Background

Community schools became popular in Zambia from the 1990s onwards. After the end of one-party rule, more room for educational initiatives was created. In addition, the economic situation was so desperate that the state had to massively increase school fees. Many people were no longer able to pay for their children's education. In low-income urban suburbs and remote rural communities, parents began to teach their children themselves. They were supported by young adults who had finished school.

Community schools quickly assumed an important function in primary education. This prompted the Ministry of Education to recognise this type of school in 1996. Community schools were finally included in the Education Act of 2011. Today, the Zambian educational landscape would be unimaginable without the more than 3000 community schools. They are largely responsible for the fact that a large proportion of Zambian children have had access to primary education for the past 20-30 years.

All community schools established in Zambia give children from disadvantaged backgrounds access to education. During the cooperation with the Chiziro Ethembeni School (2014-2019), the EEF was able to gain a lot of experience. Today we know how effective community schools are for the children who benefit from them. Therefore, with the project Mbeu ya Maphunziro, which means "seed for education", we decided to again support community schools. They are located far away from the nearest town. The volunteer teachers teach the children with the simplest means and minimal infrastructure. Hardly any of these children would have a realistic chance of receiving an education without the community school.

The project so far

In the first phase (2020 – 2021), eight community schools with a total of 1000 pupils in the districts of Vubwi, Chadzia and Chipangali received minimal support. All schools have existed for at least two years. With our support, the teachers received school materials and money for urgent repairs. This improved the conditions for teaching. At the same time, the children, their parents and the teachers received further training in the areas of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The construction of a school garden helped to compensate the volunteer teachers a little better for their services. Our support was complemented with a leisure program that offers girls and boys both fun and games.

The school management assumed a high degree of personal responsibility in the implementation of these programmes. The results achieved and the reports from the schools formed the basis for a first reduction in the number of the supported community schools from eight to five.

In the second phase (from 2021), we intensified our support for the five selected community schools. With approximately the same financial framework and higher contributions some initial investments in infrastructure (latrine construction) were possible for each partner school. The concept envisaged that the selection process would continue and that Mbeu ya Maphunziro would only support one community school from 2022 onwards.

However, the experience led to a conceptual adaptation. It became apparent that all schools developed positively. The regular distribution of teaching materials, the increase in quality thanks to teaching aids and further training and the continuous improvement of the learning environment had a very motivating effect on teachers, parents and school management. We noticed greater stability among the teaching staff and more initiative among the school committees. It was not so much the amount of support we provided that was decisive, but rather the consistency of the collaboration.

Instead of supporting a single school, we decided to designate a focus school while continuing to provide the other four schools with smaller amounts of support. This allows us to maintain the positive effects of our collaboration with these four community schools with a manageable financial commitment. At the same time, additional investments and new project elements are possible at the focus school. In 2022, Mbeu ya Maphunziro designated the community school in Matizi as a focus school. The school management and teachers there impressed with their commitment. In addition, the high growth rates in enrolment figures justified the special support.

Success and challenges

The community members have already shown great commitment in building the schools. They proved that the education of their children is important to them. If the quality of teaching and the learning environment is to be improved and developed, these initiatives must be strengthened. All community members, the school's governing bodies and teachers are to be involved, as well as parents, their children or representatives of state authorities and traditional members of society (chiefs). Our support only falls on fertile ground if project goals and their implementation are supported by the community. By consistently leaving responsibility for the schools with the communities, Mbeu ya Maphunziro achieved broad-based success in all five schools.

Better school organisation, motivated school management and progress in infrastructure improve the prospects of children in these communities. However, the positive developments also encourage the state to increase its involvement in a community. Government teachers are now present in all five municipal schools, and support with teacher accommodation has made a significant contribution to this. The presence of state-salaried teachers contributes to the professionalisation of teaching. It is also a key prerequisite for a community school to be registered as a state-run primary school by the Ministry of Education. This ensures the long-term availability of teaching in a community.

The difficult accessibility of community schools poses a challenge. There is no mobile phone coverage in some schools. And even when the roads are dry, it takes between three and four hours to get to the schools. After the rainy season, our partner schools can only be reached by motorcycle.

Goals

To improve the quality of education and the learning environment in the supported community schools. By developing hygiene conditions, the students will certainly see an improvement in their health.

To supplement the regular lessons, access to leisure and sporting activities will be provided. Each school’s governing body will be given the opportunity to generate the necessary funds independently. In doing so they strengthen the school structure so that the school can be successful in the future even without our support.

Support by the EEF

The support of the equal education fund (EEF) focuses on improving the education and health of community school pupils. From the very beginning, we have been determined and focused to ensure we acknowledge the commitment of the community members and to develop their initiatives. In doing so, we make sure that the responsibility for the school remains with the community. A fair remuneration of the volunteer teachers is also a responsibility of the community, as is the voluntary cooperation of the community members in infrastructure projects. Thereby, important basic principles of community schools are preserved. This ensures that the operation and development of the schools remain guaranteed even after our intervention.

When the EEF contacted each schools’ governing body, they showed an interest in ideas from outside. If we contribute such ideas, we are guided by sustainability. A conversion of the school gardens to organic farming is conceivable. In this way the children will learn new cultivation methods. At the Matizi focus school, we launched a reforestation program to counteract deforestation and generate income with the sale of timber. Biodiversity should be promoted as a matter of principle. Handicraft lessons are a topic for the future, to motivate children to take up a skilled trade.

Prices in Chipata (as of May 2024)

• 1 litre of petrol:
  CHF 1.35
• 1 litre of milk:
  CHF 1.05
• 1 litre of Coca-Cola:
  CHF –.90
• 1 kilo of bread:
  CHF 1.20
• 1 kilo of rice:
  CHF 1.20
• 1 cinema ticket:
  CHF –.55 (Football match in a bar. There is no cinema)
• 1 pack of cigarettes:
  CHF 1.70
• 1 bar of soap:
  CHF –.75

Sources:
CIA World Factbook, information of community members, own design and calculations.