Malungu Liwoyo, 27, lives in Nangweshi, about 30 kilometres from Sioma in Zambia’s Western Province. He has had a hearing impairment since birth and without support for his special needs, has struggled to find work. One of the few options is the informal timber industry, notorious for its dangerous working conditions.

Many young people in Sioma’s timber industry understand and fear the risk of injury caused by a lack of proper equipment and occupational health and safety training. But with limited job opportunities and the large number of timber brokers in the area, they feel it maybe their only option to earn an income.

Malungu’s fears came true when he was injured while attempting to change the tyre of his loading trailer. The logs slipped out of the ropes that bound them to the vehicle, crushing his arm. He had to wait several hours for help to come.

“Now, my arm is injured, and it may never work the same,” he said.

“There aren’t ways to tie the logs up safely on the trailers because they aren’t made to transport the logs on this sandy terrain. They are not properly modified to carry heavy objects so they are more prone to breakdowns which happen in distant areas all the time and the workers are left stranded,” Malungo’s father said.

Compounding the issue, the timber trade has led to extensive deforestation in Western Province. Ruth Balinde, the Acting District Forestry Officer at the Forestry Department in Sioma said, “Deforestation is on the rise, especially since the youth are cutting down trees for charcoal and timber to make ends meet. It is a threat to our environment because it causes a lot of climate change issues such as habitat loss and even endangerment of plant and animal species.”

As a community of performers and entertainers, the Kandodo-Sioma Youth Group uses cultural storytelling to convey messages on difficult topics to communities in Western Province. They educate people on the dangers of indiscriminate cutting of trees, informing communities on alternative methods to generate income that could improve their livelihoods and decrease deforestation.

When the group arrives in a community, they begin by dancing, singing, and performing humorous plays before small audiences. But by the time they are through they are sharing information and lessons about topics such as sustainable farming, the dangers of deforestation, and the possibilities of alternative livelihoods. Their audience often grows to more than five times their original size as word gets out in the community.

A key part of the work of Kandodo-Sioma Youth Group involves regular visits to the homes of young people who have experienced difficult circumstances and could benefit from joining the group’s training programme. By reaching out to people like Mulungu the youth group provides them with a community that encourages them to safely explore their talents and rebuild their mindsets for a more productive future.