AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO ZAMBIA'S NORTHERN PROVINCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LUSAKA 000667 SENSITIVE SIPDIS PASS TO USAID AND STATE FOR AF/S E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ZA SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO ZAMBIA'S NORTHERN PROVINCE REF: A. LUSAKA 583 ¶B. LUSAKA 471 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador received an outpouring of local appreciation for the USG's efforts to support provincial sanitation, health, and poverty reduction projects during his September 21-24 visit to Northern Province. He noted that USG assistance there is serving as a catalyst to improve local health and sanitation conditions. He also observed many challenges to local economic development, including insufficient capacity to tap natural resources, substandard infrastructure, and inefficient farming methods. Ambassador's visit to the provincial capital, Kasama, coincided with Vice President George Kunda appearance in town before a key October parliamentary MP by-election. Ambassador's visit generated substantial goodwill for the United States and highlighted the USG's positive impact on local development. END SUMMARY. -------------- AMBASSADOR'S PROVINCIAL TOUR -------------- ¶2. (U) Ambassador presided over the launch of the School Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) and Quality Education Project at Sabwa Basic School in Mpika during his September 21-24 visit to Northern Province. He attended a ceremony at Chibansa Rural Health Center in Mpika marking the end of a bilateral Health Communications Partnership (HCP) Program. He also toured Our Lady of Hope (OLH) Hospital in Chilonga and Community Recreation Center at the Zambia College of Agriculture in Mpika, two other recipients of USG assistance. Ambassador discussed local development initiatives with the district commissioners of Kasama, John Chanda, and of Mpika, John Chinyanta, and gleaned insights from Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) working in Serenje and Kasama districts. Ambassador ended his trip with a brief visit to Chengelo School in Mkushi, Central Province, where he hosted a roundtable discussion with high school students and faculty. -------------- USG ASSISTANCE WELL RECEIVED -------------- ¶3. (U) Ambassador noted that USG assistance to the remote Northern Province is serving as a catalyst to improve local health and sanitation conditions. Deputy Education Minister Clement Sinyinda and Ambassador highlighted the September 23 launch of the WASH and Quality Education Project at Sabwa Basic School. The school is one of many in the province that will benefit from a three-year USG and Ministry of Education initiative to construct or refurbish school latrines and water wells; train educators on hygiene practices; provide teaching materials; promote behavioral change in schools and surrounding communities; and mobilize communities to support additional water and sanitation projects. The project will ultimately benefit 240,000 students in 800 schools throughout Northern Province by 2012. Deputy Minister Sinyinda and school administrators thanked the USG for its assistance funding this project. ¶4. (U) Ambassador attended a September 23 ceremony at Chibansa Rural Health Center marking the end of the Health Communications Partnership (HCP) Program. The five-year USAID-Ministry of Health partnership mobilized communities to improve local health conditions, promote positive hygenic behaviors, and produce communication materials in support of community health priorities. The HCP's "Theatre for Life" training educated performing groups to use drama and discussions to promote community involvement on key health and social issues such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, child health, community apathy, and conflict resolution. HCP helped the Chibansa community reduce its high maternal death rate by mobilizing local resources to construct a maternity wing and latrine at the health center. Health center officials thanked the USG for its assistance, and a drama group demonstrated how the local community planned to continue its outreach efforts in the absence of USG funding. ¶5. (U) OLH Hospital Director Dr. Nsumpi Kanemesha told Ambassador during his September 21 visit that the hospital appreciated the USG's financial support for its Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) Program. He noted that the PEPFAR-funded program served 712 patients in Mpika, Northern Province's largest district. Kanemesha said that the hospital's quality care attracted patients from throughout LUSAKA 00000667 002 OF 003 northern Zambia and that the hospital deployed mobile patient units to attend patients in rural areas. He said that USG-sponsored programs such as ART had positive impacts on local communities by raising awareness of sanitary practices and encouraging more people to seek HIV/AIDS testing and treatment. Zambian College of Agriculture Community Recreation Center (CRC) Director Leonard Mulenga thanked the USG September 23 for funding the construction of the CRC building and purchasing equipment for the center. Mulenga said that the CRC provided local youths with extracurricular activities and training opportunities. During his September 24 meeting with students and faculty at Changelo School, one of Zambia's premier high schools, Ambassador discussed President Obama's September 8 education speech and educational opportunities in the United States to promote the Embassy's education outreach program. ¶6. (U) Kasama District Commissioner John Chanda and Mpika District Commissioner John Chinyanta thanked the USG September 22 for its support in the areas of sanitation, health, and poverty reduction. They said that local residents increasingly responded to efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS and malaria through awareness campaigns such as dramas and community radio programs, as well as by promoting hygienic practices, spraying, and using mosquito nets. -------------- CHALLENGES TO LOCAL DEVELOPMENT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Ambassador observed many challenges to local economic development, including insufficient capacity to tap natural resources, substandard infrastructure, and inefficient farming methods -- particularly slash-and-burn farming. Chanda and Chinyanta told Ambassador that the province sought to diversify its economy by promoting agriculture, small-scale mining, and tourism. They said that the GRZ established a farm bloc near Mpika to promote agricultural development. However, they stated that the province lacked key infrastructure, including storage dams and micro-dams, and an irrigation program to utilize the province's significant water resources. Chanda and Chinyanta said the provine lacked programs to exploit its potential minera wealth. They further noted that the province's"Northern Circuit" tourism initiative was well undrway and included building resorts and an airpor at Kasaba Bay on Lake Tanganika; constructing rads in the northern reaches of the province; openng the military air base in Mbala to civilian aicraft; and refurbishing Kasama's airport. Chanda also said that Kasama's airport terminal refurbishment was completed this year and that commercial flights to Kasama would resume once the tarmac was paved in 2010. Despite these development efforts, Ambassador observed during his visit that the major highway and railway passing through the province were in poor condition and in desperate need of maintenance. ¶8. (SBU) Ambassador gleaned insights from PCVs serving in Serenje and Kasama districts. PCVs working in rural villages told Ambassador September 21 and 23 that GRZ officials had limited contact with villagers and that the villagers were generally apolitical. They said that perceptions of American culture and the USG in rural areas were positive but generally limited to awareness of President Obama, U.S. action movie stars, and the PCVs themselves. They stated that rural residents were primarily preoccupied with crop cultivating, aquaculture, and beekeeping -- although they were aware of macroeconomic issues that affected them such as the global financial crisis. Although PCVs worked closely with villagers to improve productivity -- including teaching alternative methods to slash-and-burn farming -- they indicated that many villagers remained opposed to change or risk-averse. PCVs observed that rural alcoholism was rampant as a result of homebrew beer parties villagers threw to earn extra income but that no rural programs existed to treat alcoholism. They confirmed that alcoholism is a significant factor behind the risky behaviors that are driving the HIV/AIDS pandemic. -------------- VEEP VISITS BEFORE BY-ELECTION -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Ambassador's September 22 visit to Kasama coincided with Vice President George Kunda's appearance in town before the October 15 member of parliament (MP) by-election -- a key race that could prove a harbinger of the region's political mood. Former Patriotic Front (PF) MP Saviour Chishimba vacated his seat July 27 when he left the PF to launch his own political party. Kunda visited Kasama to participate LUSAKA 00000667 003 OF 003 obstensibly in the annual "Ukusefya Pan'gwena" Bemba festival. However, he also met with the Provincial Minister and other key provincial political leaders. Chanda, Chinyanta and some PCVs indicated that PF candidate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba was favored to win. Nevertheless, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) could mount an electoral challenge should it employ tactics it used to win the Chitambo by-elections -- buying votes, misusing government vehicles, and distributing free food and clothing -- or benefits from the August 17 acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba (ref A). Chinyanta noted that this by-election would not be a test of the PF-United Party for National Development (UPND) alliance because the UPND lacks political support in the north (ref B). -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Ambassador's visit generated substantial goodwill for the United States and highlighted the USG's positive impact on local development. The strong outpouring of appreciation for USG assistance in Northern Province indicated that our engagement is paying dividends in goodwill at a local level. Provincial leadership and residents alike credited the USG for improving sanitation and health conditions in the area and increasing awareness of these issues. END COMMENT. BOOTH