In Zambia’s Bangweulu Wetlands, strategic community-led initiatives are strengthening healthcare systems, improving livelihoods, and supporting long-term conservation outcomes. At the centre of this progress is Chiundaponde, a village that has become a focal point for practical, locally-driven change.
Bangweulu is a Game Management Area (a designated landscape in Zambia where wildlife conservation and sustainable human use are managed side by side) where over 60,000 people live within its 6,000 km² expanse. Conservation here is inseparable from community wellbeing, with the resilience of one directly influencing the other.
A Hub of Change: Chiundaponde Village
Since 2016, the Bangweulu Wetlands Management Board (the local management entity) has supported a growing network of initiatives in Chiundaponde, from reproductive health programmes to youth education and sustainable livelihoods. Each is designed to equip local champions and foster long-term resilience.
Grenda Ng’andwe, Senior Reproductive Health Supervisor for Bangweulu Wetlands, has been instrumental in this journey. “Change is gradual,” she says, “but I feel inspired. People are changing. Women deliver at home less. Family planning is now in demand. Girls are staying in school, even completing Grade 12. Some have gone on to become teachers or nurses. I feel proud.”
Grenda’s own story reflects the evolution of the programme. Eight years ago, she was newly hired and still learning to navigate village roads on her motorbike. Her blend of humour, honesty and persistence helped her engage communities on topics that were considered taboo.
Safe Motherhood in Action
One of the most significant shifts has been in maternal and neonatal health. In 2022, Bangweulu partnered with the Ministry of Health to revitalise Safe Motherhood Action Groups (SMAGs), providing training, educational materials, medical supplies and bicycles to 24 volunteer members.
“Before the bikes there were a lot more maternal deaths,” Grenda explains. “Women would have to walk in labour for many kilometres. Now the SMAGs can transport them to the clinic.”
The results are measurable. In 2024, over 1,000 women received antenatal care, up from 700 the previous year. Deliveries at Chiundaponde Health Facility rose from 67 in 2022 to 240 in 2024, as more mothers accessed professional care.
Alice Kabulwe, a mother of seven, reflects on the change: “During that time, women would die a lot. The expectant mothers didn’t have the support of the SMAGs that they have now. Before that I was scared because there was no support. Now I’m not scared.”
Her words are echoed by Nora Chisenga, who brought her one-month-old son Joseph for a check-up. “When labour starts and I’m at home, the SMAG will bring me in. They act as our companions. They give us hope to tell us we will be okay.”
Livelihoods and Leadership
Thirty-five women in Chiundaponde, recognising the link between nutrition and financial stability, launched a chicken-rearing project in 2024. With support from Bangweulu, which included chicks, feed, vaccinations and training, they established small-scale poultry farms that now generate income and improve family nutrition. Beyond the 35 families directly involved, some 450 households are benefitting from the initiative.
Women’s participation in natural resource management has also increased. For the first time in Bangweulu’s history, three women were elected as Community Resource Board (CRB) chairpersons, with women now holding 40% of senior CRB positions across the six chiefdoms.
Youth Leading the Way
Youth clubs supported by Bangweulu have reached nearly 4,000 young people with education on reproductive health, family planning, and HIV prevention. Trained and certified, these youth leaders are often the only voices addressing these issues in remote communities.
“We tell the youths: you can't join us if you're going to be shy. You have to be willing to talk, to dance, to act, to sing,” says Grenda. It’s a bold requirement, but one that reflects the realities of their work. During a recent youth-led demonstration in Chiundaponde, the group’s professionalism and care in presenting HIV testing and counselling affected their peers powerfully. The session highlighted the importance of youth leadership in delivering sensitive health information, and the trust they’ve earned within their communities.
Their efforts extend beyond health. Youth groups have integrated conservation into their work, organising clean-up drives, reforestation projects and awareness campaigns, including a field trip to Chikuni to see the Shoebill Programme. Despite cultural barriers and limited resources, they’ve implemented creative solutions including mobile health platforms and partnerships with local and international organisations.
A Future Rooted in Partnership
Chiundaponde’s story reflects the value of long-term investment in community-led development. It shows how health, education and livelihoods can reinforce conservation outcomes, and how local leadership is key to sustaining progress.
As Grenda puts it: “Our goal is to create a sustainable future where both our community and our environment can thrive.”
Bangweulu’s progress embodies African Parks’ community development approach: building active constituencies for community-led conservation. By investing in communities like Chiundaponde, African Parks and its partners are helping shape landscapes where conservation and sustainable development move forward together.
11 December 2025