ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses social protection as the frontline poverty-alleviation strategy in Zambia, formerly Northern Rhodesia, a country where, according to Fox (2010), ‘the legacy of colonization is present . . . with education, health, housing and social welfare among the areas still feeling the impact’ (p. 721). It highlights the evolution of social protection through cash transfers and how it differs from social security in the colonial welfare era. Within this policy context, social work aims to respond to vulnerability and poverty exacerbated by complex social issues, such as the impact of HIV and AIDS on children, youth, and elderly people. Based on this and preceding sections, a conclusion is drawn that the profession remains predominantly urbanbased and has not fully decolonised.
