Review of Matantala Rural Integrated Enterprise and the community development with traditional leaders programme

The project on Community development with traditional leaders funded by the Norwegian Embassy and implemented by Matantala Rural Integrated Development Enterprise started in December 2006. Its main objectives are to contribute to reduction of poverty and improvement of living conditions in three chiefdoms in Zambia’s Southern Province. The means to achieve these goals include support to provision of social services, support to diversify economic activities and increase market production and support to change attitudes and norms among the population, related to empowerment and to their own ability to combat poverty. The project approach is to work though traditional leaders in the area. Development committees at Chiefs and zone level include leaders as well as other representatives of the local population. Local participation is supposed to be high. The three development committees at Chiefs level dispose of their own budget allocations.