- The author served as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Zambia from 2005-2007, teaching aquaculture and agriculture techniques. - When his service ended, there were 41 fish ponds in the area. 12 years later, using Google Earth, he located over 100 ponds. - This shows that local farmers not only continued fish farming after he left, but expanded it by teaching others and creating new ponds. Clusters of cooperatively managed ponds and school pond systems were observed.

1. Teaching Aquaculture in
Rural Zambia:
12 Years Later
May, 2018
JASON CUSTER
E: JASONCUSTERAK@GMAIL.COM C: 907-617-3773

2. Introduction:
Ages 23-25 (beginning in 2005) I served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia, near the border of Angola and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My primary assignment was teaching integrated aquaculture / agriculture
techniques as a means of increasing food security and generating income in an area largely dependent upon
slash-and-burn subsistence agricultural practices (“chitemene”). I worked in a region bordering a 25 mile stretch of
the M8 road in NW Province. There were 5 non-English languages spoken in the area where I lived – it was common
for me to speak all 5 each day in the course of my work.
When I finished my service, there were 41 completed ponds in my service area. 12 years later, I used Google Earth
to determine how many ponds still existed in the region.
I was able to locate well over 100 fish ponds in the area in 2018. There are likely others I missed. This means that not
only did people continue engaging in fish farming after I left, but they taught one-another, and continued creating
new ponds, sharing information I provided, and increasing the impact of my work in my absence.
Apparent today are clusters of cooperatively-managed farms, a school pond system, integrated pond/garden
systems, small ponds for individual families, and even some larger ponds which are clearly commercial undertakings.
This is significant. In rural Zambia, fish ponds are a source of protein in an area where children die of poor nutrition.
Fish ponds are an important source of food during the hungry season. Fish ponds mean not going to bed hungry.
Fish pond are an opportunity to make more money to send more children to school. Fish ponds mean keeping
elders alive longer in a country with a life expectancy in the 30s (when I was there). Fish ponds reward good work
ethic. Fish ponds are a pathway to a better, more secure life.
The following slides show some of the results of my work. I am sharing this with hopes that it will inspire others to stick
to their visions for changing the future for the better. While there are significant challenges to every worthwhile
dream, sometimes the results of your efforts are even better than what you had imagined.

3. Zambia is a land-locked country in sub-Saharan Africa bordered by
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Namibia, Angola, and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Where I worked

4. I lived in Zambia’s NW Province, bordered by Angola and the DRC. The cluster of pins gives you a sense of where I
worked. The people I lived and worked with were mostly Chokwes and Luvales (perhaps 70%), with another 20% being
Lundas, and perhaps another 10% being Luchazi. There were a few Kaondes, as well. My primary working languages
were Kichokwe and Kikaonde. I could speak something of the other languages to varying degrees. (Enough to
exchange niceties, barter, ask essential questions, provide basic instructions, etc.) I also used some Icibemba while
travelling around the country, and occasionally used French and German.
Angola
D.R. Congo
NW Province
Where I worked

5. My Chokwe name was Tuuta, meaning “gigantic bush rat,” which was seen as a lucky animal. Below is a view of my
village, named “Tuutatown.” At the time I lived there, Tuutatown was comprised of 26 abandoned mud/grass buildings,
which per Google Earth are no longer there in 2018. (People probably tore them apart for building materials.) I
purchased the village and neighboring fields for $75 from a family matriarch who had once lived there but been driven
out of the area for allegedly being a witch.

6. About 25 Miles
North is always “up”
In the maps which follow
This map provides an overview of where I spent most of my time working, in the Mufumbwe and Kabompo Districts of NW Province.
Communities are located along the M8 road, which was a notoriously difficult unpaved deathtrap in terrible condition. (M8 was eventually
paved a few years after I left the Peace Corps.) To the east is Jivundu, where a fork in the road leads into a Game Management Area
where many people poached meat. (One week during my service, the Zambian Wildlife Authority ambushed and shot everyone who
had been poaching, which significantly increased interest in my fish farming program.) To the west is Manyinga, where European
missionaries once lived – these were the only other non-Africans that had ever lived in the area. I also performed some additional fisheries
extension outreach and other work in communities not shown, including Kabompo (further west in Luvaleland) and Kasempa (further east
in Kaondeland).

7. Here is the same area shown in the prior slide, except with ponds overlaid. The yellow pins indicate ponds which I was
able to find in the area by searching around using Google Earth. (Not all of the pins are visible in this photo.) I could
conclusively identify 105 ponds. There could potentially be others which I missed.
When my volunteer service ended, there were 41 ponds. It is very exciting to think that not only did fish farming remain
sustainable for years after I left, but it grew substantially!

8. Let’s take a look at some individual
ponds.
Here is an amazing cluster of around 15!
These were developed after I left. Note
nearby houses – each sized for a family –
for scale.
Usually a group of ponds like this would
be maintained by a group of people
organized into a cooperative. (There
were 10 cooperatives which formed
during the course of my work.)
These farmers seem to be integrating
aquaculture into gardening practices,
which is exactly what I had been
teaching! The byproducts of gardening
are great inputs for fish ponds, and pond
water is excellent for helping to fertilize
gardens.

9. Here’s another pond/garden system.
The image is a bit blurry due to the
resolution of the satellite imagery. Still,
you can see the compost pile in the
pond - it is a light green blob shape
along the bottom edge of the pond.
One of the toughest things to teach
people was that adding compost and
biomass to a pond was good for
increasing the microorganisms in the
water, which filter-feeding tilapia relied
upon. Many farmers would not add
enough compost material for fear of
making the pond too “dirty.” We spent
significant time trying to overcome
that fear. This was not easy, because
people did not understand the
concept of “microorganisms” and I
could not readily show them some –
they had to simply imagine and
believe them being present. This
farmer appears to have a really good-
sized compost pile going in his pond –
he’s doing it right, despite the typical
concerns about “dirty water.”
Pond compost pile

10. Here is another cluster of ponds. While you cannot see it in the Google
Earth layer, it appears the farmer must have dug a furrow to the pond
from the river nearby, to transport water into his pond system.

11. Here are three sets of ponds near Chilemba, which I worked with quite a bit. The ponds I remember are all still there, 12 years later.
Monkoyo Fish Ponds was a larger cooperative operated by a group of farmers. They have added a few ponds since the end of my
service. East Eagles Fish Pond was a smaller cooperative which shared a single pond. The pond marked “pond” was a small project
owned by a single family; their teenage son managed it. Based on the fact that the riverbed is low on water, the photo appears to be
during the dry season. It appears the East Eagles pond was recently harvested. The river in the middle – low due to the dry season -
marked the divide between Kabompo District (to the left) and Mufumbwe District (to the right).

12. Here’s one of my favorite projects. After a fish
farming workshop, one of the schoolmasters
approached me about establishing a
pond/garden system for his school. His idea was
to use fish farming to teach children science,
math, business, and integrated agriculture /
aquaculture. The fish could be sold for school
supplies, and/or used to help feed the students.
I did three extension visits, and within a couple
weeks, students had completed the ponds.
The school had two ponds when I was in the
Peace Corps. It appear from the photos they
added a third. It is great to see that the school
appears to be continuing to use the pond
system over a decade since their development.
One of the ponds might be dry – it could be
that it was recently harvested. (An advantage
of having multiple ponds is that you can stagger
when they are harvested.)
Rural Zambian schools are easy to identify via
Google Earth due to the presence of an oval-
shaped athletic field. The rectangle in the
middle is for soccer, and the outside track is for
training and running. The long buildings with
bluish metal roofs are the school buildings.

13. Here’s a view of where I lived relative to the many ponds which exist in 2018. Tuutatown – my village –
is the red pin in the center. The ponds are located along rivers and streams. I did a great deal of
work in the farming scheme south of the road system, which was established by the government in the
1980s. (The local nickname for this area was “Scheme.”) All of the ponds I worked with in Scheme are
still there, with some new ones, besides!

14. This map shows the location of various fish ponds in Scheme. Ba (Mr.) Matthews was one of my best farmers – he was formerly an
agricultural extensionist, and had a couple underutilized fish ponds containing Oreochromis niloticus when I arrived. Niloticus is an
invasive species and is harmful to the environment if it escapes ponds. Additionally, the taste is inferior to indigenous species. Ba
Matthew’s fish were also inbred and displayed stunted growth – this significantly limited his productivity, and harvest yields. I helped him
learn the latest techniques (more aggressive composting, predator/theft deterrence), plus restock his ponds with native species of fish
which tasted better, and were not environmentally destructive; Oreochrmois macrochir, Tilapia andersonii, and Tilapia rendalli. We set
up a fingerling multiplication / trading program, so that he and other famers could exchange young fish to keep fresh broodstock and
avoid stunted, inbred fish. Ba Matthews also added new ponds constructed to Peace Corps standards. He was quick to learn and
apply new techniques, and it appears he was a good influence on his neighbors, who also added ponds. There are 13 total ponds in
this photo.

15. South of Ba Matthews’ ponds, past a large stretch of miombo forest, is a very remote farming community located near a larger river. I
was approached by various people who requested that I travel back to this area to provide a fish farming workshop. I eventually made
the journey via bicycle; a very long and difficult trip. I ran out of water, pedaled through acres of sand, and got lost a number of times,
but eventually reached a small and very basic school, where I gave my workshop. It was extremely well attended. Over 10 years later,
there are 7 ponds in the area, plus what appears to be a larger impoundment. The benefits of my visit far outweighed the price of my
difficult bicycle trip.

16. Here’s an amazingly large pond system that I located with Google Earth near Kashima East, where I did quite a bit of extension work. (I
lived nearby in Kashima West.) These are very large ponds compared to what is typically seen, and were not there during my service.
The photo appears to be taken during the dry season. The fields on the right are dark black/grey due to practice of chitemene – slash
and burn agriculture, where fields are burned after the harvest. A series of ponds this large would be managed by a cooperative of
farmers. It appears that the farmers dammed the stream (note impoundment beneath the lowest pond), and then built the ponds
within the middle of the streambed. The Peace Corps method taught diverting some of the water out of the stream rather than
building an obstruction in the middle of the natural waterway, as these farmers did. Whoever operates these ponds is very serious
about aquaculture.

17. One of the tricks of digging a fish pond is proper site selection. Because Zambia has a wet and dry season, some bodies of water are
seasonal. I taught farmers to always build ponds in areas where there is a water supply year round – that way, there is food year round,
including during the “hungry season” (dry season) when crops are not growing and when fishing opportunities are limited. People seem
to have seen the wisdom in this approach - this photo shows 2 ponds (perhaps 3?) which are full of water during the dry season.

18. Yet another example of ponds during the dry season. One appears to be covered by an aquatic plant material, which was not
uncommon due to the fact that compost is added to the ponds to encourage growth of microorganisms. Many farmers choose to
construct more than one fish pond, which allows more flexibility for planning harvests, and assuring as steady supply of food through the
year. Ponds could be harvested as many as 3 or 4 times per year. Fish can be dried and stored.

19. Yet more fish ponds. These were
developed subsequent to my
service.
One of the key lessons I taught was
the importance of sharing
information about fish farming with
others on an ongoing basis. I
emphasized to everyone I taught
that they were responsible for
teaching others and giving them the
same opportunities I helped provide.
Agreeing to teach others was a
fundamental part of the deal in
getting information from me! No
secrecy, no jealousy! When
everyone has equal access to
information about fish farming,
people are less likely to steal from
their neighbors or poison their fish
out of jealousy. (A big problem in
many communities.) The more fish
farmers, the better – farmers need to
trade fish with other farmers to keep
their fish genetically diverse and
avoid inbreeding and stunted
growth.

20. Another pond which was developed subsequent to my time in the Peace Corps. This image also gives a good sense
of how miobo forest is cleared for farming. Some of the fields have been harvested, and others have crops actively
growing in them – likely cassava (which can be left to grow for 2 or 3 years).

21. Here’s another exciting sight – a series of fish
ponds constructed along a river. Again,
these are new ponds subsequent to my
Peace Corps service.
The bow shape of the river is ideal for
building ponds – it makes it easy to divert
water from the pond to the river, and then
back into the river further downstream. I
would teach people to look for exactly
these types of sites when they constructed
their ponds. A good site could mean the
difference between a highly productive
pond, and a pond which stagnates or has
water management problems.
I also taught farmers to develop clusters of
smaller ponds rather than one large pond.
Smaller ponds were more productive, and
provided greater flexibility for scheduling
harvests (accomplished by totally draining a
pond), managing broodstock, restocking
ponds, etc. You can see approach of
creating multiple small ponds reflected in
this photo.
It’s great to see that after I left, people
were willing and able to teach one-another
the same information I brought to the area.

22. Here is yet another series of fish ponds developed subsequent to my service. Again, multiple small
ponds located near one another. Good job, guys!

23. Here’s a photo showing the location of my first house (before I bought my own village), in “downtown” Kashima West.
The school is visible on the left – note the three long buildings. I taught daily Kung Fu classes combined with HIV
education in a clearing in a miombo area behind my house. It appears someone developed a fish pond (perhaps
two?) in the area just behind my home! This pond was not there when I was in the Peace Corps.

24. Speaking of ponds behind one’s house, I was also surprised to see two fish ponds developed just behind my
village, Tuutatown. These were not there when I was a Peace Corps volunteer. There appears to be a larger
impoundment present, as well; perhaps to divert water to fields and gardens, and act as a bridge. These ponds
likely belong to my next door neighbors, who once helped me kill a spitting cobra that got into my house and
spit venom all over my leg! (True story... And a long one better suited to another slideshow.) It is good to know
they were able to benefit from the presence of their eccentric American neighbor.

25. Here’s a close-up of the ponds near
Tuutatown, and the impoundment.
You can see gardens near the
ponds, as well. The gardens are
likely irrigated by releasing some of
the nutrient-rich pond water into
the garden area through a furrow
system. This combination of ponds
plus gardens is an example of
exactly the type of integrated
aquaculture/agriculture systems I
was teaching people to create
during my service.

26. Sustainability Over One-Time Benefits.
 As a volunteer, I took the position that I would not do any work which would not
outlast my presence in Zambia. If a project was not sustainable without me being
there, I would simply not undertake it.
 Temporary fixes, gifts, donations of money, and short-lived benefits – no matter how
well-intentioned – do not result in long-term change, or address underlying problems.
In fact, they oftentimes create dependencies, cultural changes, and expectations
which do more harm than good.
 I focused my energy on transfer of technical skills to subsets of people who would
apply and reapply them within the context of their existing agro-subsistence lifestyle,
plus teach others in my absence.
 This is a much more difficult and time-consuming approach to volunteer work, but
the results show in the many ponds apparent in this slideshow.

27. Thanks for taking time to better
understand my efforts teaching
fish farming in rural Zambia!
JASON CUSTER
E: JASONCUSTERAK@GMAIL.COM C: 907-617-3773