The Copperbelt

A question we’ve been asked many times since the beginning of Beyond Ourselves is “Why Zambia?". The quick answer is because of relationship – it’s hard to partner with people you don’t know!

But there is so much more to the answer. We often find that because Zambia is a peaceful country and doesn’t get much media attention back in the UK or Canada, that many people are unaware of the current state of the country, and it’s history.

So our UK volunteer, Maren (originally from Norway), is sharing some of her findings with you to help give answers to the “Why Zambia” question…

Today, Zambia has one of the highest rates of poverty in Africa. About 68% of Zambians live below the recognised national poverty line. But it hasn’t always been this way.

For many years, the Copperbelt (where Beyond Ourselves is based) was one of Zambia’s most important areas. When the copper mining emerged it set off a burst of industrial development that changed the country - Zambia became the definition of a modernising Africa.

The urbanisation of the Zambian Copperbelt area was seen as great development and a way to better economics and general wellbeing in the society. The rapid increase in export, more work for local people (in the copper mines), modernisation and Eurocentric development (because of the import/trade deals with Europeans) was at first a blessing for the community, but it didn’t continue.

When the international economic downfall of the oil industry happened in the mid 1970s, it changed all market values and the terms of trade for copper exporters declined sharply. Because of the sudden change and lack of opportunities for export and income from copper mining, this led to increased unemployment as the miners were now without work, meaning less or no income for several families in the community.

For those of you who like numbers, here’s what they say:

• The number of people living in urban poverty within the Zambian community increased from 4% in 1975 to just under 50% in 1994 according to the World Bank. Meaning that after urbanisation the number of people living in poverty was more than 12 times higher than before the modernising and urbanising process began (and ended).

• A study also showed a rise in food costs and food budget for each family between 1980-1988 of more than a staggering 650%. In 1980 an unskilled worker would spend 64% of his monthly income on food supplies, and by 1988 this number rose to 88%. Imagine that – after buying your family’s monthly essential food supply, you would be left with only 20% of your wage? And you still have other essential expenses that need to be met, such as bills, clothing, health (both expected and unexpected) etc.?

The reality was that unemployed people were left in even worse situations than before the urbanising, and families had to even sometimes skip meals to be able to survive.

Unfortunately, economics was not the only challenge. Health issues such as AIDS, malaria, malnutrition and so on increased as a result of poverty. There was a lack of education and information about hygiene and health coupled with not enough money to pay for health checks, doctor visits and medicine.

Which are some of the factors why today the Copperbelt, once a leading African community towards economic growth and modernisation, is now an economically challenged community with some of the highest rates of poverty.

They once were so close to reaching their dreams, so close to being able to live a life out of poverty, and so close to being a leading community. But when you are so close and then fall, it can help to have a hand up, to dust yourself off and dream again...