Campaign 3 marks the SAF-A’s final phase of the Financial Education Window (FEW) Projects in #Zambia, focusing on equipping Branch Managers with essential tools and materials to train and support Village Champions, who shall play a pivotal role in delivering training to smallholder farmers across rural communities. 

On 4-5th September 2025, Twelve Agora Microfinance Branch Managers from various districts joined facilitators from SAF-A, Agora Microfinance, and ACRE Africa for interactive sessions. The training covered climate change awareness, climate risk insurance, and financial literacy, along with savings and credit modules. “These resources are designed to empower farmers to make informed financial decisions and boost their agricultural productivity. We aim to directly reach 50,000 smallholder farmers by the end of November 2025.  Nkama Mutale, SAF-A’s Inclusive Finance Project Manager, Zambia. 

“30,000 smallholder farmers will be reached through SMS messaging and IVR (Interactive Voice Response).  Curious how it all comes together? Farmers receive automated calls in their local languages featuring pre-recorded key messages tailored for the project’s target beneficiaries. After listening to these messages, they are prompted to engage further by choosing specific topics of interest, answering questions, and taking part in quizzes.” Adds Nkama. 

This collaborative effort is a major step toward building resilient rural communities and supporting sustainable livelihoods through our Climate Resilience and Inclusive Finance Solutions (CRIFS) stream. Designing, implementing, and scaling financial products and services that support smallholder farmers and agricultural communities in addressing the challenges posed by climate change.