Volunteers who have served in Zambia consider it to be the "quintessential Peace Corps experience" due to living in the most rural communities, the warmth and friendliness of the Zambian people, and the supportive professional environment in which they work.

The Rural Aquaculture Promotion (RAP) project is focused primarily on the principles and practices of rural-based, small-scale, integrated agriculture technologies. Volunteers collaborate with Zambia's Department of Fisheries with the goal of improving nutrition and rural livelihoods through fish farming. They live in rural farming communities and provide intensive extension services aimed at increasing farmer capacities to successfully build and manage fishponds to increase production and incomes. Volunteers teach and assist farmers in technical aspects such as site selection, pond construction, stocking, management, and harvesting. They also seek to enhance the integration of fish farming with other agricultural activities such as gardening, animal husbandry, fruit trees, and agro-forestry.

For farmers who are interested in scaling up their activities, Volunteers also provide training in basic business skills such as planning, record keeping, and marketing. In addition, Volunteers teach members of households the importance of improving nutrition by using more food groups and meals that include fish.

Given that 40% of natural water resources in the Southern African Sub-region are found in Zambia, fisheries and aquaculture have gained increased attention as a sub-sector that has potential to uplift food security, nutrition, and income levels of people. Volunteers working on this project have an opportunity to transfer new or improved integrated aquaculture-agriculture related knowledge, skills, and attitudes directly to smallholder farmers, including women, men, and youth.

The most successful Volunteers in Zambia are extremely flexible and adaptable, and have a passion for inspiring others. Peace Corps Zambia offers exceptional technical training during pre-service training for those with the motivation to learn about Aquaculture and Food Security.

Please note that the Government of Zambia requires all Volunteers to hold a college degree upon arrival in-country. If you have not completed your degree at the time of departure, you will not be able to serve in Zambia.

Peace Corps Zambia promotes gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. You will receive training on gender challenges in your country and you will have the opportunity to implement gender-related activities that are contextually appropriate. During your service, you will look for ways to work with community members to promote gender-equitable norms and increase girls’ sense of agency. As part of your work, you will also report on these efforts and their impact.

Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in agriculture or fisheries and must have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field.

-Degree in Environmental Education, Environmental Studies, or Natural Resources
-Experience organizing/leading environmental education activities
-Experience promoting environmental awareness in schools and communities
-1 to 3 years fisheries, farm, forestry, or nursery management experience
-5 Years of professional work experience

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.

While English is the official language of Zambia, Volunteers will need to speak the local language in order to effectively communicate in their communities. Very few community members may have intermediate or advanced levels of English; most will not. Therefore, Volunteers will be most effective when conversing and working in the local language and all Trainees must come prepared to learn a local Zambian language during pre-service training (PST). Trainees are provided with a comprehensive language immersion program throughout their service. Initially, they will receive three months of language instruction from native speakers in the predominant language spoken at the site they will be placed in and will be required to attain communication skills in listening and speaking. They will also receive a survival language kit for the dialect found in their site and are encouraged to engage the services of a tutor once they get to their site.

Becoming an Aquaculture Extension Agent in Zambia requires commitment to working in remote areas with mentally and physically challenging environments. Volunteers must be prepared to bike long distances (up to 12 miles in one direction) and to work and live in rural Zambian settings. Houses are typically made of mud bricks, with cemented floors, thatched or tin roofs, and no electricity. Water will be from a nearby well or stream, which is then filtered through a Peace Corps-issued water filter. Cell phone call coverage may be weak or not exist at your site, but all Volunteers are able to send or receive a text message.

Volunteers typically live on a large housing compound with two or three other families, but have their own housing structure, cooking area, private washing area, and latrine. Volunteers may choose to share meals with their host neighbors or cook on their own.

Peace Corps Zambia supports its Volunteers in this uniquely rural environment through a strong regional office model. In each province where Volunteers serve, PC/Zambia operates a Provincial Office, which is staffed year round and serves as a resource center for work collaboration and training. Further, having Peace Corps Staff and resources nearby allows for more comprehensive and timely support of Volunteers, especially in terms of their health and safety, which are Peace Corps' top priorities.

While people in Zambia may be generally tolerant, values and mores concerning sexual orientation and gender identity may be different from those in some parts of the U.S. Zambia has some restrictive laws that target certain sexual acts. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and country-specific laws, and use their best judgment to determine how to approach topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity in their communities and host countries. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during pre-service training, and identify support mechanisms for incoming trainees. Many LGBTQ Volunteers have served successfully in Zambia.

Peace Corps Zambia welcomes couples serving in the same sector. Your partner must also qualify and apply for this position.

Couples will be placed in the same homestay during pre-service training (PST).