make their living, is also affected by AIDS. The loss of a few workers at the crucial periods of planting and harvesting can significantly reduce the size of the harvest. AIDS is believed to have made a major contribution to the food shortages that hit Zambia in 2002, which were declared a national emergency.
In some countries in the so called developing world there is political instabilty and a lack of regard for the rule of law but this is not the case in Zambia. Of course, as with any econimically poor country there are corrupt elements within society, and often monies given through Government departments and even charities/NGO's is squandered, but unlike Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya or Zimbabawe for example, there is a real chance to make a huge difference in Zambia. With well targeted investment Zambia can escape poverty and potentially reach the same levels of economic security as Botswana.
The key to Zambia's future is her young people. If they can be well educated and empowered then the future Is very bright.
"We can only address poverty if we create wealth. We won't have another round of debt cancellation."
