Construction and training underway at Chitukuko Community School
Twenty trainees have been selected and are digging the excavations of a new three classroom block, teachers house and latrine.
Chitukuko is a new community of about 3,000 people, located about 20km west of Lusaka. It was established by the forced relocation of over 500 families when the land they previously occupied was sold.
There is no school, or other development, at the community’s new home. The children’s old school has now been demolished and they are currently using various local churches as classrooms.
We are working closely with the community to provide construction skills training for twenty young men and women who will build a new school, teacher’s house and sanitation block. It is our hope that the new primary school will become the focal point of the new community and encourage further development.
The community have also been assisting with the project, helping to clear the construction site and providing some of the raw materials needed for block making.
Eleven men and nine women have been selected as trainees on this build. They undertook our standard a ten day intensive training course, which mixes theory with hands-on experience, to teach them Health & Safety, how to use their new tools and bricklaying basics.
For the first time we also ran a life skills training course. Some of the topics covered include self-confidence, problem solving, time management, team work and stress management. The Site Agent, Ian, was impressed with how much the trainees had learnt, noticing an immediate change in trainees self-conduct and confidence.
The trainees are currently digging the excavations of the new buildings. Once the excavations are complete, they will start laying the concrete footing and foundation walls, whilst the community provides labour to produce the thousands of hydraform blocks needed for the new school buildings.
