Our Projects
FSM Action Research Project
The Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) Research Action Project aims to improve the emptying and transport of waste in urban areas, especially hard-to-reach communities. The project is funded by the Gates foundation and managed by Partners in development (PID) South Africa. By testing practical solutions and fostering public-private collaboration, the project works to make sanitation services safer, more affordable and more sustainable, while equipping city authorities with data to strengthen service delivery. The project has action research teams active in four cities: Lusaka (Zambia), Kigali (Rwanda), Kampala (Uganda), and Kisumu (Kenya).
FRESH LIFE Zambia - Strengthening Urban Sanitation through Innovation and Community Insight
The Fresh Life Project is an initiative implemented in collaboration with Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) and KfW Development Bank, drawing on lessons from Fresh Life Kenya. The project aims to enhance the adoption, sustainability, and scalability of container-based sanitation (CBS) systems in Zambia by addressing user experience, community dynamics, financial viability, and operational safety.
Through a comprehensive consulting assignment, the project focuses on ensuring that CBS solutions are user-friendly, economically feasible, and environmentally sound — contributing to safer, more inclusive urban sanitation systems.
Solid Waste management - Chilenje Market
The Chilenje Market Solid Waste Management Project is a sustainable environmental initiative spearheaded by CaDev to improve waste management practices within one of Lusaka’s busiest markets. The project seeks to establish a comprehensive and sustainable waste management system that promotes environmental responsibility, enhances market hygiene, and supports circular economy principles among traders and the wider community.
Key Project Components
- Design and Construction of a Waste Separation Area
- Provision of Waste Separation Infrastructure
- Development of a Waste Management Action Plan and Agreement
- Training on Waste Separation
- Public Awareness and Sensitisation
- Establishment of Reporting Mechanism:
- Training on Circular Economy Principles
WASH FOR NUTRITION CONFERENCE ASSIGNMENT
The project is focused on strengthening knowledge exchange and collaboration within the global sanitation and hygiene (WASH) community through the SuSanA Discussion Forum — one of the world’s leading online platforms in the sector.
CaDev facilitates dialogue between practitioners, researchers, and global development partners to ensure that local voices and solutions were represented in international WASH discussions. Through this initiative, CaDev supports SuSanA’s mission to advance safe, inclusive, and resilient sanitation systems, while reinforcing its own commitment to driving sustainable impact through local knowledge, innovation, and evidence-based communication.
AATIF–African Milling Limited Cooperative Strengthening Project
Catalyst Development (CaDev) managed the AATIF–African Milling Limited (AML) Cooperative Strengthening Project under the AATIF Technical Assistance Facility, supporting inclusive growth and sustainable agricultural value chains in Africa.
CaDev was engaged to strengthen ten (10) farmer cooperatives within AML’s network through the “Managing Your Cooperative (My.Coop)” training, focusing on governance, service delivery, input management, and marketing.
The project also equipped AML/Nyimba staff to assess and support cooperatives, improving efficiency and farmer commitment. This intervention strengthened AML’s sourcing model and advanced AATIF’s mission of resilient and inclusive agricultural growth.
Lets Talk Period
The Let’s Talk Periods initiative was a key component of a broader project aimed at empowering women and promoting gender equality through sports. Recognizing the rapid growth of women’s football—marked by a 37% rise in global viewership and over 1 billion viewers during the 2019 Women’s World Cup—the project leveraged the sport’s influence to drive social change.
In Zambia, where women’s football has made significant strides, the project used the game as a platform for advocacy on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). Through the #LetsTalkPeriods campaign, it sought to break menstrual taboos, raise awareness, and create more inclusive spaces in sports and other male-dominated fields.
DANCE 4WASH
The Dance4WASH project is a collaboration between different players in the WASH sector. The project uses expressive arts like dance to promote messages on infection prevention control and increased pandemic resilience by encouraging kids aged eight to eighteen years, to wash their hands.
The project was being undertaken in different countries across Africa including Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia in southern Africa, and Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda in eastern Africa.
VIVA CON AGUA through the Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LUWSI) and partners commenced the Dance4WASH activation campaign in Zambia. The following are the partners that participated in the campaign: CaDev, GIZ, WASARec, Lusaka City Council, and The Ministry of Education through the Lusaka District Education Board office.
Circular Mining
Mining Waste Remediation: Collaborated with Advanced Resilient Biocarbon to identify joint venture partners for biochar-based waste remediation solutions.
Biochar Piloting: Introduced biochar production from agricultural waste, working with smallholder farmers in Lusaka Province.
Faecal Sludge Circular Products: Piloted the production of building blocks from faecal sludge, promoting circularity in sanitation
Youth Empowerment
WASHpreneur Pilot Project: Unlocked innovative ideas in WASH entrepreneurship, training graduate plumbers and water engineers to develop market-ready solutions.
Child-Led WASH Project: Established innovation-driven WASH clubs and projects to engage school-going children in promoting hygiene and sanitation
GENDER
- GBV Module Development and In-service Training of Trainers and Pilot Training of Zambia Police Service (ZPS) in Gender concepts, Communication strategies, Stakeholder engagement and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Case handling – GIZ
- Priorities setting and Stakeholder activity mapping of ZPS interventions in Gender and Peace building – Canadian High Commission
- Gender assessments and reviews of key sectors of focus Prime International
- Gender and GBV training for USAID funded Dreams service providers – YWCA
Carbon Markets and Green Innovation
- Carbon Finance Strategy: Designed a strategy for MSME project development in partnership with Prospero.
- Pre-Feasibility Studies for Carbon Projects: Conducted a study for Barrick Gold Lumwana Mine to evaluate the viability of carbon projects.
- Green SME and Community Project Scaling: Trained and scaled green innovations for SMEs and community initiatives.
- Biocharcoal Process Optimization: Provided tailor-made advice to biocharcoal producers, enhancing quality control, production and operational efficiency.
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Capacity needs assessment of a broad range of entities, such as MSMEs, farmer cooperatives and government agencies
- Design of capacity development plans that integrate various training and advisory tools to address identified gaps
- Trainings in strategic planning, governance, financial management and lobbying & advocacy.
- Tailor-Made Advice in quality control and process optimisation
- Facilitate change management in entities that deal with evolving environments
Gender
- Conceptualized, designed, and developed a comprehensive GBV mobile application Palm Safe
- Developed a community forum within the app to connect survivors with peers, support groups, and professionals for emotional support and guidance.
- Created an educational module within the app to raise awareness about GBV, its consequences, and prevention strategies.
- Collaborated with NGOs and experts to curate informative content.
- Launched the prototype with over 500 students at Levy Mwanawasa Medical University