OUR WORK

Dorica, 11, is a student in Zambia who benefits from Save the Children Literacy Boost programming. Teachers learn skills to help children with basic literacy and math skills using locally available materials. Kelvin Mulenga/Save the children

Peter is 14 years old and lives in Western Province in Zambia with his mother, Masiye (28), his brothers Munkobwe (2) and Mudla (12) and his sister Namasisku (7). Masiye farms maize, ground nuts and beans to provide for her children. The rainy season in Zambia normally stretches from October to March, but during the 2023/24 rainy season there have been intense dry spells and Masiye says they have gone days, weeks and months without rain. Her ground nut and bean crops have failed, and her maize crops – which were due to be harvested in May – have already shrivelled up and died. Masiye says they have cut back to two meals a day and that her children tell her constantly that they’re hungry. Masiye and her children have resorted to foraging for wild fruits and nuts – which are also in short supply due to the failed rains – but they have to be careful what parts of the fruits and nuts they eat as they can be toxic. There are also days when their borehole dries up and they have to dig a hole in the ground to get water. Peter says when he’s hungry he feels dizzy and can’t see properly, and this is impacting on his studies. He says sometimes he doesn’t go to school because he’s too hungry or because he must help his mother find food and water. Seven out of 10 provinces in Zambia have been impacted by the country’s worst drought in 20 years and the government has declared a national emergency. More than 1 million children are facing severe food shortages and hunger as the El Niño induced dry spell kills crops and dries up water sources. Sacha Myers / Save the Children

Nine-year-old Namushi lives in Western Province, Zambia, with her grandmother Mafelelezo (55), her two sisters and cousins. Her mother is unwell, so Mafelelezo takes care of Namushi and her sisters. Zambia’s worst drought in 20 years has left the extended family – who survive by farming a small area of land – in a desperate search for food each day. The rainy season in Zambia normally stretches from October to March, but during the 2023/24 rainy season there have been intense dry spells and Mafelelezo says it didn’t rain at all in January and February. Her sorghum, millet and maize crops – which were due to be harvested in May – have already shrivelled up and died. Mafelelezo also says that in the past, there used to be a lot of wild food that could help them during hungry periods, but now there’s very little wild food left. Namushi says they have one meal a day, which consists of boiled waterlily roots. She says hunger is the most challenging part of her day and that she doesn’t have the desire to play when she’s hungry. Namushi sometimes feels like collapsing from hunger. Water is another big challenge for Namushi and her family. Normally they access water from the flood plain near their home, but it has almost dried up, and they now must walk an hour one way to find water. The water they collect is dirty and Mafelelezo says the children are sick up to three times a week with diarrhoea. Seven out of 10 provinces in Zambia have been impacted by the intense drought and the government has declared a national emergency. More than 1 million children are facing severe food shortages and hunger as the El Niño induced dry spell kills crops and dries up water sources. Sacha Myers / Save the Children

Lezinah benefits from Sponsorship programming in Zambia. Kelvin Mulenga/Save the children

Peter is 14 years old and lives in Western Province in Zambia with his mother, Masiye (28), his brothers Munkobwe (2) and Mudla (12) and his sister Namasisku (7). Masiye farms maize, ground nuts and beans to provide for her children. The rainy season in Zambia normally stretches from October to March, but during the 2023/24 rainy season there have been intense dry spells and Masiye says they have gone days, weeks and months without rain. Her ground nut and bean crops have failed, and her maize crops – which were due to be harvested in May – have already shrivelled up and died. Masiye says they have cut back to two meals a day and that her children tell her constantly that they’re hungry. Masiye and her children have resorted to foraging for wild fruits and nuts – which are also in short supply due to the failed rains – but they have to be careful what parts of the fruits and nuts they eat as they can be toxic. There are also days when their borehole dries up and they have to dig a hole in the ground to get water. Peter says when he’s hungry he feels dizzy and can’t see properly, and this is impacting on his studies. He says sometimes he doesn’t go to school because he’s too hungry or because he must help his mother find food and water. Seven out of 10 provinces in Zambia have been impacted by the country’s worst drought in 20 years and the government has declared a national emergency. More than 1 million children are facing severe food shortages and hunger as the El Niño induced dry spell kills crops and dries up water sources. Sacha Myers / Save the Children