UNLEASH

Building climate and food resilience in Lusaka

Author: Chibwe Lumpa – Communications Lead, UNLEASH Hack Lusaka Organizing Team

Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, is a city with over 60% of its population living in informal settlements. Frequent climate-induced shocks to the food system have exacerbated hunger and affected the city’s socio-economic resilience. UNLEASH Hack Lusaka brought together 19 young Talents to develop innovative solutions to these challenges.

During the 2-day Hack which happened at the Digi-Hub in Lusaka, participants collaborated in teams to address these pressing issues with a focus on finding youth and community-driven solutions for low-income communities in Lusaka. The program inspired actionable ideas such as sustainable irrigation hydroponics for improving food security and reducing environmental degradation in Lusaka.

Participants created 4 impactful solutions, including sustainable irrigation systems, hydroponics using recyclable materials, and initiatives like community backyard gardens. Another idea aimed at providing affordable thobwa (a locally manufactured instant porridge) to students at low-cost private institutions, addressing hunger in academic environments.

The Hack also featured expert panels and interactive workshops where participants gained insights into prototyping and pitching ideas. In the end, winning teams were selected based on the creativity and feasibility of their solutions. They will be provided with mentorship to test out their ideas, and all teams will have free access to Digi-Hub and AgriEn spaces for six months to advance their ideas.

The program not only equipped participants with problem-solving skills but also fostered a spirit of collaboration and innovation in the fight against hunger and climate change in Lusaka. Taonga Zulu, a participant, shared about their experience: “My experience with UNLEASH was incredible. It opened my mind to new ways of solving problems and underscored the importance of teamwork. It was a great platform for learning and collaboration.”

The Hack was organized with support from Kamwisani Youth Hub, the AgriEn Network, and Bloggers of Zambia.