Dear Friends,
We are writing to you today as a matter of urgency, as the situation in Zambia and for Tiko has seriously deteriorated. With all the trouble spots in the world, this region unfortunately falls out of focus, although help is urgently needed there. According to the report of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ ), the situation in rural areas is particularly critical, as almost 100% of the harvest (in Katete and the surrounding area) has been lost due to persistent drought.
In Zambia, there is a state monopoly on grain purchases. In the Global Hunger Index, the country ranks 110th out of 128 countries. More than half of the population has to make do with the equivalent of less than 1.90 US dollars per day. Tiko’s “22 Steps Out of Poverty” educational programmes are not enough to compensate for high food and seed prices. The lodge on the grounds of Tiko which was once the main source of income is not yet visited by tourists as often as before the Corona crisis.
Images of fields of crew members from 2022/2023 (left) to 2024 (right)
Images of fields of crew members from 2022/2023 (left) to 2024 (right)
In the meantime, unfortunately, about 20 crew members (from 80 before) have had to be dismissed for financial reasons. To ensure that they do not leave without help, a survival kit aid project has been launched on the Global Giving donation platform (click here for details) and they are given instructions on how to implement what they have learned at Tiko. But the rest of the crew members also need help, for example for the purchase of seeds, the production of “vegetable rings” (below), the building of clay stoves for the economical use of wood for cooking and much more.
Tiko’s teaching methods focus on combating malnutrition, which is a major contributor to developmental disorders in young children. The complete failure of basic food supplies, which is now exacerbated by climate change as well as the immense increase in prices for food (maize) and seeds, are a challenge of new proportions for Tiko in the situation that is still very much affected by the aftershocks of the Corona crisis.
On the bright side, we will make greater use of the new technical possibilities to report a lot of good things happening at Tiko, but also to enable the crew to learn and apply more via the Internet. For example, many of the pictures you see are now coming directly from crew members, who have lost their harvest. We want to help them, that their stories are spread around.
With sincere thanks for your loyalty and valuable help,
Elke and the Crew
Tiko online!
Just in case you haven’t seen them, here are the links to our Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and even Linkedin.
And all information about visiting, volunteering and rooms on our website: Tikondane.org
– For donation information please have a look on ‘Support Tiko‘, Global Giving, our fundraising page at DonorSee or Tribuntu –
