Following the formalization of a country agreement in 1993, Peace Corps Zambia opened its program in 1994 with a group of water and sanitation/hygiene education Volunteers. In 1996, the program expanded to include projects in community health and rural aquaculture. The program expanded again in 2001 to encompass an income, food, and environment project. In 2003, a new education project was launched. Using emergency HIV/AIDS funding, a separate HIV/AIDS project was launched in 2005. Currently, Peace Corps Zambia has four projects: rural aquaculture promotion (RAP), rural education development (RED), linking income food and the environment (LIFE), and the community health improvement project (CHIP).

In April 2004, the Peace Corps celebrated its 10th anniversary of service in Zambia. Since the first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in 1994, approximately 1,280 Volunteers have served in Zambia, which is now one of the largest Peace Corps programs in Africa. Volunteers live and work in eight of the nine provinces of Zambia.

To learn more about Volunteer life and work in Zambia please enjoy this video chat featuring a virtual tour of one Peace Corps Zambia’s provincial hubs, a lesson in local cuisine and specific examples of projects in which Zambia Volunteers are engaged. Stay tuned during the Q & A section at the end which includes a sample of local language.