Foundational Principles
The Zambia Project’s vision for the Zambian nation involves independence from foreign assistance. To aid in achieving that goal, The Zambia Project has adopted foundational principles, including:

• Employ methods that empower rather than foster dependency.
  
  
• Overthrow the mindset of oppression and helplessness. Do not do for the Zambian people what they can do for themselves. Operate all projects in a way that fosters responsibility and avoids dehumanizing the Zambian population. Train and involve the Zambian population in all projects and create ways for them to reciprocate.
  
  
• Design comprehensive efforts and methods – instead of introducing a cash crop or teaching drip-irrigation to farmers in hopes of increasing their income, assess the existence of the necessary markets and the transportation of product to market.
  
  
• Properly steward all donor funds, ensuring the vast majority of donations get to the people of Zambia and accomplish the purpose for which they were given – this commitment will establish the Zambia Project among the most financially responsible non-profit organizations in the world.
  
  
• Form partnerships with existing community organizations and operate in a way that enhances local collaboration and management of projects – this approach is essential to long-term sustainability.
  
  
• Implement strategies that eventually can be duplicated by the Zambian population within their resources.

Who We Are

Brief History
The Zambia Project was created with the help of Richard and Suzi Stephens from the Malawi Project. In 2006, the mother of the Paramount Chief of the Chewa Nation approached board members of the Malawi Project to request that the Malawi Project expand into Zambia. The geographical lines between the tribal borders in much of Africa do not coincide with the lines drawn during the days of colonialism. This is true for the Chewa Nation whose 20,000,000 people live in portions of Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. It was with this in mind that members of the Malawi Project began to consider how their efforts could be extended into Zambia.

In December 2008, Malawi Project representatives met with interested parties in Memphis, TN who had been involved in various humanitarian efforts in Zambia in partnership with the Mapepe Mission located just south of Lusaka. These volunteers were instrumental in implementing an annual medical mission, an agricultural-training program, and an orphan-care ministry.

The Chewa Nation request, the success of the Malawi project, and the willing partners in Tennessee made the decision an easy one, and The Zambia Project was launched in 2009.