In Chipata, Zambia, the educational system is suffering. The Magazine Compound was cramming half its students in a dilapidated building and the other half outdoors. The lack of space for the school was especially problematic during Zambia’s heavy rain season, which starts in mid November and can last until as late as May. During this time, teaching outside was impossible. Half the roof was missing on the crumbling structure used to teach those indoors, which meant that any kind of class during the heavy rains was impossible. Children often ended up working in the tobacco fields and never returned to school.
This began to change when Coafrica stepped in and began construction in June of 2020. Students and community members worked together to clear the land so that work could begin. Together, they continued to supply water to the construction site, to help with security, and to use blocks from previous projects to build latrines.
The finished site will feature four classrooms, three offices, and plenty of latrines. This will improve the educational quality for the current 800 students, as well as 700 additional children. This building will dramatically change the school system in Zambia, and it only took five months. If you’d like to help make projects like these possible for others in need, click here.
