The New Apostolic Church Relief Organization (NACRO) is currently running several projects in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe (DAA 28). The empowerment of women through the savings project is one of them that’s being run in Zambia, particularly in 5 districts of Eastern Province; Chipata, Katete, Nyimba, Petauke and Sinda. The project was launched in August 2024 but it was supposed to be launched in March. It is meant to run for two years six months until August 2026. The goal of the project is ”to contribute to improved livelihoods through savings groups for economic self-awareness for women and their families in Eastern Province by August 2026”. The direct target group are women and girls from 300 households in the different mentioned villages of the Eastern Province of Zambia. Twenty (20) groups have been identified and adopted in the project and these groups have been trained for financial literacy. Community based trainers were as well identified and trained.
It is anticipated that by the end of the project, ninety per cent (90%) of the target group will be able to feed their families adequately all year round and deficiency symptoms caused by malnutrition in children will reduce by the same percentage. Eighty per cent (80%) of the participating families will be able to send their children to school all year round. Its also anticipated that by the end of the project (first quarter of 2026) of the three hundred (300) participating families, sixteen (16) families should be able to officially register in the cooperatives and acquire knowledge of management capacities and methodological knowledge through training.