My name is Gad Kalila, I’m 10years old and I am in grade 4 at Konayuma Community School. I want to appreciate Response Network programme which have made it possible for our community school to be fully recognized by the government and Academic Work for donating building materials to build a 1×1 classroom block and office.
My elder brothers and sisters used to cover 15km going to Mulamfu Basic School which was the nearest school by that time. At the moment, we only cover 1 1/2km (one and a half kilometer) to reach Konayuma Community School. This has made it possible for most of the children to attain education in our area. The school is growing bigger and bigger from day to day. I have said so because already there is a strong and tantalizing building supported by academic work which has just been completed; it is the first time to have such a permanent structure in our community. Our parents are now organizing for a handover celebration which is likely to take place very soon.
Finally, I would like to urge Academic work to continue with the same spirit of helping the community; their support has changed most areas from bad to good.
people playing drums and dancing at the handover ceremony
The Sinangombe Community School has finally been completed; it was officially handed over to the community on 25th June 2010. The handover ceremony was attended by Response Network staffs, area councilor, chief representative and the community at large. On this day the community was very happy with the development such that they sang and danced.
The headman gave a speech, in his speech he thanked Academic Work for the support; he said the support will go a long way. Not only will it help the community with a better classroom block, it is a motivation tool for the children to work hard and have better life.
Makumba community School pupils sitting on the desks they received from Academic Work
Makumba Community School pupils were very happy to receive desks donated by Academic work of Sweden. Before the receipt of desks the pupils use to sit on bricks or logs and used their laps when writing. With the comfort of the desks, the pupils will learn happily and look forward to go to school each day without thinking of who has sat on their log if they are late.
Mrs Velemu from Young Christian Women Association teaching the pupils about Gender Based Violence.
We had a sensitization workshop for the sponsored children on 26th June 2010 at Catholic Womens centre. The workshop was attended by 160 pupils from different schools and the children were sensitized on Hygiene, HIV/AIDS, Gender Based Violence and Childrens Rights. We invited facilitators from Victim support Unit (VSU) who talked about Childrens Rights, Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) who talked about Gender Based Violence and Children’s Pedriatic Ward who talked about Hygiene and HIV/AIDS.
In April eleven Academic Work colleagues from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany went to Zambia to visit Respone Network and the schools we are supporting. For two amazing days we visited five schools, met hundreds of children and slept in a tent in the middle of the African nowhere.
Malin, Emma, Cecilia, Susanne, Tiina, Helena and Anna outside Simbuni Community School
We brought jumping ropes and footballs as gifts to the school children
Some curious boys at Makuya Community School
Our camp
We also took the time to visit Botswana for two game-drive Safaris, where we saw many different kinds of wild animals, as..
..lions…
…crocodiles…
…and hippos!
As we were going home we got stranded in Johannesburg due to the ash cloud that was temporally obstructing the air traffic over Europe. With a total delay of six days we were of course very delighted to come home!
Response Network senior facilitations officer handing over Mabwa Community School to the community
Mabwa Community School extension of 2 classes to make a 1x3 classroom block
Mabwa community school has been completed. The school was handed over to the community on 14th May 2010. The handover ceremony was attended by the Response Network staffs, councilor, Chief representative, Teachers, parents and pupils. Mr. Sianchongwe Response Network Senior Facilitations Officer handed over the school to the community as shown in the photo on the right.
The community was so happy with the structure such that they were motivated to extend the school. They are extending the school to a 1×3 classroom block as shown in the photo on the left. The community has gathered upfront materials such as sand, stones and bricks for the completion of the school.
Litress(l) and Collen(r) at Tumango Community School
Tumango Community School
Collen Sicaabi
The boy seated is Collen Sicaabi; he was born in 1991 in Muhingwa village. His father died when he was 7years old and he started staying with his grandmother. Life was not easy with his grandmother for she was not working. He started school in 2007 at a government school called Mulamfu; however due to his disability he could not manage walking long distances to and from school everyday. He has a paralyzed leg and he pulls it when walking. He used to walk for more than 4km to and from school everyday.
When Tumango Community School was established he moved from Mulamfu to Tumango which is less that 1km.
It is a great opportunity for him and other vulnerable children and even the community at large to complete education now that the school is near.
He would like to take this opportunity to thank Academic Work for supporting Tumango Community School with a 1×1 classroom block and office.
Litress Sinzala
The Girl standing is Litress Sinzala, she was born in the village of Siatebwele in 1995. She is in grade 6 at Tumango Community School. She became an orphan at a tender age and she had to move from one family to another because they were unable to pay for her school requirements.
However, her suffering was reduced when Tumango Community School was opened. She is now happy because she does not have to walk long distances to attain education. The fees at the school are minimal and they receive small grants to buy books and other learning resources from the government. She hopes that one day the government will send trained teachers at her school.
She thanks Academic Work for helping the community construct a classroom block, with the school being near and affordable it is easier for the family to manage the hardships of life.
Irene is a double orphan aged 19; she lost her mother 5 years ago and her father 2 years ago. Irene is being kept by her cousin who is disabled; he uses a wheel chair and is unable to do any kind of work.
Irene is unable to go to school due to lack of funds, she has been accept at Kalomo high school but she has not yet reported. She is the second born in a family of four, the first born and her two siblings are being kept in Mumbwa by her grandmother.
We at Academic Work got in contact with a man called ArnFinn Sollis 2004. He was a Norwegian volunteer who worked within an organization called Response Network in Zambia. Ever since then we have been involved in their work and we have also visit them in Zambia.
Response Network is based in Livingstone in Southern Zambia and visits villages all over the country where they hold motivation- and information meetings on how communities can start their own Self-Help activities, based on their own human- and material resources.
Academic Work contributes financially which enables the purchase of tools and materials that is being needed for building schools. So far we have supported the construction of 22 schools and therefore made it possible for thousands of children to learn how to read and write.
