Kaoma

St. Dunstan's is involved in raising funds for the Children Aid 's Orphanage in Kaoma Zambia. The parish has raised money in a short space of time for the project. This project is led in Kaoma by Sister Vianney.

Kaoma District is located in the Western Province of Zambia (see map below). It is described as 'the grain basket' of the province, as better soils and rainfall (between 800 and 1000 mm) allow more intensive agricultural production than elsewhere. Kaoma District produces more than 90% of the surplus production of maize, Soya beans and groundnuts of the province. Maize is produced on 60% of the cultivated area. Total maize production has increased 50-fold over the past 30 years, associated with greater use of fertiliser, for which credit has been available. Maize yields average 2 t/ha. The average farm size of the 12000 farmers is 2.1 ha. Cassava (on 27% of the cultivated area), sorghum and millet (each 5%) are relatively more important in the western, sandy part of Kaoma (DoA, 1933a).About 60% of the rural population live within 15 km of the four main roads, where the population density varies between 10 and 50 persons/km (CBS, 1990).

"The Valley Of Life or Death" written and directed by Adrian Pennink. BBC (from their "Horizon" series) 2000 www.bbc.co.uk/horizon Aired on SBS December 2001

Documentary about Kaoma, Zambia where two tribes live on opposite sides of the valley have almost identical lifestyles, but differing traditions on male circumcision. The uncircumcised tribe has 3 times the incidence of HIV+ males.