Zambia counts a lot of orphans. Many of them lost their parents during the major HIV epidemic that moved across the country around the turn of the century. Also, a large part of the population lives in poverty. As the most vulnerable groups in society, access to education is not self-evident for them. Many parents and students cannot afford the high enrolment fee from government schools or live in rural areas without a school nearby.
Community Schools as an answer
To also offer them local, quality and (almost) free education, parents and voluntary teachers opened the first Community Schools in 1992. By now, these Community Schools are well established in Zambia and no less than thirty per cent of the school-going youth go to such a school. Yet teachers are confronted with enormous challenges every day.
Overcoming thresholds
Not only the lack of teaching materials makes teaching difficult for low-skilled or untrained teachers. The school infrastructure and learning environment are also often below par, despite collaborations with local authorities for financial support and teacher training. In addition, teacher turnover is incredibly high, and many young children leave school early.
Perseverance wins
Despite the many challenges, Community Schools make an invaluable contribution to quality education in the country. Curious about how parents and teachers manage to provide education with the necessary persistence and creativity and make a difference every day, even for the most vulnerable children? Just view the photo gallery below and meet Agnes, Ruth, John and Sara.
