Help Kale School Students Buy Classroom Desks

My name is Emmanuel Kalaba. I was born in a rural village and did my Lower Primary School Education (Grade 1 to Grade 4) at Kale Primary School. This now “Combined School” is situated in the rural area between Mansa and Samfya Districts of Luapula Province in the Republic of Zambia in Central Africa.

 

Built in 1963, a year before Zambia’s Political Independence in 1964, it is evident that the School infrastructure is seriously dilapidated.

• Pupils have no enough desks and the majority have to sit on the cold, soaked floor while learning, writing notes, assessments, tests, and examinations

• Classrooms including blackboards have cracks and the original coats of paint have been peeling off

• Teacher’s Staffroom has no furniture or drawers to ensure school work or student assignments are secured.

• Broken windows and unfitted windows are constantly exposing school children to heat, cold, wind, and rain making the environment unconducive for learning.

 

Negative Impact on the School Children and the rural Community

As a result of these deplorable conditions and the sad state of affairs at Kale Combined School, young students are often demoralized, demotivated and most often opt to stop attending classes. They, unfortunately, resort to other social ills such as alcohol, drug, and sexual abuse. They become vulnerable to sexual exploitation, sex workers, and early “Child Marriages”. The case of “Children Having Children”. We need to rescue Child brides otherwise the entire community risks perpetual drifting into the cycle of ignorance and poverty. Lack of education, awareness, and exposure is exhibited in people becoming superstitious for any medical ailments which befall upon them in their vulnerable situation when they become pregnant before the legal age of getting married. Lack of adequate health care within the surrounding local communities compounds the problems alluded to further exacerbating the already gloomy situation.

 

Our Own Local Efforts

When the School Administration shared the pictures of the students sitting on the ripped and cracked classroom floors, it was at this point when we realized that the School really need help from our community, and wants to change the small part of our big world for the better. We the former Kale School Students made a collective choice to assist our former school. We contributed funds to design the School logo, encourage, motivate and award best performing students and those who performed well in STEM subjects in ALL classes from Grade 1 to Grade12 with Certificates and monetary value given to each deserving student. The good intentions are that the Excellence Award for best-performing Students will now be an annual award-giving ceremony going forward. Suffice to mention that the local, rural and low or no formal income members of the community could only go so far.

 

Our Convictions

We believe in the motto and mission of Kale School which reads; “ Mwileka Mbe Uwafye” literally meaning “Do Not Let Me Be A Nobody”. The importance of Supporting Education and conducive Learning Classroom Environment is critical in that we hope to contribute to creating a bright future for the Students and in surrounding local rural communities, and through the trickle-down effect of educated human capital thereby creating responsible citizens and enlightened future generations which believe in science instead of superstition.

 

Our Ernest Appeal

We passionately appeal to you to make a donation for us to buy at least 100 (3 seater school desks), 60 pairs by one seater desks for senior secondary students, and 25 of 5 litre-tins of paint. The Desks will be purchased from the local suppliers using locally available timber which will indirectly empower the local community. This translates to an average of 10 desks per class from grade 1 to Grade 10 and 30 pairs by one-seater desks for senior secondary school students in Grades 11 and 12 respectively. At the Exchange rate of $1=K16 or K17 our target is to raise $12,000 by the end of January 2022 so that Students will no longer sit on the floor during their lessons when taking assessments or examinations. We will also engage the ex-students, teachers, and the local community to volunteer to give a fresh coat of paint to the classrooms and transport desks to the School.

 

A donation of any amount, no matter how small will be greatly appreciated, will make a big difference, and will surely impact positively the future of the school-going children.

Thank you ALL for your kindness and your willingness to support us to do our part to change the world of the school-going children who walk miles to and from school only to go and sit on the floor during class sessions.