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October 12, 2006 - Joe Kitts, Senior Education Advisor, visited several community schools in Livingstone, Southern Province to review USAID-funded programs. The programs include the PEPFAR Wrap Around Program, the Play Pumps/ Education Program Planning, the Review HIV/AIDS in Education Program, the Text Books And Learning Materials Program and the Fast Track Initiative Plans
Brief Purpose of Visit:
(a) To review the PEPFAR Wrap Around Program
(2) To review the Play Pumps/ Education Program Planning
(3) To Review the HIV/AIDS in Education Program,
(4) To Review the Text Books And Learning Materials Program and
(5) To Review Fast Track Initiative Plans and discussions about how USAID/Zambia
could link with other FTI
Countries.
Visit to Hauma Community School:
Hauma Community School was established in 2001 with 66 enrolled children. This figure has now changed to an impressive 210. The school which is surrounded by mountains and is rightly named Hauma which means dry valley is located approximately 15 km from Gwembe District Headquarters.
The school boasts of five teachers, three of whom are government hired, one a student and the other a volunteer. The School is supported by both the Ministry of Education (MOE) and different donors. Save the Children Norway has particularly contributed immensely to Community Schools in Southern Province by supporting teacher training needs in both in service and pre-service areas. The construction of a permanent structure and installation of Solar Power are notable attributes the school owes to Save the Children Norway.
Hauma Community School was also a beneficiary of the The Ministry of Education's implementation of the Program for the Advancement of the Girls Education ( PAGE). The main objective of the PAGE program, which was supported by different donors, including USAID, was to promote and encourage the participation of girls in school. Under the PAGE program a borehole was installed at the school. Last year, the school had another borehole installed with the support from a Canadian institution. The school uses both boreholes to water vegetable gardens.
Areas that Hauma Community School can be supported are through the training of teachers in HIV/AIDS, improvement in teaching practices and the supply of learning materials particularly visually stimulating resources.
Visit to Namatama Basic School:
This school has a total of 1,200 enrolled children and 35 teachers. It has grades one up to nine with a daily shift of 3. Apart from an active HIV/AIDS club, the school devotes 5 minutes every day at school assembly to a HIV/AIDS talk.
Among the many challenges this school faces is the increasing number of 'Child Headed Households'. The HIV/AIDS pandemic in the surrounding townships has left children vulnerable to rape, incest, defilement and early pregnancies. Through counseling programs introduced by Changes 2, teachers are able to provide psycho-social support to the traumatized children and this has yielded tremendous results. A Counseling office has been set up at the school and children are encouraged to access services there at anytime.
Free nutrition supplement from the World food Program (WFP) is also another incentive that encourages children from the nearby catchment areas to attend school. With 2 pit latrines servicing 1, 200 pupils, the school is badly in need of a modern abolition block. The school could also use a borehole to help alleviate the water problems that it experiences.
Visit to Maramba Home Based Care Centre:
This centre was established in 1993 and has a 27 volunteers from the nearby shanty township. Changes 2 have supported this centre by providing funds to start a chicken rearing business. It is also supported by different church organizations. The centre supports 98 TB cases, 261 chronically ill patients and 285 OVCs. It was noted that a lot of the orphans were not in school due to the lack of funds. A community school is badly needed in the area.
The Chairperson for the centre appealed to USAID through Changes 2, for an additional grant to enable them expand their chicken and vegetable business. They also asked for a wire fence so that passer bys would not steal their vegetables.
Visit to Maria Assumpta School:
This school was established in 1950 and was originally a Catholic Mission School. It is now a government school. The school has grades one up nine. Thanks to Changes 2 interventions, the school has a very active HIV/AIDS club with a registered number of 30 active members, who incidentally are also members of the Red Cross club. It also has a very lively cultural ensemble group which provided entertainment to the visiting team.
Maria Assumpta School has on record 63 double orphans, 173 single orphans and 28 vulnerable children.
Visit to Maramba Basic School:
Maramba Basic School was established in 1934. It originally was a boy's only school and converted to co-education in 1978. It has on record just above 1,000 enrolled students.
Pupils at this school are actively involved in such clubs like HIV/AIDS, Red Cross and Nutrition. Changes 2 has also provided training to teachers in counseling services. The psycho-social support has greatly up lifted the self esteem in the children at the school.
Visit to Maanumbwami School:
Maanumbwani School is located 3.5km from Livingstone's town centre. It is situated in Libuyu Compound. The school has one trained teacher and he is assisted by 5 community volunteers.
The school was registered as a Community School in 2002 when the IRI programme began. The school runs from grades one up to seven. Total number of pupils at the school is 306, with 154 girls and 152 boys. The school boasts of a big tomato garden but water is the main hindrance and the schools committee appealed to USAID to drill a borehole for them. A hammer mill was recently donated to the school by a local church organization.
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