NewZambian Innovations received support from the United Nations Development Programme Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF SGP) in December 2023 for development of a comic book on climate change and the holding of an art exhibition to showcase new and innovative creative artistic expression on biodiversity and climate change.
The first activity the organisation embarked on after identifying determined Zambian artists who have an interest in climate change and biodiversity was a learning and sharing programme to selected UNDP GEF SGP project sites the first of which was in Zambezi District under SEPA.
Zambezi District is a district of Zambia, located in North-Western Province. The capital lies at Zambezi. It consists of two constituencies, namely Zambezi West and Zambezi East.
The delegation of five (5) artists with a member of the UNDP GEF SGP Steering Committee visited various areas in Zambezi District where biodiversity loss and climate change were of concern.
The baseline study also involved conduct of a focus group discussion with local communities. Learning from these sites, artists’ work was informed, and appropriate storylines and artistic depictions of local experiences were developed. The host organisation in Zambezi district was SEPA Zambia which is also a recipient of the UNDP GEF SGP.
PREPARATIONS AND FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS IN LUSAKA
Preparations to conduct the baseline study begun in October 2023 with identification of artists who would be participants in the project. The Chancellor at the Open Window University Dr. Andrew Mulenga was engaged to identify suitable artists with special focus on females. The Chairperson of the Visual Arts Council, Mr. Lombe Nsama was also asked to assist with identifying talented artists.
On 8th December 2023 an inception meeting was held in Lusaka at the NewZambian Innovations Office. The inception meeting kickstarted the project and provided an opportunity for conduct of two focus group discussions.
Participants were as follows.
Member of the UNDP GEF SGP Steering Committee, Principle Environmental management Officer and UNCCD National Focal Point Mr. Absalom Sakala, NZI Board Chairperson and UNZA Dept of Mass communications Head of Department Dr. Sam Phiri, Director of Odini Arts Centre and Leader of the Sakala Brothers Band Mr. Moses Sakala, musician and Headman Moomba of Chibombo District Mr. Chris Aka, musician Ms. Angela Nyirenda, Manager Communications from Wildlife Prevention Programme (WCP) Ms. Luwi Nguluka, Artist William Katongo, Artist and NZI Director Mr. Kiss Abraham, Visual Arts Council Executive member Mr. Ngandwe Mwaba, NewZambian Innovations Board Member Mr. Jean Claude Kalumba, Journalist Ms. Brenda Zulu, graphic artist Mr. Michael Chisha, NZI Programmes Coordinator Ms Lisebo Mokorosi.
The meeting served to introduce the project to stakeholders and to provide an opportunity for Ms. Nguluka from WCP and Mr. Sakala from the GEF Steering Committee to speak about biodiversity and climate change as a way of orienting the artists on some of the issues to expect in this area ahead of the baseline study tour.
PHASE 1: STUDY TOUR TO ZAMBEZI DISTRICT
MEETINGS AND SITE VISITS
The delegation visited the SEPA Zambia Office in Zambezi District and toured Chitokoloki Village, Kalwilo Village, the Zambezi Riverbank and Chinyingi Mission.
SEPA ZAMBIA FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
The delegation visited SEPA Zambia on 12th December 2023 to conduct focus group discussions with members of SEPA Zambia. SEPA was represented by Mr. Vincent Luwaya with others present being; SEPA Member Mr. Dilis Makayi, Ms. Women for Change Chairperson Ms. Phyllis Samukonga, District Forestry Officer Mr. Kennedy Kayuma, Advocacy Officer Ms. WK Mbilishi, M&E Officer Ms. Tukiya Muke, Zambezi Secondary School Art Teacher Mr. Kwanuka Stephen Kakoma and SEPA Member Ms. Kholina Banda.
The discussion was structured according to a qualitative participatory research methodology where participants discuss the climate change and biodiversity challenges in their community and then express this narrative and their personal theory of change within the context of the challenges with drawings.
The artists interacted with the participants and their drawings to learn more about the thoughts behind the artistic representations of community problems which the participants chose to use. The conversations between participants and the artists will inform the work of the artists while the content created by the participants will be included as subjects in the exhibition to be held in Lusaka in the last quarter of the implementation of the project.
TOUR OF CHITOKOLOKI VILLAGE
On 13TH December 2023, the Team visited Chitokoloki Village where they met community members led by Mrs. Luwaya whose Community Forestry Management Group was a partner of SEPA Zambia. The group had embarked on various ventures including beekeeper as a way of conserving indigenous forest species and preventing the cutting of trees for charcoal.
The delegation learnt from the group that they needed boreholes because their only source of water was the Zambezi River which had since become dryer by the years due to lack of rain owing to climate change.
The Team also learnt that about 5 women are killed every year by crocodiles in the river.
Another concern raised by the community was that Chitokoloki forest was being depleted by loggers who were cutting local rosewood species. They worried that the cutting of these tree species had an impact on their bee keeping project because the bees made their honey from the tree species which were being logged in the area.
TOUR OF KALWILO VILLAGE
On the same date, the delegation later went to Kalwilo Forest where they saw firsthand, the decimation of indigenous forest and fauna. In Kalwilo, members of the community are causing severe biodiversity loss due to clearing the forest by cutting trees and setting them alight to ensure that they do not regrow to make way for the annual planting of maize.
Vast amounts of forest are being cleared without regard for the environment in full view of forestry Staff in the District.
The artists observed that the communities cleared new areas to allow for better yields of maize when in fact the poor yield was caused by changing weather patterns.
TOUR OF ZAMBEZI RIVER-BANK CLAY BRICK KILNS
On 14th December 2023, the delegation visited the Zambezi riverbank and floodplains West of Kaposa where clay brick kilns stretching for kilometres are established by local communities. The kilns utilise the clay along the banks of the Zambezi River.
Along the stretch of the river in the district, the clay brick kiln quarry has disrupted the natural flow of the river raising a massive risk of diminishing the river’s capacity to naturally extend beyond the district in dryer months.
Upstream, the disruption caused by the kilns has denied the natural habitats and affected quality of life of communities.
TOUR OF CHINYINGI MISSION
EXIT MEETING
The artists held an exit meeting at the Royal Kutachika Hotel on 15th December 2023 where reflections on what they had witnessed were made. The artists committed to returning to Lusaka and embarking on development of artistic work which reflects their experiences and shows the Zambian public and the world what they had seen.
It was mutually agreed that the experience was a life changing opportunity for the artists who benefited from being exposed to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss from the context of local communities in Zambezi District.
CONCLUSION
The baseline tour was successfully conducted, and the artists have since embarked on developing their artistic works. Video and still photography images captured on the tour will be used for development of various multimedia products and distributed on various media channels including social media.