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Safe Hands Appeal: Our response to COVID-19 pandemic
We wanted to respond directly to the challenges caused by the pandemic. In June 2020 we launched our Safe Hands Appeal to build permanent hand washing facilities at 18 schools in Zambia. These new facilities have space for 18 children to wash their hands at the same time, and will help benefit up to 20,000 children.
Washing our hands regularly with soap and water is a key health message in the battle against COVID-19. But lack of adequate and appropriate facilities means that for many in Zambia, this just isn’t possible.
According to 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) more than 36% of Zambia’s population lacked access to safe water and more than 67% lacked access to basic sanitation.
Safe Hands
We are focusing our support to schools in the areas where we work, currently Chilanga and Chibombo Districts close to our Centre for Excellence. This helps ensure we are reaching crowded, urban schools that are at higher risk from the spread COVID-19. It also means we can help rural schools that have a lower risk of transmission, but are poorly resourced with even less access to essential services.
We have provided further training to a small group of our young construction graduates to build the hand wash stations. New skills means new opportunities for them to earn a living and to provide for their families.
In addition, we are also providing the schools with vital supplies including face masks, soaps and disinfectant to help keep children and teachers safe.
We continue raising funds for our Safe Hands appeal. Will you join us in #BuildingBrighterFutures in Zambia?
Helping schools to reopen safely
22 January 2021. The reopening of schools across Zambia after the Christmas holiday has been delayed by two weeks until 1 February. This is due to the rapid increase in cases of COVID-19. The Zambian Government says that this two-week period aims to allow schools to put in place measures to help protect learners and […]
Challenge completed!
18 December 2020. Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent Star Jump challenge raising £850 for our Safe Hands appeal. Set by our Young Professionals Board (YPB), the challenge ran on social media throughout November. Beth Vuckovic is a member of the Board and explained what they hoped to achieve: ‘The Coronavirus […]
Double the numbers at Naluyanda
1 December 2020. Work continues through our Safe Hands programme on the construction of permanent hand wash stations in local schools. These new facilities enable more children to wash their hands at the same time. This will help the school to manage and integrate hand washing more frequently into their daily timetable. At Naluyanda Community […]
Ten hand wash stations nearing completion
4 November 2020. Construction of hand wash stations at Bissell and Naluyanda Community Schools are nearing completion thanks to your support. This will take the total to ten new wash stations so far. Through our Safe Hands appeal, we are building permanent, hand wash stations at 18 schools with space for 18 children to wash […]
Star jump challenge!
29 October 2020. Our Young Professionals Board is throwing down the gauntlet in November encouraging people to take up their fundraising challenge: The challenge: 500 star jumps in 5 days How to take part: Donate £5 to Build It and post a photo of yourself having completed the challenge on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter – tag Build It and tag five […]
Hand washing stations completed at Moomba Schools
2 October 2020. As well as supporting schools we have worked with in the past, our Safe Hands Appeal is an opportunity to expand support to other schools in the local area. Situated just over 4km from our Centre for Excellence, Moomba Primary and Moomba Boarding Secondary Schools are large, Government run schools with a […]
New hand washing stations for the children at Kamaila
25 September 2020. Schools are reopening in Zambia and thanks to your support, children can safely return to their classrooms. Through our Safe Hands appeal, the first group hand washing stations have been built at Kamaila Primary and Secondary schools. The stations allow 18 children to wash their hands with clean water all at the […]
Safe Hands workshop for local schools
17 September 2020. We recently arranged a one-day workshop for teachers and school administrators on preventing the spread of COVID19. Held at Shifwankula Primary School, 24 representatives attended the session from across the 11 schools who recently received supplies as part of our Safe Hands appeal. Facilitated by Mrs Winfridah W Mulenga (Senior Health Promotions […]
Children at Machaya teach us how to stay safe
3 September 2020. Our Community Development Team has been busy continuing the distribution of vital supplies to local schools in the Chibombo and Chilanga districts as part of our Safe Hands Appeal. The team visited Munkolo Primary School, as well as re-visiting schools that we have recently worked with including Machaya Community School, Kamaila Primary […]
New skills, new facilities
27 August 2020. Six Build It graduates are receiving additional training as part of our Safe Hands programme to build group hand washing stations in local schools. It means new skills to help them find work; it means new facilities to improve the health of children in their communities. The six graduates will be divided […]