The Feminists for Climate and Environment Alternatives (FACE) Project is helping rural women in Zambia strengthen their livelihoods while responding to the growing impacts of climate change. Through practical support, skills sharing and small scale funding, women in Rural Women’s Assembly Zambia groups are establishing food gardens, planting fruit trees, multiplying seedlings and building more secure sources of income for their families.In Rufunsa District, women from the Mukonka Women’s Group are already seeing the benefits of the project. With support from FACE, the group established a variety of fruit trees and food crops, including bananas, lemons, guavas, sugar cane, pawpaw, avocado, cassava, sweet potatoes and granadillas.
For Dorcas Shonga, a member of the group, the project has created new possibilities for both household nutrition and income generation.
“I managed to plant bananas and different kinds of trees like avocado and pawpaw. When they grow, they will help us feed our families and sell some for financial stability,” she explained. “We should not only work for today, but also plant trees that will support us in the future.”
The women received FACE project support in March 2025 and have since focused on growing crops that can provide food, income and planting material for future seasons. Their granadilla production has already begun to bear fruit, attracting children and community members who come to buy the fruit. The group is also exploring ways to process granadillas into juice and has plans to establish a nursery by replanting seedlings for sale.
“Granadilla grows quickly and brings good sales,” Dorcas said. “Soon we will also begin selling bananas. The money we earn will be saved in the club account so that we can continue supporting one another.”
Beyond fruit production, the women are also growing air potatoes for food and sale, while experimenting with orange, grape, pawpaw and guava seedlings. These activities are helping the group diversify its food sources, improve household nutrition and create income opportunities that can grow over time.
However, water remains a major challenge. Dorcas noted that the women are working with the limited water available to sustain their gardens and fruit trees. Despite this, they remain determined to expand their work and encourage other women in the district to obtain seedlings from the Mukonka garden and begin planting in their own homes.
In Shibuyunji District, Rural Women’s Assembly members are also using FACE support to strengthen food production, savings and collective enterprise. Universe Mafuta shared that the project has helped women gain confidence in managing their own resources and improving their families’ wellbeing.
“I want to thank the FACE Project for this initiative,” she said. “We have learnt a lot, and in my group we have even started opening personal accounts and supporting our families.”
The women in Shibuyunji have received a 50 by 50 metre piece of land from their headperson, which they have fenced using their own contributions. On this land, they are growing different crops and building a shared garden that will support food production and income generation.
Agnes Mweemba, another member of the group, expressed gratitude for the support that enabled women to begin gardening activities. She emphasised the importance of local seed, saying, “Seed is life and seed is food.”
The Shibuyunji group is also adding value to the crops they grow. For example, sweet potatoes are processed into chips and fritters, creating products that can be consumed at home or sold within the community. This approach helps women move beyond production alone by turning their harvests into additional income opportunities.
Women in the district have also identified transport as a challenge, particularly for members living in distant areas. To address this, they are considering buying bicycles so that members can attend meetings, workshops and group activities more easily.
The FACE Project is demonstrating that when rural women have access to resources, land, skills and collective support, they can build stronger and more climate resilient livelihoods. Through fruit tree planting, food gardens, seed multiplication, savings and value addition, women are not only feeding their families today but are also creating sustainable opportunities for the future.
The work of Rural Women’s Assembly Zambia sisters in Rufunsa and Shibuyunji shows that climate action must be rooted in the knowledge, priorities and leadership of rural women. Their gardens, trees and collective enterprises are living examples of how women are nurturing food sovereignty, protecting the environment and building stronger communities from the ground up.
