AN INITIATIVE OF
Empowering Our World through access to Education.
Be a part of the ripple effect that will change lives in Zimba.
Say Hello to
Sichimwa Primary School
Located 1 hour from metropolitan Livingstone, Zimba is a rural community bursting with enthusiasm and excitement for learning. The people who live in this area are from the Tonga and Lozi ethnic tribes. While they hold on to their culture, they also aim to adapt to modern life through education, so the younger generation can have a positive and productive future.
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In an effort to educate their community, about 20 years ago a group of mothers led by Anik Lubinda, gathered to learn to read and write. They then advocated to build a school for the children living in the village areas of Zimba. Since then the community has embraced education and the children have a great desire to learn. They are also aiming to support the wellbeing of students through community collaboration and nurturing curious, courageous and kind character. Today they have over 400 children attending the school!
The problem is they need more space and resources for students to attain the education they want!
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Our goal is to serve this inspiring and humble community by partnering with Nekacheya Primary School in Livingstone, Nekacheya is a Tonga world that means "although small" - the founders of the school have vast experience in both youth empowerment and literacy education. We aim to partner with them in building one school building to house 3 additional classrooms which will include a library, a computer lab and a teaching materials space. We also aim to assist in providing cross-cultural learning virtually with our Kindness Ambassadors program in the USA.
My World and Our World
My name is Dhaarmika Coelho, my family traveled back to our hometown in Zambia for a family reunion and to show my children our family’s culture, our memories, and to explore the wildlife and connect with the people of Zambia. I had read a beautiful article about Anick Lubinda and how she provides for her family and empowered other women in her village to do the same. Inspired by her efforts, I was curious to meet her! Our tour company was able to connect with her in the village of Zimba, one hour away from the metropolitan Livingstone. Here, we were introduced to the Sichimwa Primary School which was built due to the efforts of Anick Lubinda and other women in the Zimba village community.
We visited the school to experience learning in rural Zambia and brought books and our Kind World Explorers curriculum to donate. We were saddened to find the students with no books, paper, or educational supplies, but grateful to see them happily learning. The school consisted of 2 small, bare concrete school buildings with tables and benches but no electricity. The students did not speak much English but were eager to learn, so teaching them the simple English phrase of “thank you” brought a smile to both their face and ours. The principal of the school shared with us the vision of expanding the school to serve the needs of the community. Currently if children want to continue learning past 6th or 7th grade they have to walk 7 kilometers to the closest school. This is both far and unsafe for children. For this reason many children do not continue their education.
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The solution in the community's mind was simple, they just needed more classrooms. The cost and resources were the barriers. I began to silently think about ways those far away from Zimba could help.
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My family at Sichimwa Primary School
Why Zimba?
We were inspired by the way the community respects each other, empowers women and values education. We saw them making great efforts to support their community not only through education but also agriculture and not giving up when times got challenging. Quite an impact could me made for this community if they just had a little more support.
With your contribution and partnership with Nekacheya Primary School, Nekacheya Travel and Tours, Camp Kindness Counts, and the support of the local Zimba community, we have the opportunity to come together and serve a community that strives for quality education. Living on opposite sides of our world, this is also an opportunity to learn from each other! Your generosity and service will certainly help this community achieve their dreams, where the school motto is "All is Attained Through Learning"
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
