Visit to the local office of the department of education with Andrew Chipili
Dear friends of the Orphan School Project in Kashikishi, Zambia, a subsidiary project of the Basel Association for Medical Cooperation (BAMC).
On the 10th of May a small team of us, as representatives of the BAMC, landed in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. We are responsible for the various partner projects at the St. Paul’s hospital in Kashikishi.
The economic situation in Zambia is still, as previously, difficult. The country suffers with high inflation and the cost of living is increasing. The rise in prices in the last year amounted to approximately 14%. Poverty and hunger are increasing.
As always when we visit Zambia, we travel from the capital in a northerly direction, to the province of Luapula. This is where the St. Paul’s hospital, the actual destination of our visit, is situated.
But first we made an intermediate stopover in the provincial capital Mansa. As in every year, we were very pleased to meet up with our partners. The intention was to visit boarding schools, colleges and vocational training centres, as part of the Orphan School Project. We wanted to introduce the Project and ourselves, the Basel Association,for Medical Cooperation, explain the Project for support with the admission criteria and the registration procedure.
Mr Jacob Chanda coordinates the Project locally, and we had organised an appointment with him in Mansa. He had suggested a visit to the provincial department of education and had arranged it. We had an instructive conversation with Mr Andrew Chipili, the “Principal Education Standards Officer” (PESO). He praised the Project and affirmed how important it is to help young and vulnerable people with an education, so that later they can lead an independent life. Above all, he emphasised that also young women can benefit, and thereby have some protection from prostitution and teenage pregnancies.
In Mansa we also visited the College of Education and the Mansa College of Nursing and Midwifery, and the St. Clements Secondary School. The first mentioned College accommodates 1200 students, who are training to be teachers. We (the BAMC) support Steven Mushota. He has completed his graduation year. We hope, as he does, that after his training, he will find a post as a teacher.
The Mansa College of Nursing is the biggest College in Luapula and is situated directly next to the Mansa General Hospital. It offers 6 educational courses for nursing professionals. Included are also further education courses in special care, for example, HIV and surgery. Patience Mumba is about to graduate, and we are also keeping our fingers crossed that she also will find a position afterwards. The jobs for teaching and nursing staff are advertised by the State and are restricted.
The St Clements Secondary School is a popular and good religious boarding school for boys. Our project supports 19 students, from the 8th to the 12th grades.
After the interesting visits and conversations in Mansa, we continued our trip on to Kashikishi. We drove in a car with Jacob Chanda for 5 hours, on roads in very bad condition, until we reached our destination. It was like a going home for us, so familiar are we now with this place. We were eager to see what had changed in the last year, and what new challenges the community had had to deal with.
We had further planning discussions on site with Jacob Chanda and Sister Bridget. She is the administrative manager of the hospital and also checks the admission to the Orphan School Project. We had another day trip with Jacob Chanda, to get to know the pupils that we support at the Mbereshi College of Nursing, the Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School and at the St. Mary’s Development Centre.
Mbereshi College of Nursing
Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School
St. Mary’s Development Centre
The Mbereshi College of Nursing is affiliated to the eponymous district hospital. We also received a comprehensive tour of the small, but well-functioning hospital. Titus Chikonde has completed his final year of training at the Mbereshi College of Nursing. Afterwards we learned that he had to be woken up to greet us, which we were very sorry about. The poor guy was recovering from his night duty. Despite this, he agreed to be photographed with us, which pleased us greatly. We wish him all the best.
The Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School is a religious boarding school and has a very good reputation in the region. Many of the young women finish school with good grades and have fulfilled the necessary requirements to study at a university. This year, through the St Paul’s OVC Support, 11 young women have the opportunity to attend this school. One of their teachers, Doreen Chilambwe (on the photo, 2nd from left), is the best role model of a successful education. She has been a teacher at this school since 2014 and teaches economics. She was supported by the Orphan School Project from the 10th grade through higher education as a teacher. Alongside the teaching, she wants to obtain a “Degree for Commercial Subjects”. She also supports her family, for which she carries a great deal of responsibility. Doreen wants to be a good role model for the many young people, who, when young like her, lost their parents.
At the St Mary’s Development Centre in Kawambwa we met Ireen Mwape. She has completed a vocational training as seamtress. She proudly showed us what she had sewn on one of the treadles sewing machines. We obtained textiles, sewing needles and thread for her, so that she can start a small business. We showed her how to make small bags and cases, for example for computer Tablets, to sell these later.
We are proud that through our Project, we are repeatedly able to report success stories, and that we have enabled young people with the freedom to start on the way to a self-determined life. But there are always new challenges. For these, much patience and perseverance is needed. After a vocational training or a college education, it is not a matter of course to find a job. We want to support the young people in this phase as well, and help them, with a small donation, to start their own business.
If newly qualified nursing professionals, who haven’t yet managed to find a job, decide to work as a volunteer for a year in St. Paul’s hospital, to gain more practical experience, they will receive a minimum subsistence financial support from us.
The demand and the need, to be accepted in the Project is great. This is only achieved with your financial help. With our current yearly budget of CHF 40’000, we must implement restrictions, and the admission criteria must be strictly fulfilled. These criteria were established with our partners at St. Paul’s. All applications must be submitted to and authorised by Jacob Chanda.
Anyone who is allowed to learn, knows what an opportunity it is
Our work is unsalaried. We pay all our travel costs ourselves. Therefore, we can give the guarantee, that 100% of the funds that we have at our disposal, directly benefit those in need. Personal contacts, which we have established, ensure the continuity and mutual trust.
With the Project for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), we enable young, orphaned and vulnerable children to attend school, study at a college or do an apprenticeship at a Vocational Training Centre by paying the necessary fees and paving the way for a self-determined future.
For the OVC Project, we work closely with the local people responsible, Mr Jacob Chanda and St Paul's Hospital (St Paul's OVC Support). Jacob Chanda coordinates the project on site. All applications for support must be submitted via him. He assesses very carefully whether a child can be included in the project based on their circumstances and family situation. The applications are also checked by the administrative management of St Paul's Hospital. Both guarantee the effective use of the donations, which are used very directly and for a specific purpose.
In 2023, we were able to support 80 pupils in secondary boarding schools from 8th to 12th grade (approx. CHF 210 per pupil per year), 10 students at colleges or universities (CHF 550 to 1200 per student per year) and 10 apprentices at Vocational Training Centres (CHF 600 to 700 per apprentice per year).
The annual budget amounts to CHF 40’000.
In 2023, we were delighted and proud to send our donors from the OVC Project in Kashikishi a few success stories that are only possible thanks to their generous donations.
As per every year, I would like to present a report on the progress of the project, to our loyal donors of the Orphan School Project of the Basel Support Association for Medical Collaboration (BFV) in Kashikishi, Zambia. I returned at the beginning of November from a trip to northern Zambia, and therefore I now have the opportunity to present an up-to-date report on the success of the project.
With the Orphan School Project we enable children without parents or vulnerable young people to attend school, to study at a College, or complete an apprenticeship at a Vocational Training Centre, by paying the necessary fees.
I work together closely with Jacob Chanda, who coordinates and manages the project on the ground in Zambia, on a voluntary basis. He carefully selects which, of the young people who apply for support, are accepted for the project. He explains the exact family and financial circumstances to us, based on the admission criteria that we established 3 years ago, in the form of an information sheet. He is also responsible for keeping to the fixed budget, agreed to in advance by us.
The trip that the team of 3 members of the BFV undertook in October 2022, was short and intensive. We had only 2 weeks available for the project. Travelling in Zambia requires a lot of time and patience because the roads are in a very bad condition. At this time of the year the daytime temperature is on average 35 C. It took us 2 days to travel from the capital Lusaka to Kashikishi.
In Lusaka we visited Peter Ntondo at the modern Silverest Campus of the University of Lusaka. This private University was opened in 2007. Peter is in the third year of his medical studies, and is the only student supported through private sponsoring by us, in a university education. His family’s income is from catching fish, and he lived until recently on an island in the Lake Mweru. Thanks to a small inheritance left to him by an uncle, it was possible for him to attend a school. He completed 12th grade with very high marks. Next year he will begin the clinical training. Peter gave us a tour through the University Campus and described to us his lectures and practicals. He is a very motivated and ambitious student. He showed us on his laptop, which he had received from us on our last visit, his medical practical reports, and the YouTube videos with which he teaches himself further.
Peter Ntondo, University of Lusaka, Silverest Campus
Report November 2021
I am very pleased that I am able, near the end of the year, to report news from the Orphan School Project in Kashikishi (OVC Project, Orphans and Vulnerable Children). We had to wait a long time until the Corona situation allowed us to visit our partners and friends in Kashikishi. Despite the situation still not being easy, we travelled to Zambia in November 2021.
Fortunately, with emails and WhatsApp, it was always possible to stay in contact. So we were regularly updated as to the current situation there. At the beginning of the year, the school semester start (Term 1) was postponed until February 1. 2021 (instead of January 4. 2021), because of the anticipated 2nd wave of Covid 19 infections. In 2021 we could, as in the previous year, support 100 secondary school girls and boys, spread over 25 schools in the Kashikishi area (day schools and boarding schools), in the district of Nchelenge, to enable them to attend school. 28 of these students were due to complete year 12, and therefore their schooling by the end of the year.
From Lusaka, we afterwards visited the Vocational Training Centre Chikupi, where Willmot Masumbuko will soon complete the 1 year course in agriculture. He hopes that he will secure a job on a farm, so that he can soon earn his own money. His aim is to eventually buy his own plot of land and manage an independent small business.
Willmot Masumbuko at Chikupi Vocational Training Centre
It is repeatedly said to us how important it is to learn about sustainable agriculture or a trade. Trained professionals are very important for the development and economy of the country. It confirms even more that our support for the teaching of a trade or craft at a Vocational Training Centre is very advantageous. The VTCs which are easily accessible for the interested young people of Kashikishi were evaluated by us last year, with Jacob Chanda. Despite different levels of schooling, individual skills can be encouraged and a chance given for an independent future life.
On arrival in Kashikishi, I soon had my first conversation with Jacob Chanda. I had already received the invoices in advance. We had been able to clear up any queries per email. Therefore we could take care of the accounts efficiently.
In 2022, it was possible for us to support 115 school age children, distributed throughout 20 different schools, 20 College students, and 5 apprentices at Vocational Training Centres.
The new President of Zambia, Hakaine Hichilema, who won the election on 12. August 2021 with 59% of the vote, had promised to do more for the education and health of the country. At the beginning of the year he had introduced Free Education. With this, the state schools, also from the 8th to the 12th class were free of charge. This does not apply for the expensive private schools, mostly religious missionary schools, or for boarding schools, even if they are state schools. Despite the free education, many young people who register to apply for our Project, because of their living situation or distance to the school, are compelled to attend a boarding school. In the future we will continue to cover the costs of boarding, after the choice of school has been carefully checked. Because boarding schools are more expensive, we will accept less secondary school children, so that we keep within our budget. It is very important to us that we can also invest in further education. We want to keep the number of College students that we support, and increase the number of apprentices at the Vocational Schools to 10.
As in every year, I chose one or two schools and a College or a Vocational Training Centre to visit, with Jacob Chanda. This year it was the Kawambwa Boys Technical Secondary School, the Don Bosco Agricultural Training Centre and Nchelenge Secondary School. This government school was opened in 1962. 587 school girls and boys are being taught, but only boys can be boarders, the girls can only attend as a day school, because there are no living quarters for girls. There is no money to build houses with sleeping quarters for girls.The school building is in a bad condition. Despite this, it is a good and motivated school.
The representative for the school inspectors, Mr Muwita, gave us a tour of the establishment. It is self-sufficient, with a vegetable garden, cows and chickens. One of the positive consequences of this, the school children are prepared for a training in agriculture. In the workshops, metal-working and carpentry are taught. STEM stands for the subjects: Science, Technology, Ethnology and Mathematics
Nchima, cooked white maize in huge pots, was being prepared in the school kitchen. This is the main and favourite food of the Zambians. 3 large vats of Nchima must be prepared every day for the school. To cook these, 3 large bundles of charcoal are needed.
School classroom and dormitory
Group Photo with our sponsored school children
After this, we travelled for another hour, mainly on dirt roads, past beautiful settlements, to the Don Bosco Agricultural Training Centre in Lufubu. We had visited and got to know this agricultural missionary school in the previous year. We were keen to find out how Winter Chama and Helen Chitondo had got on, as they were close to their final exams last year. We had the opportunity to chat with Winter. Despite his limited knowledge of english, he spoke very expansively to us. He had enjoyed the training. The hard work and the implementation of the theory into practical use he had found challenging. In the future he wants to specialise in animal husbandry. Unfortunately we couldn’t speak to Helen, as she was ill and on the way to see a doctor.
Winter Chama and his Tutor Bornface Mainza at «Don Bosco Agriculture Training Centre” in Lufubu
The Nchelenge Secondary School is one of the schools close to Kashikishi, a state day and boarding school. Jacob Chanda and I visited it, together with 2 doctors and 2 medical students from Basel, who in the course of their elective study year were completing a 2 month internship at the St Paul’s Hospital in Kashikishi, and wanted to know more about a school.
The school accommodates 1300 pupils, of which 400 girls and 200 boys are boarders. This school buildings are also in a very bad state of repair. The beds in the sleeping quarters don’t have mattresses. As a consequence of bringing in free state education, more children can attend school, but in the classrooms there aren’t enough desks and chairs.
We were received by Mr Gengbwa, the principal of the school, and introduced to some of the pupils supported by us.
A small group of deaf children attend a special class. We were allowed to visit them in the classroom. The very exuberant young people, who talked to each other in sign language, made a huge impression on us.
Visit to "Nchelenge Secondary School"
60% of the students supported at a College by our project, attend the St Paul’s College of Nursery and Midwifery. Sister Juliet Irene Musonda is the principal of the College. We met her representative, Chibuye Clifford who is also an instructor at the College. In the future we want some of the students to commit, with a Bonding Paper, to at least 2 years work at the St Paul’s Hospital, after their training. In this way the hospital will benefit from the investment in their expertise.
On this year’s visit we also presented ourselves to the district officer for educational standards, Mr Evans Chibuye Samushi, in order to inform him about our project, which we have been operating for 20 years.
Unfortunately, in the last few years, many organisations, for example, World Vision, CHAZ (Church and Health Association of Zambia), have resigned from the support and educational advancement of orphans, half-orphans and vulnerable children. The state only offers a very few scholarships or bursaries for education. According to Mr Samushi, the government plans to soon make more scholarships/bursaries available for a university education. Therefore, the Basel Support Association for Medical Collaboration in Kashikishi and the Nchelenge District is currently almost the only organisation which, with a restricted budget, supports an Orphan School Project. This will become increasingly a bigger challenge for us, because charitable foundations, which have supported us for many years, in the future will finance other projects. One reason for this is the war in Ukraine.
Therefore we are even more reliant on every financial contribution, and are very grateful for your support for a good school education and training for the young people in Kashikishi, Zambia, and we thank you very sincerely.
To end, I would like to relate 2 short success stories of our Orphan School Project, that Jacob Chanda sent to me. We are obviously very proud of such stories.
Charity Chomba
We supported her from the 10th to the 12th class at the Clifton Secondary School, and from 2010 to 2012, by the teacher training at the Mansa College of Education. She was appointed by the government as from 2015 to 2018 as Class Teacher. She studied further, at her own cost, in ICT (Information Communication Technology), and obtained her Diploma this year (2022). She also supported her younger sister, who successfully trained to be a nurse, at the Mansa Nursing College in Mansa.
Esther Musonda
As a result of our support, 2014 - 2016, Esther trained as general clinical officer at a College. Then she was employed by the government in the Ministry of Health and leads a tuberculosis program in the Chipili District. In the future she would like to obtain a bachelor degree in medicine and surgery. in addition she has a passion for psychosocial counselling. The thanks the project for the support. Without the Orphan School Project she would not have been able to complete the training as a clinical officer.
For the Orphan School Project
18.01.2023, Béatrice Dolder
Visit to the St. Mary’s Secondary School for Girls, with Precious Nshidano, 10th grade, and Jacob Chanda, Coordinator of the Orphan School Projects in Kashikishi
We are very proud that we are able, thanks to your generous donations, to finance 20 students for tertiary College education. Of these, 14 attend the “St. Paul’s School of Nursery and Midwifery” in Kashikishi.
10 Students of the St. Paul’s School of Nursery and Midwifery
It is our wish that as many young people as possible can benefit from an education. Not all make it to the 12th grade, and only a few from these can enter a College, often because either the academic level wasn’t achieved, or the financial resources are lacking. We ask ourselves therefore the question:-
“How can we offer these young people better vocational prospects?”
On the internet I came across the Homepage of the Chikupi Vocational Training Centre, which was founded and is supported by a Swiss financial aid organisation. I got into contact with the persons responsible, Anna and Ueli Schäli-Renggli. From a very interesting and informative conversation, we learned a great deal about the vocational training in Zambia, and received a large list of such organisations, Vocational Training Centres (VTC). The VTCs are subject to the state supervisory authority, the TEVETA. This stipulates requirements and distributes licences to the centres, and strives to provide reliable and achievable skills to all member students, thereby contributing to the economic development of Zambia.
From the list of 282 centres in the whole of Zambia, we selected a few. These we visited, on the journey from Lusaka to Kashikishi, and then later from the home base of Kashikishi. These VTCs need to be easily accessible for the young people of the Nchelenge District.
The VTCs visited by us:
From Kashikishi, near Kawambwa:
Don Bosco Carpentry School, Kazembe
Don Bosco Agriculture Training College, Lufubu
Samfya Youth Resource Centre, Samfya
Lubwe Youth Training Centre, Lubwe
From Mansa:
Mansa Trades Training Institute
Mansa Skills Training Institute
Don Bosco Mazzarelo Skills Training Centre
From Lusaka
- Chikupi Vocational Training Centre, Kafue
Our visits gave us the opportunity to get to know many good institutions, and we were able to speak to motivated teachers and instructors. On offer are diverse trade professions, such as agriculture, bricklaying/masonry, carpentry, design and dressmaking, metalworking, information technology, electrical engineering/electrician. In addition, it is also taught how to manage your own prospective small business (entrepreneurship). The students have the possibility at most of the centres to rent accommodation. The institutions are either state owned or are run by a Missionary project. The courses run for 1 - 2 years. We are therefore very proud that we can also include apprenticeships in our Project, and are convinced that this will be a success. We hope to be able to offer the young people a future worth living.
Annual Report 2019/2020
The year 2020 was a difficult year and will remain in our memories for a long time. The whole world is talking about Corona. The pandemic also hit Zambia hard. The poorest became even poorer. The restrictions also affect our activities on the ground.
We made our last trip to our partners in Kashikishi in October 2019.
At that time, we had an exciting exchange of information with the local leaders Jacob Chanda, coordinator for the orphan school project and Sr. Honester Tambatamba, head of administration at St. Paul's Hospital. More and more young people are longing for education and want to be included in the orphan school project. There are less and less scholarships available through other organisations such as CHAZ (Church and Health Association of Zambia) and World Vision. In addition, many schools and colleges are not aware of the guidelines for the Orphan School Project, a subsidiary project of the Basle Association for Medical Cooperation.This, and also the poor economic situation, have led to increased demand.
There is a particularly high demand for nursing or midwifery training at St. Paul's Hospital's internal nursing school.
In 2020, out of 20 students, of whom we pay the tuition fees, 14 studied at St. Paul's School of Nursing.
We looked for the best possible solution so as not to break our annual budget. Thanks to generous donations from private sponsors, we were able to include an additional nine students in the project and secure funding for their three-year college education.
Together with our local partners, we wrote an information sheet for the secondary schools and colleges describing the admission requirements for the orphan school project. Jacob Chanda then carefully evaluates whether the school fees can be covered by the project.
This, and also the poor economic situation, have led to increased demand.
There is a particularly high demand for nursing or midwifery training at St. Paul's Hospital's internal nursing school.
In 2020, out of 20 students, of whom we pay the tuition fees, 14 studied at St. Paul's School of Nursing.
We looked for the best possible solution so as not to break our annual budget. Thanks to generous donations from private sponsors, we were able to include an additional nine students in the project and secure funding for their three-year college education.
Together with our local partners, we wrote an information sheet for the secondary schools and colleges describing the admission requirements for the orphan school project. Jacob Chanda then carefully evaluates whether the school fees should be covered by the project.
Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, schools were closed for the period of the 2nd trimester, i.e. from May to September 2020. On 21 September, the schools opened with the second trimester
for non-examination classes and with the third trimester for examination classes. The third trimester only started on 4 January 2021 till 19 March 2021 and then the first trimester started for all on 29 March 2021.
Visit to Kashita Secondary School in October 2019.
This school was built in 2015 by a Chinese consortium and has space for 400 pupils
Annual Report 2018
We began this year’s visit to Kashikishi at the end of August with great excitement and expectations.
One aim of our trip was to produce a film about the collaborative work between the Basel Association for Medical Collaboration and the colleagues of the St. Paul’s Hospital and further projects of the Basel Association of Medical Collaboration in Kashikishi.
We were accompanied by the young film-maker Marcel Sokoll, and his assistant Lucius Schweizer. We are looking forward to being able to show this film on the 8th of May 2019, as part of an event in “Neues Kino Basel”.
This collaboration has already been working for 25 years! A big group from Basel travelled to Zambia to celebrate the anniversary.
There are several different routes to Kashikishi, located in the rural area of northern Zambia. Our group, with Marcel Sokoll and Lucius Schweizer (Film team), the medical student Markus Dieterle, the young Zambian Willmoty Masumbuko (see further report about him), the pharmacist Katrin Appenzeller, and Béatrice Dolder (responsible for the Orphanage School Project), met up in Lusaka, from various flights originating from Johannesburg. From Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, we travelled 15 long hours in a northerly direction with the bus, around the “Panhandle” of the Democratic Republic of Congo, through Mansa, to Kashikishi.
It was dark again as we met Andi Nidecker (project leader Kashikishi, training ultrasound and radiology) and Irma Laukkanen (training radiology), Bruno Campana and Herbert Albrecht (expansion of the solar energy plant) and the medical students Chiara and Marieke, in the “Swiss House”, our accommodation in Kashikishi.
The Film Project
The young Basel film-maker, Marcel Sokoll, made a documentary film about the collaborative work of the Basel Association for Medical Collaboration and the colleagues of the St. Paul’s Hospital and affiliated projects. With the support of Lucius Schweizer, who assisted Marcel, no opportunity was missed to capture evocative scenes, interesting interviews or simply the normal daily life. At the end of the trip, they had compiled enough material for a documentary film of more than 6 hours. Out of this, a 30 minute short film was edited, which will be shown on the
8th of May 2019 in the “Neues Kino Basel”.
The Story of Willmoty Masumbuko
We got to know the 18 year old Willmoty in February 2017, in connection with the Orphan School Project, on a visit to the Mutono Secondary School in Kashikishi (see annual report 2017). Willmoty came to our attention, because he was much smaller than his peers. He could hardly open his mouth to speak. He could only take food in liquid form through a small gap between his teeth. Therefore he was chronically undernourished.
It was clear to us, that we wanted to help this young man, one of our supported pupils. The images from the CT Scan that we organized for him to be carried out in 2017 in the hospital of Mansa, the nearest big city, were analyzed later in Basel. They revealed that since birth, Willmoty’s right Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) had not developed, and that he could be really helped by a complicated operation. With a lot of effort and goodwill by the many people involved, Willmoty was successfully operated on by jaw surgery specialists in Zürich, in March 2018. After the operation he had a period of recovery, mainly in Basel, where he got to know a completely new world. He received treatment in speech therapy and learned how to eat solid food, which he increasingly found fun, he learnt to speak clearly so that he could be easily understood. His quality of life improved visibly. He made many friends, learned to ride a bike and a kickboard scooter, touched snow for the first time, and travelled with acquaintances to other places in Europe.
Saying goodbye to Switzerland and his friends and acquaintances was very hard for him, as he boarded the plane with us on the 30st of August 2018. But of course he was naturally also looking forward to seeing his family and friends again in Africa.
We are staying in contact with Willmoty also in Kashikishi. He visited us in the “Swiss House”, and we visited him at his family home, and celebrated his return with his family. Willmoty lives in a large family with many children, together with his father, his father’s second wife, his half-siblings and cousins.
Such extended families are common in Zambia, and many families are in a continual struggle to survive. Willmoty’s mother died when he was 6 years old. His father remarried and had more children with his second wife. It is very difficult for his father to fund the school fees for all the children. This is why Willmoty has been supported by our Orphan School Project since the 8th grade, and is a typical example of the majority of our supported children (Orphans and Vulnerable Children, OVCs).
The Orphan School Project
In the project of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), 85 boys and girls are currently supported, who attend 27 different Secondary Schools (grades 8 -12) in the catchment area of Kashikishi. Jacob Chanda is the local coordinator of the Orphan School Project. We work closely with him. On our visits we check the accounting records together, and discuss the budgets for the upcoming school terms. At the end of 2018, 20 young people completed their secondary school education. One of these was Fridah, who was accepted by the St Paul’s School of Nursing, from the Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School, where she will begin the training in January 2019 to become a nurse. Fridah will continue to be supported by the Project, which we are very proud about.
We hope that we can continue to pay the school fees for 85 young people for their secondary school education. Since the costs for the school fees, educational material and the uniforms are also in Zambia continually rising, this will be a big challenge. This is only possible with the help of generous donations.
In 2019, the tuition fees for college for 16 young students will be financed by the Project. 12 students are training in the nursing profession and 4 are training as teachers.
In addition we have included Eunice, an ambitious colleague in the youth centre Bumi Bwesu in our Project for higher education at the Rockview University in East Zambia. After finishing her education, she will work at the youth centre in Kashikishi, Bumi Bwesu, in family planning.
Bumi Bwesu
We had the opportunity, together with the Film team, to visit and to get to know the Bumi Bwesu youth centre. This is managed by Jody Staehelin of the Basel Association for Medical Collaboration together with a local consulting team of 5 colleagues. Consultations are given about the issues of domestic violence, family planning, HIV prevention etc.
Nchelenge Secondary School
Shortly before our departure from Kashikishi we visited the Nchelenge Secondary School, a state day and boarding school. This school had also increased the fees, with the argument that they wanted to offer extra Physical Education.
19 of our Project’s supported young people go to this school. Last year 11 of the supported pupils completed their school education in the 12th grade with examinations. In a discussion with the school principal Frau Chituma, we wanted to know who from these school leavers had achieved the required grade average for entrance to a college. To our disappointment, none had achieved the required academic grade average. 2 of the pupils could however repeat selected single exams, and so possibly achieve the entrance to a college.
A tour of the school showed that the conditions are difficult to be able to learn well: a shortage of teachers means that the class sizes are too big (between 70 -100 pupils per class!) and the infrastructure is bad. We were, as in previous years, very shocked by the conditions of the dormitories, as with the sanitary installations.
Jacob Chanda confirmed to us that in comparison to the private schools and the church schools, the state schools were badly run and the teachers were often absent. These state schools however charged lower fees than the privately run.
It is important to us that we enable as many children as possible to attend school, so that they receive the most necessary general knowledge, can read and write and are able to express themselves in English. This we can only do with the generous financial support of Sponsors.
In the name of the Basel Support Organization (BVF) I would like to thank all philanthropists, especially the Rotary Club Augst-Raurica, who support our students in higher education, the Roman Catholic Church of Basel and many private individuals.
A special thank you goes to all those who involved themselves in the Willmoty project. This was not financed by the Orphan School Project fund, but made possible by private donations, Pro Bono work and much personal engagement and commitment.
Report:
Béatrice Dolder
Katrin Appenzeller
Translation:
Helen Oxley December 2018
Annual Report, 2017
Kashikishi, Zambia November 2017
The Orphanage School Project (OVC Support, Orphans and vulnerable Children)
The end of the year 2017 is approaching in leaps and bounds. It is the end of November. In southern Africa the beginning of the rainy season has again transformed the land with a luscious green mantle. Giant cumulus clouds pile up in the skies. The branches of the mighty mango trees are heavy with the ripe, golden yellow fruits. Beyond these, in the evening light, the lambent blue Mwerusee appears, a sign that we, after a long journey will soon have reached Kashikishi. It is the second short visit this year that I, with a small team of representatives of the Basel Development Association for medical collaboration, have paid to Kashikishi and the St. Paul’s Hospital. The first visit was made in February 2017.
The year 2017 was not an easy year. It was overshadowed by the tragic accidental death in December 2016, of our friend and the person chiefly responsible for the Kashikishi project, Thomas Renz.
The chief aim of our visit was to reassure the partners in Zambia, that we want to continue the working collaboration in the same way, and will reallocate the tasks under the responsibility of the Basel Development Association for medical collaboration.
Andreas Nidecker has taken over the management of the Kashikishi project, and I, Beatrice Dolder, the responsibility of the Orphanage School project. In the past recent months, with the help of Jacob Chanda, the local coordinator of the project, I have been able to achieve a good overview. I have, as part of our stay, visited some of our young orphans and half-orphans at the school and also at the St. Paul’s School of Nursing (College) that we support.
We are very proud of the fact that, thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors, we have been able to support 87 pupils in the secondary schools (Junior Secondary School classes 8 - 9, Senior Secondary School classes 10 – 12), and 11 students at the Colleges.
For the school fees we pay, per child, currency converted, approx.. SFR20 to 150 per trimester, i.e. approx.. SFR60 to 450 per year. The fees vary between schools. The boarding schools have higher costs. Year by year the fees of some schools are becoming more expensive.
The catchment area of Kashikishi is very big. For this reason, our supported young people are accommodated in 27 different schools. On our short trips it is therefore not possible to visit all the schools. Some of them are situated too far from each other.
In November, at the time of our visit, many young people were taking the examinations. In order to progress from Junior Secondary School i.e. after the 9th class, to the Senior Secondary School 10th class, a minimum average grade mark is required. At the end of the schooling, the end of the 12th class, a graduation exam is demanded. The grade mark average is important for a subsequent entrance to a college. This year, 20 of our supported pupils were able to complete their schooling.
We hope naturally, that we can support them further at a college, so that they can afterwards work in a profession that they dream of.
Jacob Chanda drove us in his car to several nearby situated schools. We visited the Nchelenge Secondary School, a day school and a boarding school, where 25 of our pupils attend school. For the 11th and 12th classes, many move to live in the school, in order to be able to concentrate better on the work. It was quiet in the school, exam time! Many were taking their exams, or were waiting for the results. We were invited into the office of the school principal, Mrs Chituma. She had taken over this position at the Nchelenge Secondary School at the end of November. Her previous job was the substitute school principal of a school in Mansa. Her children still live in Mansa with her sister, and her husband is a teacher in Lusaka.
The only pupil that we met was Stephen Chipulu. He will enter his last school year in 2018, and dreams of becoming either a pilot, doctor or male nurse. We had to learn that one of our supported young girls was on maternity leave. It happens unfortunately quite often that girls become mothers at a very young age. We firmly hope that she can continue her schooling at a later date.
“Nnchelenge Secondary School” (February 2017)
“Nnchelenge Secondary School” (February 2017)
Stephen Chipulu, 11th class, “Nchelenge Secondary School, November 2017
I had heard a lot about the Ray of Joy Primary School. This time we had the opportunity to get to know this school. It was founded and is supported by Swiss doctors for orphan children. The school has only 8 classrooms. 7 teachers instruct 1200 children from the 1st to the 9th class. Every class has 40 to 70 children. They either go to school in the mornings or the afternoons. We got to meet Abigirl Kalende and Mushota Kelvin, both in the 8th class.
Abigirl Kalende und Mushota Kelvin, “Ray of Joy Primary School”, 8th class
Abigirl und Mushota in their class, “Ray of Joy Primary School”
Also in the Mutono Secondary School, which I was visiting for the third time, and where I already know through our project, some of our supported young people, it was quiet in the playground. I would have gladly met the bright Clara Mukobe or the already 30 year old David Mwandu. Clara had already taken her examinations and was waiting for the results.
For David it wasn’t possible to go to school for many years, because his parents had died. Only through the Orphan School Project could he grace the school bench. At this school we also got to know Wilmot. A clever boy, who stands out, because he is a lot smaller than his colleagues. The reason is a developmental defect of his jaw joint, which over the years has made it impossible for him to eat properly. We want to help this young boy further and plan a jaw operation by specialists in Switzerland (see “A Jaw for Wilmot”).
We pay the school fees for 13 pupils at the Mutono School. The principal, Mwansa Tarsisias is also on the board of the St. Paul’s Hospital, and choir master of the church choir.
“Mutono Secondary School” (February 2017)
In the middle: David Mwandu (11th grade), Wilmot Masumbuko (10th grade) and
Clara Mukobe (12th grade)
On our special school trip, Jacob Chanda took us to the Mweru Secondary School, where the principal, Mr Mulengajc gave us a little tour. After we had seen several classrooms, where teaching was taking place, we discovered under a big tree in the outside area, a few pupils of the 8th and 9th classes busy with drawing. We gave them our crayons from Switzerland that we had brought with us.
Mweru Secondary School (November 2017)
Mweru Secondary School (November 2017)
As already mentioned, 20 pupils completed their schooling this year. Some of them wish to complete a higher education, in other words, attend a college. To show how sustained our support for a higher education can be, we want to relate the visit to Doreen Chalambwe at the Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School.
It was a hot afternoon and we were on the way with Jacob Chanda, in the car. The journey lasted a good hour. We were fascinated by the different cloud formations in the skies. It would soon rain again.
Doreen is the best example of a successful education for one of our supported young people. She has been a teacher at this school since 2014, and teaches economics. She was supported through the Orphan School Project from the 10th class through the higher education as a teacher. (see Annual Report 2016).
Doreen Chilambwe with the headteacher Moreblessing Ng'onomo at Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School
(September 2016)
Doreen would also love to attain the “Degree for Commercial Subjects”. She cannot afford to do this though at the moment with the money she earns, because this is needed by her family, for whom she carries a lot of responsibility. Doreen wants to be a good role model for lots of young people, who, like herself, have lost their parents at a young age. Among these could definitely Reginah Kabinda (8th class), Dyness Nachalwe (10th class) and Joan Sunga. M (11th class) be counted, 3 of the 4 girls that we support in this school, and which we were able to get to know. Their plans to study medicine, to become a dentist or English teacher, show their motivation.
Reginah Kabinda (class 8), Dyness Nachalwe (class 10) und Joan Sunga. M (class 11) at Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School (November 2017)
A favorite for a higher education is the St. Paul’s School of Nursing. A two year training and a three year training (Registered Nurse with Diploma) are offered. This requires also well educated tutors. Emmanuel Chisala is an instructor at the School of Nursing and, with our support for a higher education, completed the Bachelor of Nursing Science at the UNZAS Ridgeway Campus. He will continue teaching at the St. Paul’s School of Nursing, and in addition, wants to complete the Master of Public Health (18 months).
I was also able to meet Emmanuel Kalifungwa, Barbara Bwale, Ernest Chalwe and Felix Chanda C, all graduates of the St. Paul’s Nursing School.
Emmanuel Chisala, Tutor and IT specialist at St. Pauls’ School of Nursing (November 2017)
Emmanuel Kalifunga, Barbara Bwale, Ernest Chalwe und Felix Chanda C at St. Pauls’ School of Nursing (November 2017)
Unfortunately it was not possible for me to visit more students at other colleges, because they were too far away.
Those who are given the opportunity of an education, know what an advantage in life it is!
Thanks to the generous contributions of our sponsors, we are able in 2018 to continue to support 87 pupils at the secondary schools, and want to additionally take on 15 students, as shown on the following list for higher education (colleges). The yearly fees at the colleges stretch from SFR 260 to 1600. We hope to facilitate the education of craftsmen, such as carpenters and electricians also.
The budget worksheet for the higher education colleges as per December 2017.The price quotations are in Zambian Kwachas.
In the name of the Basel Development Association, I would like to thank all the financial donors, especially the Rotary Club Augst Raurica, the Roman Catholic Church of the City of Basel, the Swisslos Fund of the canton Basel Land, and many private donors.
Béatrice Dolder December 2017
These children want to stay in school.Please support them
Schoolproject for Orphans in Kashkishi, Zambia
Report 2016 (October)
On Sept 28th in 2016 we visited Kashkishi. From all directions children came running and managed to form a large crowd. As in all African countries large numbers of children are usual and are typical also for our village. Sister Catherine Tente, the head nurse of the hosptial, and her team and the students of the nursing and midwifery schools cordially welcomed us with a nice and gay choir performance.
One reason for the trip to Kashikishi was to inform ourselfs on the continued course of the orphan schoolproject and to discuss progress with the responsible persons. As vacations were over and the new school year had already started , we had the opportunity to visit a few schools and make contact with the heads of the institutions, the teachers and some of the students.
Jacob Chanda is the person locally responsible for the orphan-schoolproject. In earlier times he was a teacher but recently has started to work for HBC the Home Based Care. He takes care of HIV positive and AIDS patients at their homes, e.g. by checking their regular medication intake. On his many home visits he noted, that children of sick parents or those, whose parents had died, frequently have no means to continue with school attendance. With the help of the Basel Association for Medical Cooperation he took on the resonsibility for the orphan- school-project. Presently around 80 students are supported. In addition there are now even a few whose higher education we sponsor at the college level : some will be teachers, others nurses or clinical officers. Jacob Chanda has accompanied us to a number of schools in the vicinity of the village of Kashkishi.
In the « Mutono Secondary School » we were introduced to the principal Mr. Mwansa. He thanked for the support by the HBC, Jacob Chanda and made possible by the Basle Association for Medical Cooperation. He would like additional financial help to allow schooling for 8 more orphans. In one classroom we met 6 of the supported students. Two of them, Clara and David, quite enthousiastically gave us a very vivid story from their school and their future plans.
The school does not have enough classrooms, for which reason exterior rooms had to be built. In one of them we visited students of the 10th schoolyear.
Mutono Secondary School
Clara Mukobe
age: 17 years
grade 11
likes Civic Education
wants to be a Nurse
David Mwandu
age: 30 years
grade 10
his favorite subject: Agricultural Science
David missed to go to school for 3 years
Thanks to the sponsorship he has now the possibility to visit school
In the « Mweru School » we had the chance to talk with 3 of 8 supported students of the school project on their every day ex-perience in school and their professional plans. Peggy, Memor and Goodson were a bit shy when we met them. All three indicated that english was their favorite subject. Goodson additionally liked Geography. The girls favored science and Memor additionally Mathematics. Peggy and Memor were dreaming to become nurses and Goodson would like to get a chance to study Medicine or Engineer at an University.
Goodson Chodwe
age: 18 years
grade 10
favorite subjects: Geography and English
wants to be a Doctor or an Engineer
he sees a chance to go to the University
Peggy Kunda
age: 17 years
grade 9
favorite subjects: Science and English
Memor Chilambwe
age: 16 years
grade 10
has good results
favorite subjects: Englisch, Mathematics and Science
wants to be a Nurse
At the « Nchelenge Senior Secondary School » we sponsor 40 youth who are visiting school as interns, in a so called « Border School ». This school teaches a total of 1000 students, out of which 600 are interns. 11 of the 40 orphans were very open towards us. They accompanied us on a walk through the schoolgrounds and we were allowed to visit their dormitories. Those are very sparsely equipped. The young people complained, that they were not given mattrasses and were forced to sleep on woodplanks and that they frequently were hungry. All of them, however, gave a very alert impression and had interesting plans for their future , as medicine, journa- lism, teaching, engineering. We obviously hope, to be able to make their wishes and careers come true.
As an example for a successfull education we would like to present the 27 year old Doreen Chilambwe, which we visited at the « Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School » . Since 2014 she is a teacher at this school in economy and business. She was one of the supported students in our school project since her 10th schoolyear and throughout College. Doreen is vey proud that 2 weeks after finishing her studies as future teacher she got a position at this school and would like to be a good example to the many youths, who like her have lost their parents . Furthermore she plans to do a Master Course and finish with a Diploma at the « College for Commercial Subjects » and she plans to do this with the money she earns herself as teacher.
Doreen Chilambwe,teacher at "Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School"
Doreen Chilambwe with Moreblessing Ng'onomo, Head teacher of "Mabel Shaw Girls Secondary School"
In summary we conclude from the discussions we had with the many students and the reonsible persons at the different institutions that the schoolproject indeed is running smoothly and is of great help for the many students we can support. It is self explaining that a sound basic education is a precondition for a sustainable professional development. And this is only possilbe with corresponding financial support.
