The main sources of Zambia?s food insecurity at household level are the inability to produce enough food due to lack of agricultural service support and technical exigencies such as unfavourable climatic conditions, disease and insect attacks, etc; inadequate incomes and inability to purchase food, inadequate market and transport systems to take food from surplus to deficit areas within the country; and the impact of HIV/AIDS on the productive capacity of households. The detrimental impact that HIV/AIDS has on rural households productive capacity and food security is been experienced in rural communities like Chikanta. It is clear that, with the present technology, Zambia is capable of growing enough food (except in worst drought years) to provide its 12 million people with sufficient food.The problem is access to that food by low-income households. A large portion of Zambia?s poor cannot command food resources because they simply cannot afford to purchase it at the prevailing prices. In rural areas like Chikanta, the small-scale farm households are not able to command food resources because of their low per capita productivity ? to grow and store enough food to provide for their families throughout the year. The two-to-three months prior to the harvest are a period of sufficient national deprivation for many rural households in Zambia.

It is to this background that Hantambo Women?s Organisation in particular has sought to partner with GEF Small Grants Programme to diversify its focus and get involved in the planning and implementation of irrigation system, Food security and income generating interventions aimed at improving access to clean water and food security in Chikanta area of Kalomo District in southern Province of Zambia. Hantambo Women?s Organisation would require $44,565 from GEF to accomplish the above activities that support Land Degradation and environmental conservation in line with GEF Small Grants Programme improved and sustainable people's livelihoods through the management of environmental resources thereby contributing.
ABOUT THE NGO
The project is under Hantambo Women?s Organisation which is a Community Based Organisation registered with the Registrar of Societies in Zambia with certificate number ORS/102/320 issued on 9th October, 2007. The main centre of the organization is located 70 kilometres west of Kalomo town in Kasukwe Ward, Dundumwezi Constituency, Chief Chikanta, Kalomo District in the Southern Province of Zambia. The organization is run by a non-paid executive committee and coordinator and has 352 members majority of who are women but men are also on board.