The Zamfam project in Zambia, launched on January 20, aims to support 125,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in combating HIV through various initiatives including health campaigns, education grants, and community resilience activities. Key project personnel have been trained and organized, with successful initial phases recorded, but ongoing efforts are necessary to meet the project's goals. Collaborations with government and NGOs have been established to enhance the project’s impact.

1. The DAPP Zambia ZAMFAM Project Launch & Progress
The Zambia Family (ZAMFAM) project was launched on 20th January in Lusaka’s Bwafwano
Community Hall were, DAPP will work with 125,000 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
each year to support the HIV epidemic control through this project.
To ensure there is an increase in household resilience, improved health, education,
protection and
care for the
OVC, DAPP
project staff
will move into
targeted
communities,
work shoulder
to shoulder
with the
children, the
care givers,
and families.

2. Activities to increase resilience will include training individuals and families to carry out
climate smart and productive farming methods, linking them to markets and agro dealers,
establish and mentor saving groups to mention but a few.
Health activities will include HIV testing campaigns to promote each and every person –
adult and child – knowing ones status. Improving education will include block grants to
schools, bursaries to vulnerable children, training of peer educators and establishment of
kid and youth clubs in the schools.
The beneficiaries will be organized in action groups, youth clubs and support groups for
PLHIV for them to mutually support each other, support each other through running a
revolving loan program, carry out study circles, establish links as a group to private sector
etc.
The first phase of implementation on the ZAMFAM project recorded success. Deployment
and orientation of key ZAMFAM project was done underwent orientation both from the
partnership and head office personnel, this facilitated them to understand the project’s host
organization’s policies and standard operating procedures. The key personnel included; the
Project Director, Deputy Project Director, M&E Specialist and the Community Mobilization
Specialist.
Further, 61 project leaders were identified (17 females and 43 males) from other DAPP
projects to work on the ZAMFAM South Central project. A start up training was organised to
ensure a smooth beginning of implementation in the field. Prior to conducting the training,
7 district coordinators (3 female and 4 male) underwent a 2 weeks orientation as trainers.
The 7 coordinators collaborated with the Community Mobilization Specialist, one staff from
Humana People to People (HPP) to prepare the 4 weeks training program and a start up
manual to be delivered to the field staff during the start up training.
Later, the trained Project Leaders began a four week training program with the major areas
of focus being; describing activities to be implemented in the first 18 months of the
program. They were also taken through the tools that were developed to be used in the

3. field. The training program content included: understanding the OVCs; introduction to the
ZAMFAM program; the organization of the project and its people; project elements and
goals; and community mobilization skills, among others.
All the meetings held with stakeholders and implementing partners went on well, with both
the government line ministries and NGOs pledging their support to and willingness to work
with ZAMFAM. Despite, the implementation of ZAMFAM project starting on a good note
more needs to be done in order to achieve intended objectives as planned.