How Covid-19 Is Affecting The People And Animals In The South Luangwa Valley Of Zambia

“As of 30 March there are 35 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Zambia, and there are calls for the President to announce a state of emergency. The copper price (which sustains our economy) has dropped 30% since January, tourism has collapsed, most businesses are in a state of panic, inflation has spiked, and unemployment is rising.” This was written by the BioCarbon Partners, a company founded in 2012 with the mission of protecting forests in Africa.

Africa Hope Fund has worked tirelessly over the years to support conservation organizations in order to stop the poaching of animals and to protect natural resources that bring tourists to Zambia, and in turn provide numerous jobs that sustain the Zambian people. We also have funded schools and libraries which has changed the lives of hundreds of children and their families by giving them an education.

Right now, the progress made over the last 15 years is in danger of being undone by the economic fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic. Lodges are closed. Flights have been canceled and borders closed to all but residents returning to the country (who must stay in quarantine for 14 days upon arrival from other locales). Schools are closed with little or no pay to teachers or reading assistants. And with so many villagers now depending on the tourist trade, the fear is very real that they will return to the old ways of poaching the very animals that brought the tourists in to spend money in Zambia. Children out of school may relearn the old ideas of survival by hunting any and all animals unique to the area. This is of great concern.

The head of the World Health Organization's Africa region, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said on NPR Thursday that “Most of the cases have been imported from Europe and so far, there is relatively limited community transmission of the virus on the continent.” However, when the world begins to recover economically and resume normal business, Zambia (and all of southern Africa) may continue to suffer the repercussions for several years. 

We are committed to continuing to support our organizations working in conservation and education in Zambia, along with the people and animals we have come to love. Thank you for your ongoing support of these efforts in Zambia and in your own community, as we all navigate the changes to our entire world in this time of crisis.

We have rescheduled the June 2020 Volunteer trip to June 2021, and we hope you can join us as this may be a time that you are needed more than ever. Sign up for our newsletter and we will continue to keep you informed as to the status of the situation in Zambia.

Sincerely,

Carol Van Bruggen Kuhn, CEO Africa(n) Hope Fund

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