The republic of Zambia is in south-central
Africa. It was potentially one of the richest countries on the
continent, but is now amongst the world's poorest. The average
daily income is about 60p. Zambia gained independence from the
UK in 1964, and subsequent socialist policies wreaked havoc on
the economy. Today the economy has opened up and the government
seems dedicated to tackling development issues; providing ARVs
(anti retrovirals) to people with HIV / AIDS is a high priority.
Zambia is a peaceful country, more stable than many of its
neighbours, and its numerous ethnic groups live together in
relative harmony.There are an
extremely high number of children in need in Zambia, either
orphaned or neglected, due to the rural exodus in search of
employment which is destroying the traditional concept of
extended families or because of the AIDS epidemic. At least 50
per cent of Zambia's population are expected to die of
HIV-related diseases in the next three years. Life expectancy is
32.5 years. Nearly 20% of all children have lost one or both
parents.
