Chitukuko is a rural community around 20km west of Lusaka. The community was formed in 2015 when nearly 500 families were forced to move from farmland they had been squatting on for many years by new land owners.

In 2016 your support helped to build a three-classroom block, a latrine block and a teacher’s house. The new school opened with 3 teachers and 230 pupils.

Since then the school has grown with 7 teachers and 468 pupils now registered. This dramatic growth means further building work is now needed, in a community that continues struggling to get established.

We are back at Chitukuko to build:

Two teachers’ houses

Providing accommodation for teaching staff will help to ensure that the school attracts quality teachers to provide the best education to the children.

Latrine block for girls

As pupil numbers have doubled since the school was first opened, the original latrine block is no longer enough. We are separating male and female facilities by building an additional latrine block for girls and female teachers.

This will be one of our biggest latrine blocks with seven individual cubicles. These facilities will help to encourage more girls to stay in school as they grow up.

Construction work on the latrines got off to a slow start with limestone bedrock close to the surface making excavation challenging. The children were moved safely away, before blasting began on the massive boulders in the latrine pit.

With the pit cleared, work has progressed well on the concrete-block work before construction of the concrete slab.

Overseen by our Site Agent, construction of the latrine block is being led by contractor Mike Tembo.

Twenty-five year old Mike is one of 23 young people who trained with us on our community build project at Bissell Community School in 2017.

Since completing his training, Mike has gone on to become a contractor and employer.

As well as continuing to improve his own opportunities, Mike is committed to supporting fellow youths and has employed four Build It graduates to help him with the work at Chitukuko.

Mike shared with us how his life has changed since he trained with us:

“There is a big difference from when I was a trainee to today. I can build a new house by myself. I can dress, feed, pay for the home, support my child, mother, brothers, sisters and workers.

To my fellow BII graduates, you need to put in extra effort and work hard in order to thrive like I did.

I will continue to be a contractor to work for myself and to be able to employ other youths.”