The urgent need for new schools and classrooms in Zambia means that there is always an overwhelming number of communities needing support.
We liaise with the Zambian district education authority to get a shortlist of schools which urgently need upgrading. It is a delicate process not to raise expectations and usually takes at least 12 months to identify suitable projects.
We look to build where:
Projects are driven by the local community. We work together to agree the scope of the project. This includes how many classrooms are needed, as well as other facilities like latrines, bore holes and staff housing. required like school latrines, bore holes and staff housing. We then draw up detailed, technical drawings based on our standard designs. These follow our guidelines on sustainable construction.
A group of 23 young, unemployed people are recruited from the local community to help to build the new facilities. They go through our Training into Work programme to gain valuable new skills to help them into work.
All the finished school buildings are inspected and certified for use before being handed over. Some basic training in preventative maintenance is given to help ensure that the buildings are looked after. The Build It team continues to monitor the buildings for the next 2 – 4 years.
