Simwatachela Sustainable Agricultural & Arts Program
A food, nutrition, and water sustainability organization.
Our mission is to alleviate starvation by securing a sustainable water source; to promote sustainable agriculture and nutrition; and to promote empowerment through income-generating activities.
SSAAP mural in Simwatachela, Zambia
progress with agriculture
school uniform
Victoria Falls - 4 hour drive from Simwatachela
SSAAP roof work community contribution
sharing a meal
school uniform
hand-made artwork sold at local markets and our online shop
well drilling with Mississippi State University - Engineers Without Borders student chapter
covered water hole to keep animals out
female workshop
Project Vision
Our vision is to leave an imprint on African civilization whereby the Africans touched by this project will know they were respected, considered, and loved by the global whole.
Project Summary
A project created and sustained by the people for the people.
Project Root
SSAAP believes: Development is simply only ever a push, helping people to get ignited ~ water will always be the base of that, no matter what your long-term goals are for a community, without water nothing can be achieved. It is, simply-stated, the most sustainable piece of any development model.
SSAAP is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit (NPO) organization, with three international bases: U.S.A., Zambia, and Sierra Leone. SSAAP is a water, food, and nutrition education sustainability organization created by the people and committed to serving the needs of the people.
A Note from Heather
The project was, and has always been, my dream – this is true!, but not my dream alone. It was and is the dream of the Africans, and from their dream has come my own. The origin of SSAAP, and how the people of Simwatachela asked me to come back after my Peace Corps-Zambia service ended, is the project’s taproot; the people of Simwatachela Chiefdom, Zambia asked me to commit to a lifetime of helping with water in the village ~ which would in-turn help with the food issues. The project is named after the origin of the people who created it. It was their dream first, and then I shared it with them. It was their idea, first, too – not mine! They asked me to come back, after Peace Corps, when I was 27 years old, and sold three cows to pay for my airfare to come back. Now at age 42, the project has taken on a deeper meaning for me, because it was the project of the people, organic of their deepest needs and deepest hardships: food, water, and food security and sustainability, alongside nutrition. The project, having begun in Africa, will always be an African-centric project, rather than an American-centric one. The ideals, values, and projects complemented by the project are those of the rural Africans living in Zambia and Sierra Leone. They take pride in SSAAP as their own – and think of it as theirs, much to my pleasure ;)
Heather Cumming, Executive Director and Founder of SSAAP, outside of her home in Zambia.
Core Values
Diversity
Embracing the differences and similarities among all peoples of the world in regards to universal understanding, friendship, and respect.
Relevance
Nurturing the daily impact of how helping others less fortunate than ourselves impacts our lives, and the essence of how helping others ultimately leads to helping ourselves. Everyone benefits from philanthropy.
Transformation
By donating a sheep, sponsoring a school student, or supporting an artist, one has helped to transform an individual’s life. By donating services, in cash or in-kind, toward clean drinking water in a rural area, one has helped to transform an entire community of people’s lives.
Sustainability
With sustainability, all efforts of SSAAP are effective to their fullest potential. By studying the culture, we have a better understanding of how to best serve the people. Likewise, Africans gain knowledge about food storage, hygiene, health, maintenance of water resources and other topics, which help to ensure sustainability.
Transparency
Clarity in how the money is spent so that funds are not squandered. This is especially important in relation to SSAAP’s credibility with donors and the IRS.
Accountability
Accuracy in documentation, clarity in reports, and honesty in interactions concerning finances keep SSAAP accountable.