Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations - Championing equal rights

Since its inception 23 years ago, ZAFOD has been carrying out programmes and activities aimed at empowering disabled persons through various initiated programmes among them that include:

 
Small Entrepreneurship Economic Development (SEED)

In partnership with the Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD), ZAFOD has been giving small loans to individuals with disabilities in order to reduce poverty and promote self employment among them.  A number of disabled persons have benefited significantly from this programme as they have been able to liberate themselves from the gnashing poverty and vulnerability.

Poverty Alleviation Strategy (PAST)

This is another poverty alleviation programme that ZAFOD has been implementing. This programme involves giving loans in form of money and equipment such as Payphones to entrepreneurial and Self help Groups (SHGs) of disabled persons in Zambia to enable them embark on income Generating Activities (IGAs) to reduce poverty and vulnerability among disabled persons.

HIV/AIDS Economic Empowerment Project

ZAFOD in partnership with the Zambia National AIDS Network (ZNAN) has been running an Economic Empowerment Project targeting disabled people’s groups in rural areas. In 2005, a bole hole was sunk for a group of disabled persons in Kasavasa area of Kabwe in central province and since then, the group receives farming inputs every year. Similarly, a bee keeping project was supported in 2005 for another group of disabled persons in Chingazi area of Chipata in eastern province and a fish keeping project was also initiated in 2005 for a self help group of disabled persons in Nadezwe area of Mazabuka in southern province. In addition, all these groups have been receiving agricultural inputs since 2005 including another similar group in Itedzi tedzi district also of southern province.