Things are taking shape at Chibolya Community School, where Build IT are working with partner organisation Zambia Orphans of Aids (ZOA) to build a one and two classroom block.

Lord Andrew Turnbull, Chairman of ZOA UK, recently visited the site and was greeted by a large number of enthusiastic community members, who have been helping to clear the site.

He was impressed with the contribution, saying, ‘It was very encouraging to see such enthusiastic community engagement’.

10 trainees were busy at the project, producing soil blocks for the building. So far 10,000 of the 18,000 bricks required have been made and impressive teamwork and hard work has resulted in trenches for the foundations of the hexagonal classrooms.

With the provision of water essential on site, a well has been dug – the bucket soon to be replaced by a hand pump!

The school will be run by Chibolya Education and Health Organisation. Leaders, Innocent and Sedlock, are busy making plans for the new school building, which will officially open next February. It will enable the pre-school to expand to Grades 1-4. This will make a real difference to the area, where there is currently just one primary school, despite a population of over 10,000.