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- Updated April 2003

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Spotlight

Spotlight - Autumn 2003
edited by Maggie Currey


CHITSIME BLOOMS

by David Powell, reporting from Zambia

When Zambian Shupi Whittingham visited the Chitsime Association in the dusty Misisi township outside Lusaka early last year, she told Spotlight: "I felt proud to see my people so positive in adversity." And she went on to describe how everyone, from hostel matron and special needs teachers to administrators and volunteers were Zambian. This was no top-down operation; it was a community, developing through its own efforts. And in August 2003 we are able to report: Chitsime is blooming.

The extra classrooms for the Community School and Special Needs School, helped by $17,426 from Rotary, through the Zambia Society Trust, is in full swing. The school provides free education from Pre-School to Grade 7 and is scheduled to open at the end of September with 750 pupils. The St. Lawrence Home of Hope for orphans and vulnerable children houses 26 of them. Many of the LHH children are being reintegrated into their communities and from its beginnings as three stark, empty containers this project has blossomed, with water and electricity, a new sanitary block and gardens full of maize and vegetables.

In July a permanent police post went up.At the new Homecraft Centre, full and part-time pupils study tailoring and design, knitting and embroidery. They make tablecloths, clothes for all the family, aprons; whatever is needed most and will sell easily. A thriving cafeteria next door keeps teachers, policemen and community workers happy. A new carpentry centre has opened and building development just outside the Misisi boundary has given the new brick-making project a huge boost. Meanwhile a team of 55 community-based volunteer carers serve Misisi's HIV and TB patients, providing medication, counselling, support and referral to other agencies: an impressive demonstration of community service.

In 2002, besides securing Rotary's magnificent gift, the Zambia Society Trust gave K5.13 million to the school feeding programme, K2 million towards books and stationary and K1.8 million for the upkeep of this outstanding project. The next major area the Zambia Society Trust hopes to focus on, as the school grows, is farm development, starting with a wall that needs to be 168 metres in perimeter and will cost $1, 400. Meanwhile $1,800, and $1, 250 are needed for the storeroom and office buildings. The subsequent setting-up costs would be relatively small and once on its feet, the farm would be a steady source of funding. Help us, if you can.