In the first instalment of our new blog series, find out what happened when Project Manager, Albert Lungu, visited the Lupuka community last week to deliver some good news.

As one of Build It’s project managers, I spend a lot of time out and about visiting our projects. Last week I went to Lupuka to meet with the community, and give them some good news!
[divider]
I arrived in Lupuka with Justus, Build It’s Training Manager, and met with Mr. O’Brien Kaputula, the PTA chairman of the Lupuka Community School.
[divider]
It was great to be able to share the exciting news that building will soon start on the two classroom block and school office at Lupuka.
[divider]
I chatted with Mr. O’Brien Kaputula about why the new school is so desperately needed by the community. The makeshift classroom at Lupuka was set up to give the children access to education closer to home because the nearest schools were up to 25km away. He explained that the pupils were left exhausted by their journey to school and found it difficult to concentrate once they arrived, so much so that they sometimes even fell asleep in lessons.
[divider]
I saw for myself the two classrooms that are currently being used – one is enclosed whilst the other is open with a patchy thatched roof. The pupils sit on uncomfortable log benches and because there are no desks, writing is done on the pupils’ laps.
[divider]
There is currently no housing for teachers (essential for the Ministry of Education to provide a trained teacher) and sanitation facilities are severely lacking – pupils have to use nearby bushes.
[divider]
My visit showed me that the Lupuka community are eager to start work on the new classrooms as soon as possible, and are committed to providing their time to help.
[divider]
We took Mr O’Brien Kaputula to visit one of our other projects for this year, the nearby Kabaka community school, to show him an example of a fantastic working community partnership with Build It.
[divider]
He was clearly inspired to see how the community had organised themselves, had collected materials and were working together on the project.
[divider]
Mr. O’Brien Kaputula even got involved with block production! (pictured right) He said “I appreciate being brought here to see how my friends (Kabaka community) are working with Build It… We (Lupuka community) have a lot to do but I am sure we can do it”.
[divider]
It was great to see the Lupuka community so excited about their new school, and so keen to get involved with the project. I’m looking forward to working with them on phase one of the project, the classroom block and office, which will start any day now.
[divider]