According to the World Health Organisation – ‘1 in 4 or 2.1 billion people globally still lack access to safely managed drinking water.’ These figures come as no surprise to me knowing that Zambia alone has over 6 million people, approximately one third of the population, who do not have readily available safe drinking water. There is a notable disparity between urban and rural areas, the latter having the least facilities.
Last year’s severe drought proved that many more schools and communities are in need of boreholes. It is now four months since the last rain fell and no more is expected to fall before November. Thanks to two of our regular donors more boreholes are being drilled – most recently for Nakatela and Gombe schools and for Siampunga community. Boreholes not only help to minimize the spread of disease but reduce the time women and children spend collecting water from streams or shallow wells.
The new school term starts next week and exciting developments are currently taking place to improve the facilities at both primary and secondary schools. Three secondary schools are having additional constructions added to them. Musokotwane has gained another boarding house and toilets while Riverview will shortly have a third 1×3 classroom block. Both of these projects are generously funded by the Murphy Family Foundation.
A second 1×3 classroom block and boarding house will advance Nguba secondary school which opened in January this year. Since the change in the education curriculum the secondary enrolment has increased generally, resulting in most schools needing additional classrooms.
We have now received all the funds from Victor Ubogu’s successful fundraising event in June. In addition to the 1×2 classroom block the following facilities are being added to this remote school in Simukumbwa: a second 1×2 classroom block, a staff house, toilets, a solar-powered water system and feeding shelter. Seeds and fertilizer will be donated so that the school can initiate a sustainable feeding programme. A further 50 desks, textbooks, and the sponsorship of five orphans will complete the project.
The feedback for project entitled ‘Improving Education for Young People with Special Needs’ is excellent. Teachers from 161 schools in the Kazungula District received training on how to teach pupils with special needs in an inclusive education system. We also produced a guidance manual of which copies were given to each school in Kazungula, plus a copy for each District in Southern Province as well as all Special Education Officers. The entire project was funded by our Canadian Partner, Give a Hand.
For anyone who is interested below is the link to the guidance manual:
Special Education Guidance Manual.pdf
Construction of the new clinic at Katanda in Kalomo District, funded by the Overseas Aid and Development Commission of Guernsey is progressing well. The borehole and water system have been installed, and the main clinic and bio-digester are currently under construction. The next stage will be to construct two staff houses, a mother’s shelter, and toilets. 1,000 mosquito nets were given to school children in July after learning that four children had died after contracting malaria.
We aim to raise more funds and awareness of malaria, which remains one of the biggest killers of children in the WHO’s African Region. Some rural clinics in Zambia have reported to us that they have not received any support since 2022. Our ‘Mosquito Nets for Schools’ programme which we launched in 2017, continues to be an effective method in helping to reduce malaria cases. Every child and teacher within a school receives a mosquito net costing just £5 and can last for two years.
As always we are so grateful for your generous support.
Jane Kaye-Bailey
Founder
