Namwianga Mission is located near the town of Kalomo in Zambia’s Southern Province.
Zambia is a land-locked country about the size of Texas. Located in sub-Saharan Africa, Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia until gaining independence from Great Britain in 1964.
Zambia has beautiful scenery and is home to abundant wildlife. Victoria Falls, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world, is near Livingstone--just 80 miles (135 kilometers) from Namwianga Mission.
Though many neighboring countries struggle with civil wars and tribal conflicts, Zambia has remained peaceful. The people are often described as gracious and hospitable. Zambians are also known for showing great ingenuity in facing hardships.
The population of Zambia is 16,000,000. The median age is 17 years, and 46% of Zambians are under the age of 14 years. Only 2.3% of Zambians are over 65.
HIV/AIDS has taken a terrible toll on the nation of Zambia, contributing to a life expectancy of just 53 years (compared to 78 years in the US). There are over a million people living with AIDS, and an average of 21,000 people die from the disease in Zambia each year. Despite these overwhelming statistics, significant progress has been made in recent years. HIV education and testing, along with medical advances in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, have helped protect many in future generations from the disease. Anti Retroviral (ART) treatments enable those living with HIV to have normal life spans. Namwianga Hospital has an effective outreach program to serve those with HIV/AIDS and to prevent transmission.
Zambia is considered one of the poorest nations in the world, with 64% of Zambians living below the internationally accepted poverty rate. Only 3.2 % of rural households have access to electricity, and only 48% have access to safe drinking water in rural areas. Read about Zambia Mission Fund’s efforts to promote clean water HERE.
The average Zambian child’s education lasts just seven years, and the Zambian government spends only 1.1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education. Since its beginning, Namwianga Mission has been a center for education, with Namwianga Christian Secondary School, George Benson Christian College, Namwianga Mission College of Nursing, and six other schools under its influence. The U.S. Sponsorship Program provides funding for high school and college students who come from families that cannot afford to pay the required tuition and costs.
