ZAP - Zambia Allocation Program

NEWSLETTER 21 - april 2014

Take part in the future of ZAP How? Become Founding Fathers - The Founding Fathers of ZAP commit for three years and donate a minimum of € 1500,- yearly. (ZAP has the ANBI status) Become Friend of ZAP - every donation is more than welcome! This Newsletter will focus especially on the developments around the school in Nkulamaziba. This community can be found in the Kaindu Chiefdom, an area the size of the province of Utrecht. We are incredibly proud that this school has been awarded the official label of "Government School", with the very positive consequence of a very intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Education in a variety of fields. Thus, we had a meeting about the future of the school in February. There were more than 100! participants such as the Chief and all the "Headmen" of the district, the secretary to the District Commissioner, the local manager of World Vision, and the representatives of the Ministry of Education and the Community. A meeting lasting more than 3 hours, with this number of participants and some 10 speeches, is a typically African phenomenon, but it was surprisingly effective resulting in a number of very concrete undertakings: COMMITMENTS The Ministry of Education The Ministry of Education plays a crucial role. It oversees the progress of the various projects and checks whether those concerned actually live up to their promises. Moreover, it appoints the qualified teachers and pays their salaries. On top of that it provides all school desks and all school books. World Vision World Vision is going to provide for the transport of river sand for the extension of the school. We are delighted with this offer, as the sand has to be collected at some 3 hours' distance which can obviously only be done by trucks. The Community We have made it extremely clear to the Community that this project can only succeed if they give it their full support. They are expected to clear the site, dig the trenches for the sanitary installations, hack the rocks and assist in a number of other ways. The Community has also appointed a special committee for the upkeep of the school. This committee will concentrate mainly on the upkeep of the classrooms. The teachers themselves will be responsible for the upkeep of their living quarters, as is usual practice for ZAP. Sports Realising the importance of team sports is a very important element. The Head teacher is going to level a plot for a sports field, with the help of the pupils. The sports paraphernalia are being donated by 'Moments of Joy', a Dutch foundation which concentrates on projects which are either too small, unknown or impractical to be of interest for larger organisations. Construction Progress At the end of this year the entire Primary school will have been finished. In spite of the rainy season, the second school block of 3 classrooms was completed in January. An achievement which fills us with pride! All told the school now has 5 classrooms. This is the minimum norm for a "Government School" as stipulated by the Ministry. We can report good progress on the teacher's accommodation front as well: construction of 4 new houses has started. Our dream: the establishment of the first Secondary School in The Kaindu Chiefdom If we can manage to acquire the necessary funds, we hope to be able to start immediately with an extension to incorporate a Secondary School. This would then be the first Secondary School in the Kaindu Chiefdom. This extension will offer an opportunity to a minimum of 900 children to receive education from grade 1 to grade 12. This is of the utmost importance, as it will subsequently offer them the possibility to go on to tertiary education in the capital, enabling them to participate actively in the national labour market and/or start their own business. It goes without saying that we will endeavour to offer this education to equal numbers of girls and boys. ZAP thanks all of you for your commitment en we intensely hope that you will agree with us that offering the possibility of a secondary education to thousands of children is a very worthy cause indeed. These children will not only be able to build a better future for themselves, but will also be important contributors to the future of their country. So please, all contributions are essential! Watch an impression of the progress of the school in Nkulamaziba: © ZAP Foundation ZAP wishes you all a brilliant spring! With best regards, ZAP (Zambia Allocation Program) Josien Dudok van Heel Watch all projects realised by ZAP >>