COVID-19 pandemic
Our response

“Courage and collaboration are the Build It values coming to the fore…
Now more than ever, we remain committed to building brighter futures in Zambia.”
Andrew Jowett OBE
Chief Executive
20 January 2021:
We continue to closely monitor and react to the COVID-19 situation in Zambia and the UK.
Since mid-December, the number of cases in Zambia has risen rapidly and the health authorities have confirmed the outbreak of a second wave dominated by the South Africa variant. Testing remains limited so the full picture is unknown, but hospitals are full and the situation is serious.
Schools were due to reopen on 18 January but will now remain closed until at least 1 February. This is so they can put in place COVID-19 mitigation measures. However most schools do not have the resources to do this, which is why our Safe Hands initiative is so important.
As a result of the current situation:
- Build It staff are working from home where possible.
- Our Centre for Excellence is now closed to learners. This is in line with other educational institutions. New groups were expected to start on 15 February, but this is now in doubt.
- We are preparing to expand the distance-learning programme that we started last year.
- Construction works continue at our projects at the Centre for Excellence, Light of Hope Community School and Katombora Reform School, with strict rules to keep everyone safe on site. This includes additional hand-washing facilities, face masks, fewer workers on site and daily Health and Safety briefings with a focus on COVID-19.
- We are looking at how to expand our Safe Hands programme having built 21 hand wash stations at 13 schools to date, as well as distributing vital supplies including face masks, soaps and disinfectant.
Our Fundraising and Communications team continue to share news with our amazing community of support and explore new ways to meet with you online. If you were unable to catch our recent Insaka event you can do so here.
The coming months will continue to be challenging, but we know our work can still make a huge difference to people. We remain firmly committed to building brighter futures in Zambia and be led by our core values: empowerment, excellence, courage and collaboration.
Please stay safe, wherever you are.
Andrew
Andrew Jowett
Our latest news and developments around the COVID-19 pandemic:

Together we are #BuildingBrighterFutures in Zambia
