Institute Water for Africa
In Chideza, Zambia, a drip irrigation project is transforming rural livelihoods. By delivering water directly to crops, families can farm more efficiently and independently from the rainy season.
Just weeks after planting, farmers harvested tomatoes, maize, beans, okra, groundnuts, and pumpkin — an experience many had never known before. Reliable water means stable harvests, improved nutrition, and new income opportunities.
In interviews, participants like Nelly Mwale explain how the project has changed their lives and given them confidence for the future.
We share detailed insights, stories, and updates about the Chideza irrigation project in our newsletter. Subscribe to stay informed and follow the project’s progress.
17 June is International Desertification and Drought Day. This year's United Nations motto is: "Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities." - Make land fertile again. Unlock the opportunities.
For us at Institute Water for Africa, this is far more than just a slogan. It describes exactly what we want to achieve with our projects in Africa. Without water, there is no agriculture, no food, no prospects - only migration, poverty and hopelessness.
Our response to desertification and drought
In this way, we help to make land usable again - and create real opportunities locally. Every drop counts. Every donation helps to plant hope.
👉 Get involved! Support our work for a future with water.
Every year on 22 March, World Water Day reminds us of the importance of water and calls for the sustainable use of this vital resource. The motto of World Water Day 2025 is: ‘Preserving the glaciers’. Why is this important? Glaciers are huge water reservoirs that supply millions of people with drinking water. But climate change is causing them to melt - with dramatic consequences for the global water supply.
Glaciers store around 70 % of the earth's fresh water. They feed rivers, supply ecosystems and provide drinking water for countless people around the world. Especially in arid regions such as many parts of Africa, rivers fed by glaciers are an indispensable source of water.
There are also glaciers in Africa, especially in the high mountains such as Mount Kilimanjaro, the Rwenzori Mountains and Mount Kenya. The glaciers of these mountains feed important rivers such as:
The retreat of these glaciers means less water for agriculture, drinking water supplies and ecosystems - with serious consequences for people and nature.
Our non-profit organisation is committed to providing access to clean water in Africa. The protection of glaciers affects us directly: without these water reservoirs, many regions would face water shortages. That is why we are committed to sustainable water projects and educate people about the responsible use of water in our workshops and seminars.
World Water Day 2025 is about more than just ice - it's about our future.
Over the Christmas period, we managed to cover over 50% of the project costs for our irrigation project to combat famine in Zambia. Many thanks to everyone who has already donated! But we haven't reached our goal yet: 12,000 euros of a total of 25,000 euros are still missing.
How much are you spending on fireworks tonight? Imagine if you donated just 10% of that - you'd be giving a family a piece of irrigated land and the opportunity to sustainably secure their lives. A contribution that has a long-lasting effect and leaves a really good feeling.
Help turn sparks into hope! Your help counts
In Zambia, one well changes everything: with a flow rate of 11,050 litres per hour, it opens up new prospects for the irrigation of five hectares of land. But further measures are needed to realise this potential.
Find out how this success came about and how you can help make the next steps possible.
In our latest newsletter, we report on how we secured the water supply for a bush clinic and a school in Zambia. Learn more about our plans for a new irrigation project that aims to bring hope to drought-stricken regions in Zambia. Subscribe now to stay informed about our sustainable development projects and see how your support makes a difference.
Here you can download the newsletter.
Weltladen Loffenau has made a generous donation of 2,300 euros to the non-profit organisation Institute Water for Africa (IWFA). The donation supports an important irrigation project in Zambia, which is fighting the threat of famine in the region. The implementation of sustainable irrigation systems is intended to safeguard agricultural production and improve food security.
The initiative aims to stabilise living conditions in Zambia in the long term and support the local population in the fight against the food crisis. Weltladen Loffenau's contribution is an important step towards promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening resilience to environmental crises and climate change.
Zambia's government has declared a state of emergency due to the exceptional drought. We were there ourselves from March to April and were able to see for ourselves.
December to March is the rainy season.
However, it has hardly rained at all. The east of the country has been hit hard. Many arable areas have dried out, the soil is hard and difficult to cultivate with a hoe. The lack of water is not only threatening the small farmers in the villages. Residents in the cities are also noticing this: the electricity is cut off for around eight hours a day. The majority of electricity in Zambia is generated using hydropower.
The drought is making food scarcer. As a result, food prices are rising and this is fuelling inflation. Fewer and fewer people are able to buy food on the market. They are dependent on growing their own.
During a visit to the small village of Chideza, we saw with our own eyes what this drought means and also listened to the people: ‘This time, people are likely to die,’ said the nurse. We have therefore launched an irrigation project in Chideza.
Today we were in Mulungwe in the Mkushi District in Zambia. The Bethel Christian Centre (BCC) free church in Lusaka asked us if we could find out where it is worth drilling for groundwater on their site in Mulungwe.
Today we visited the Omugo refugee camp again after half a year. Now the church has a corrugated iron roof with guttering and a 10,000 litre rain barrel instead of a thatched roof.
On this occasion 48 church leaders from the refugee camp came together and participated in a training. The speaker was Ray Basset from Canada, who came to Uganda at his own expense to support our work.
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Recipient:
Institute Water for Africa e.V.
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Evangelische Bank Kassel
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DE76 5206 0410 0005 0240 13
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GENO DE F1 EK1
