Zambia

Map & Basic Information

  • Area

    752.61 thousand square kilometers

  • Population

    20.01 million (World Bank, 2022)

  • Capital

    Lusaka / 1,272 meters above sea level

  • Ethnicity

    73 (Tonga, Nyanja, Bemba, Lunda, etc.)

  • Language

    English (official), Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga

  • Religion

    Nearly 80% Christianity, others (Islam, Hinduism, traditional religions)

zambia

Source:Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Issues to be addressed

There are refugees from Angola and Rwanda who had to spend several decades in Zambia and decided to remain in Zambia even after the conflicts in their home countries ended and their refugee status was ceased. These "former refugees" are resettled in resettlement areas and have to build homes and establish livelihoods from scratch on land that lacks very basic infrastructure. The condition of the country's overall educational standards is also low.

Activities

Expending basic education to
residents including “former refugees”

Residents of the Meheba Refugee Settlement learning in adult and youth literacy classes.

Zambian government has been implementing a project for promoting a local integration for former refugees, in which former refugees were provided a residence permit and a land plot. Since 2017, AAR Japan has been supporting former refugees and Zambians to create a community together. , Currently, we are working to expand educational opportunities for the local community and improve the learning environment for children through initiatives such as the construction of secondary education facilities, teacher training, and adult literacy programs.

Major Activities in Past

  • 1984 - 2004

    Support in Meheba Refugee Settlement

    In Meheba, one of the largest refugee settlements in the country, we drilled boreholes and built and operated a clinic and library.

  • 2000 - 2019

    HIV/AIDS

    In Zambia, where one out of every eight adults was said to be HIV-positive at the time, we conducted awareness-raising activities to prevent infection and provided schooling support for children who had lost parents to AIDS.

  • 2016 - 2019

    Maternal and child health
    services

    In rural areas where access to medical facilities is difficult, we built clinics, provided medical and office equipment, and trained health volunteers.