Ball Toss Game Before a single project begins, before a plan is written or funds are distributed, something more foundational takes place: people come together. When a new village begins its partnership, the elected Village Development Team (VDT) gathers for a very important training, not just to learn roles and responsibilities, but to experience what [...]
International Women's Month (AKA Women's History Month) Wrap Up! As International Women’s Month comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the strength, leadership, and determination of women across Shanta’s partner villages, and within our own team. This month, we heard from Khai, our Global Program Manager, and Janet, our Zambia Program Manager, whose voices remind [...]
Ng'andu with his family Supporting Family and Building a Future: Ng’andu Mwiinga’s Story At just 25 years old, Ng’andu Mwiinga of Mpasu village has stepped into a role many would not choose so young. After the passing of his father, he became the primary support for his widowed mother and younger siblings, providing food, clothing, [...]
Team Member Spotlight Lamba Fikoloma, M & E Officer with People’s Action Forum Meet Lamba! He joined Shanta/PAF earlier in 2025 as our Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. He works closely with Khai, Shanta’s Global Program Manager, as well as Janet, Zambia’s Program Manager, to ensure proper tracking, assessment, and evaluation of programs in Zambia. We [...]
Rosa in her garden The community bank has been a game changer for Rosa Konye in Mpasu village in the southern Province of Zambia. 64-year-old Rosa has relied on gardening as her main source of income for the past 30 years. During those 30 years, the scope of her gardening was limited, and she struggled [...]
Walking through rural villages in Zambia, you’ll likely be greeted by countless smiling faces, waving children, and people eagerly saying “Mwabuka buti” in greeting. In Myanmar villages, the experience is remarkably similar. Of course, the languages are different, so you’ll hear “Mingalabar” instead. Despite being 5,000 miles apart, Zambia and Myanmar share striking cultural parallels [...]
Several years ago, the Shanta Board of Directors began exploring the possibility of launching our Village Partnership Model (VPM) on a different continent. From our inception in 2006, all of Shanta’s groundbreaking work on poverty reduction has been done in SE Asia. Would our innovative model work in a different culture? On a different continent? [...]
In May, Fort Lewis College's Village Aid Project (VAP) partnered with community members in Siyowi and Nachili to build two water systems and two bridges. Now, five months after project completion, the responsibility to ensure sustainability and maintain the system has shifted to the community. Walking through these villages, the sense of ownership and pride [...]
Francina Kobela is 55 years old and has two adult children, both women whose education stopped by grade 9. She is a true leader in her community, and upon her village, Nachili, partnering with Shanta in 2023, she was quickly elected a Village Development Team (VDT) member. She has never shied away from speaking up [...]
In the midst of the worst Cholera outbreak in Zambian history, Shanta Foundation and FLC’s Village Aid Project will launch an ambitious, three-year, water and sanitation infrastructure project that should reduce the risk of cholera in the Siyowi region outside Mazabuka. Responding to the request of village development leaders, VAP and Shanta will travel to [...]
Ball Toss Game Before a single project begins, before a plan is written or funds are distributed, something more foundational takes place: people come together. When a new village begins its partnership, the elected Village Development Team (VDT) gathers for a very important training, not just to learn roles and responsibilities, but to experience what [...] 
International Women's Month (AKA Women's History Month) Wrap Up! As International Women’s Month comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the strength, leadership, and determination of women across Shanta’s partner villages, and within our own team. This month, we heard from Khai, our Global Program Manager, and Janet, our Zambia Program Manager, whose voices remind [...] 
Ng'andu with his family Supporting Family and Building a Future: Ng’andu Mwiinga’s Story At just 25 years old, Ng’andu Mwiinga of Mpasu village has stepped into a role many would not choose so young. After the passing of his father, he became the primary support for his widowed mother and younger siblings, providing food, clothing, [...] 
Team Member Spotlight Lamba Fikoloma, M & E Officer with People’s Action Forum Meet Lamba! He joined Shanta/PAF earlier in 2025 as our Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. He works closely with Khai, Shanta’s Global Program Manager, as well as Janet, Zambia’s Program Manager, to ensure proper tracking, assessment, and evaluation of programs in Zambia. We [...] 
Rosa in her garden The community bank has been a game changer for Rosa Konye in Mpasu village in the southern Province of Zambia. 64-year-old Rosa has relied on gardening as her main source of income for the past 30 years. During those 30 years, the scope of her gardening was limited, and she struggled [...] 
Walking through rural villages in Zambia, you’ll likely be greeted by countless smiling faces, waving children, and people eagerly saying “Mwabuka buti” in greeting. In Myanmar villages, the experience is remarkably similar. Of course, the languages are different, so you’ll hear “Mingalabar” instead. Despite being 5,000 miles apart, Zambia and Myanmar share striking cultural parallels [...] 
Several years ago, the Shanta Board of Directors began exploring the possibility of launching our Village Partnership Model (VPM) on a different continent. From our inception in 2006, all of Shanta’s groundbreaking work on poverty reduction has been done in SE Asia. Would our innovative model work in a different culture? On a different continent? [...] 
In May, Fort Lewis College's Village Aid Project (VAP) partnered with community members in Siyowi and Nachili to build two water systems and two bridges. Now, five months after project completion, the responsibility to ensure sustainability and maintain the system has shifted to the community. Walking through these villages, the sense of ownership and pride [...] 
Francina Kobela is 55 years old and has two adult children, both women whose education stopped by grade 9. She is a true leader in her community, and upon her village, Nachili, partnering with Shanta in 2023, she was quickly elected a Village Development Team (VDT) member. She has never shied away from speaking up [...] 
In the midst of the worst Cholera outbreak in Zambian history, Shanta Foundation and FLC’s Village Aid Project will launch an ambitious, three-year, water and sanitation infrastructure project that should reduce the risk of cholera in the Siyowi region outside Mazabuka. Responding to the request of village development leaders, VAP and Shanta will travel to [...]