Zambia – Fiwila School Project

In early 2006, Build IT International was approached by international development agency, Harvest Help to assist with a school building project in Fiwila, near Mkushi in Central Province Zambia.

A tile and block making workshop will be set up for the construction of a 3 class-room building, teachers’ houses and dormitories for a rural secondary school. This will enable the school to cope with a rising intake and expand to teach up to grade 10 from February 2007. Consultant project manager Malcolm Alcock will work with local builder Alfred Muyabe on project management skills and the use of Parry technology. Alfred will then be contracted by the school to complete the work and hopefully his business will grow. Zambia is one of the poorest countries in Africa with average incomes of below £250 p.a. and life expectancy of under 40 years.

The new 3 classroom block starts to take shape

Zambia School Project nears completion

Onivia Muleya Michael Kunda Alfred Muyabe After four months of hard work the new three classroom block is only a few weeks away from completion. It has been highly praised by the Ministry of Education inspectors and will provide classroom facilities for grades 10-12 from January 2007.

The programme of works for 2007 comprises a new science block for grade 10 and 11 students, new boys and girls washroom blocks and completion of a new teachers house costing over £25,000. By July, work was progressing well despite a national shortage of cement. The photograph below shows the foundations to the science block with the washrooms in the background. The house had also been completed and all works should be finished by the time the rains come in November.

NOVEMBER 2007

After a difficult few months at Fiwila, with problems accessing project funds lost in the mysterious world of international banking, work has resumed at the project.

New latrines for the school have been completed and the science laboratory is ready for the roof to be built. As all the tiles have already been manufactured we now expect the building to be finished by March 2008. The Ministry of Education will then inspect and sign off the work and, we hope, give permission for grade 10 classes to start.

BII Trustee Peter Caldwell visited the site in November and held a series of meetings with the Ministry, the builder and local partner Fiwila Development Trust. It was agreed that next years work would concentrate on a new dormitory for the boys. This is now being discussed with the main donor, Holy Trinity Church in Shrewsbury. Estimated cost £25,000.

Double latrine using curved, inter-locking soil blocks. Well on the way to completion at Fiwila.

FEBRUARY 2008 – GRADE 10 OPENS AT FIWILA

It has been a long time coming but the Ministry of Education finally gave the go ahead for a new school at Fiwila starting with the first ever grade 10 class.

29 pupils have enrolled so far but the number is rising and expected to reach around 40. This is all possible thanks to the construction of a new three classroom block, science laboratory and associated buildings. Build IT International has managed the project since 2006 with funding from Holy Trinity Church in Meole Brace, Shrewsbury.

Headmaster Mr Tembo told us

"This is wonderful news for all of the children from around here. In the past a few went away to school in Mkushi but most of the children stopped their studies, now they can carry on here and maybe even to grades 11 and 12 in the future. Thank you to all the people of Shrewsbury who have assisted us …it really means quite a lot!"

The 2008 construction programme for Fiwila includes completion of the science laboratory and a new boys dormitory.

JUNE 2008 - BOYS DORMITORY STARTS

After a consultation workshop with teachers, pupils and their parents, local architect David Bwalya has come up with an innovative design for a dormitory for 44 boys.

This includes integrated wash-rooms and a covered cooking-recreation space that create semi-circular ends to the building as in traditional rural structures. The building will be light and airy.

Fiwila school boys put their ideas down on paper

Architects impression of new dormitory

Tiles and blocks will be made on site and the contract to local builder Alfred Muyabe will employ around 10 skilled local labourers trained by BII.

Students and their families will contribute by collecting raw materials and clearing the site. At present the boys, who live up to 80 km away, doss down in a derelict mission building and have no proper washing facilities.

The building will cost around £25,000 and is funded by Holy Trinity Church, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury.

The girls already have two dormitories built three years ago.

October 2008 – Science Lab Finished and Boys Dormitory Phase 1 underway

This project has brought secondary education to the children of Fiwila for the first time. This includes science to GCE level (grade 12) and so two block science lab has been constructed at a cost of around £35,000. Alfed Muyababe once again managed the project assisted by around 10 local workers trained by Build IT.

And work is well underway at the new dormitory. Foundations have been laid and the above photograph shows workers compacting hard-core in preparation for pouring the concrete slab. The project has been delayed whilst the science lab was finished. We estimate that it will be completed in April 2009 to provide accommodation for 46 boys from villages up to 80km away who currently 'doss down' in three derelict buildings.

Update May 2009

After six months hard work under builder Alfred Muyabe, the dormitory has reached ring beam level. The facility will house 44 boys attending the new secondary school and will open in February 2020. It features a unique design with integrated ablution block and recreation / cooking area.

At present the boys sleep rough in derelict mission buildings. The new dormitory will provide basic but adequate accommodation so that they can get concentrate on their studies.

The new year 10 at Fiwila has 45 students, some from as far away as Boromo (70 kilometres). Year 11 has 17 students.

This project is funded by the Shropshire Fiwila Partnership.

Update August 2009

The amazing 46 bed boy’s dormitory is almost completed with the roof rafters currently being put in place. Some 4,000 tiles will then be laid over the next month. With its two round ends the building resembles a ship.

Finishings, including bunk beds, will be in place by Christmas in time for the dormitory to welcome the first boys in February 2010. No longer will they be sleeping in dingy, derelict buildings from the 1920s.

This project is financed and supported by Holy Trinity Church in Meole Brace, Shrewsbury.

If your church has a project we might be able to help with then please get in touch.

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