Before
2000, the Lunda tribe was still a hunter-gatherer tribe who subsisted on
severely diminished reserves of wild game and plants in their tribal area.
Agriculture was mostly non-existent or very primitive and unproductive. The
Lunda Tribe had the highest infant mortality rates of all tribes in Zambia and
the average life expectancy of the Lunda people was about 32 years. In 2000
many of the children between the ages of two and six were suffering from severe
protein, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and severely underweight for their
ages; they had classic potbellies, swollen feet, and reddish hair, common with
those deficiencies. Villages were still semi-permanent with dirt floors, thatch
roofs, and only mud brick walls. There was little access to green vegetables,
or high protein foods. Milk was not available. Eggs when available were
permitted to be eaten only by the adult men. With nothing to sell, most people
existed in a cashless society where rats, mice, and insects were the only
locally available protein foods.
In
the year 2000, the Kanyama Chiefdom had the lowest maize production in the
entire district. By 2010, it was number one in maize production. The increase
in family income has permitted more children to attend school and to have
access to medical services.
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