At Family Development Initiatives (FDI), we believe that economic empowerment is central to transforming communities. Our Rural Enterprise Development thematic area is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship, livelihood security, and self-reliance among youth, women, and vulnerable groups — especially in Zambia’s rural and peri-urban areas. This work is guided by the conviction that when local people are equipped with the right skills, resources, and access to opportunity, they can shape their own development pathways.
Catalyzing Opportunity Through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF)
A cornerstone of our rural enterprise work is leveraging the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) — a national financing mechanism by the Zambian Government that allocates funds to each of the 156 constituencies to support local development.
FDI actively supports community members — particularly:
- Adolescent mothers who dropped out of school
- Youth seeking vocational skills
- Women with small-scale business ideas
To access CDF bursaries and grants that allow them to either return to learning through vocational training or fund income-generating activities and enterprises.
From Training to Enterprise: A Full-Cycle Approach
FDI doesn’t stop at linking youth to bursaries. We work closely with vocational graduates — often trained in catering, plumbing, electrical engineering, and similar fields — to:
- Support their reintegration into economic life
- Cluster them into cooperatives or support them as individual entrepreneurs
- Guide them through the process of accessing start-up capital through the CDF
This end-to-end model ensures that training results in real opportunity — turning skills into income and self-employment.
Integrating Livelihoods and Climate Resilience
Our Rural Enterprise Development work is closely tied to our Climate Change Resilience agenda. We understand that climate shocks threaten rural livelihoods, and that income diversification is key to resilience. That’s why we promote green enterprise models that are:
- Climate-smart
- Environmentally sustainable
- Market-relevant
This integrated approach strengthens community adaptability while generating meaningful economic gains.
Our Vision
We envision rural communities where young people, women, and the marginalized are not left behind, but are supported to become job creators, innovators, and leaders of local economic transformation. At FDI, Rural Enterprise Development is not just about business — it’s about equity, dignity, and giving every person a chance to thrive.