Mwachisompola is a well organised, rural settlement just north of Lusaka. The people from this community are committed to finding a way to ensure their children have an education.

The school was set up in 2004 as a community school, and upgraded in 2012 to a Government school. With very little support, but plenty of determination, the community has succeeded to build a three-classroom block and persuade the Ministry of Education to send qualified teachers to the school.

The Parent Teachers Association is very active. They have a strong vision for the school to eventually teach up to secondary level.

The need

At the moment there are 490 children registered for Grades 1-7. But there are many more children not coming to school because there is not enough teaching space.

Although, there are now 11 trained teachers, there are only three very basic classrooms. Some classes have to be held in local church buildings, but even then most children receive fewer than four hours teaching a day.

The school has nowhere near enough desks and books, but the children are keen to learn. Their families know the power of education to create opportunities in a tough world.

There is also a desperate need for more toilets. At the moment there are just two crude, long-drops for the whole school, including the teachers. This is a crisis that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

“This new classroom block will enable us to take Grade 8 children. At the moment when students graduate from our school, they have to walk 10km to the nearest secondary school. When we get more classrooms they won’t have to do that. Our children are very excited about their new facility; for them, it is a dream.” Mr Kampambe, Headteacher

Our proposal

With your help we can help transform Mwachisompola School. Together we can:

• Construct a four-classroom block with capacity for over 200 children; the same as the one we recently completed at Zambezi Sawmills Community School.
  • Standard Build It design; we have completed over 100 classrooms
  • Cool and light, robust with little maintenance required
  • One room with power for light and computers (in the future)
  • Disability access

• Construct a fit-for-purpose latrine block with separate access for girls:
  • Ventilation Improved Pit latrine
  • Six cubicles, including one with disability access doubling as a washing space
  • Handwashing facility

• Train 23 local young men and women with new skills in construction. They will learn on the job helping to build new facilities for children from their local community. Their valuable new skills will open up new opportunities to find work.

• Provide additional support after the build, with the provision of new desks, books and learning resources. We also help to further develop the Parent Teacher committee.

We rely on the support of our generous donors to complete this project.

If you would like to find out more about how you can give a Hand Up to the children of Mwachisampola, and support the construction of this much-needed facility; please contact Lisa Carson, Head of Fundraising & Communications, lisa@builditinternational.org