Sinyendeende, a small community in the western part of Monze District, stands at a crossroads of challenge and opportunity. Despite its advantageous proximity to the nearest major town, only 7km away, the community faces significant barriers to economic development. The limited opportunities for the youth, coupled with a lack of education beyond grade 7, have created an 'out-of-school and out-of-work' poverty cycle.
The local community school, ceasing at grade 7, leaves many youths without further educational prospects. The high costs, limited availability of secondary education in Monze Town, and transportation issues further exacerbate this problem. Economically, the village is largely dependent on subsistence farming, offering little in the way of diversification or growth.
After extensive collaboration with community stakeholders and discussions with youth participants, we've identified aquaculture as a promising avenue for economic empowerment. Our focus is on cultivating tilapia fish for the nearby town market. This initiative includes a secondary venture of growing fish fingerlings and producing blood-meal for other rural aquaculture projects.
Our Zambian Director, a qualified fish-farmer, is leading the training efforts for this initiative. This training is integrated with our sports programs, which have garnered enthusiastic participation and are soon to be augmented by the construction of Sinyendeende’s first netball pitch.
The village headmen have wholeheartedly embraced our project, reflecting the community's readiness for change. In recognition of this, the Euroza Foundation has been invited to develop a 2-hectare permaculture system on community land. This system will serve as a training hub for youth participants, not just from Sinyendeende but across our projects, leveraging the village’s central location.
In Sinyendeende, we see a future where economic activities transcend traditional farming, where education and training in sustainable practices open new doors for the youth, and where the community thrives through innovative and sustainable initiatives. We are committed to making this vision a reality, transforming Sinyendeende into a model of rural empowerment and resilience.
