Table 1.

General observations, changes in the community from past to present

Positive changes

Negative changes

Roads are more developed making transportation easier More/new health facilities are closer to their communities More/new schools which are closer to their communities Development in general is better, with family planning and safe motherhood initiatives

Climate/environment Erratic rains and soil erosion have negatively affected farming practices and crop yields Environmental degradation has increased: Trees are being cut for everything from fish drying racks to firewood and charcoal production. Cutting of trees also leads to erratic rains Food security Fish production in the lakes and rivers has decreased, negatively affecting livelihoods Food is scarce High population growth has strained resources leading to insufficient land for agricultural needs and overfishing Health Health outcomes are poorer, with more disease, not enough drugs (both quantity and effectiveness of current treatment), poor quality of care Economics Employment is scarce, especially amongst youth Devaluation/depreciation of the Kwacha