Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary, Angela Kawandami has commended Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Zambia for its 40-year contribution to national development.

Ms Kawandami says DAPP Zambia’s work in education, health, agriculture, livelihoods, youth empowerment and community development had complemented Government’s efforts to improve the wellbeing of communities.

The Permanent Secretary was speaking when she officiated at the DAPP Zambia 40th anniversary celebration held at the National Partnership Office in Lusaka today.

Ms Kawandami said the organisation’s Farmers Clubs approach, which promotes knowledge sharing, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land management and savings initiatives, supports the Grow Zambia Agenda aimed at increasing production, expanding economic opportunities and creating jobs.

She said sustainable development required partnerships among Government, communities, the private sector, development partners, civil society and other stakeholders.

Ms Kawandami also recognised DAPP Zambia’s contribution to education through teacher training and vocational skills development, as well as its work in health, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and community health programmes.

She further highlighted the organisation’s support to children and young people through initiatives such as Children’s Town, the Youth Academy and Youth in Action.

Ms Kawandami said Government remained committed to creating an enabling environment for civil society organisations and development partners to contribute to national development.

“Together, we can build stronger and more resilient communities,” she said.

Speaking at the same event, DAPP Zambia Managing Director, Elise Soerensen, said the organisation’s 40-year journey in Zambia has been anchored on working with communities to create sustainable development.

Ms Soerensen said DAPP Zambia had, since its establishment in 1986, worked with Government, development partners and communities in areas including agriculture, health, education, youth development and environmental protection.

She explained that DAPP Zambia started its work by supporting youth capacity building through Zambia National Service camps before expanding into tree planting, agriculture and environmental protection.

Ms Soerensen said the organisation had also established programmes such as Children’s Town and the Youth Academy to provide education, vocational skills and opportunities for vulnerable young people.

She said DAPP’s health interventions had evolved over the years to address HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, immunisation and other community health needs.

Ms Soerensen added that DAPP’s HIV programming alone covered more than 1,400 health facilities across Zambia by 2025.

She expressed gratitude to Government, development partners, private sector partners, traditional leaders, communities, staff and volunteers for contributing to DAPP Zambia’s achievements over the past 40 years.

“People are the drivers of their own development,” she said.

She reaffirmed DAPP Zambia’s commitment to working with communities to create opportunities and address emerging development challenges.

Meanwhile, a beneficiary of DAPP Zambia, Juliet Sakala, has shared how the organisation transformed her life after she tested HIV positive in 2002.

Ms Sakala, who described herself as a child of DAPP, said her journey began in Kalomo when she joined the organisation as a peer educator after losing her job as a volunteer with a water and sewerage company.

She said the training she received through DAPP equipped her with knowledge on HIV prevention, testing and community education, which encouraged her to privately undergo an HIV test.

Ms Sakala said the result was positive, a development she initially struggled to accept and feared sharing with others.

“DAPP empowered me with knowledge and skills that helped me overcome stigma and support others in my community,” she said

She said her experience with DAPP demonstrated the importance of empowering people with knowledge and skills that enable them to support others in their communities.

Ms Sakala said she is now doing well and continues to draw inspiration from the training and opportunities she received through DAPP.

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