Children and a volunteer teacher pose for a photo at Linda Community School in Chilanga district, about 20 Kilometers south of Lusaka, Zambia, Oct. 13, 2021. Community schools are low-resource schools found in many of Zambia's lower-income areas that are initiated by most residents of a particular area. The schools offer education to the indigent for free or at a very minimal cost. (Photo by Lillian Banda/Xinhua)
LUSAKA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Like any child from Zambia's low-income area, Gloria Mulenga, 13, has an ambition to better her community.
"I want to be a nurse because I want to help cure sick children from poor families," said Mulenga.
Mulenga is one of the over 5,000 vulnerable children that have had the opportunity to access education at Misisi community school located in Misisi compound, a densely populated informal settlement in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.
Misisi community school is one of the many community schools in Zambia. The school, which runs classes starting from pre-grade to grade seven, was established in 2002 to support access to education for orphans and vulnerable children in the area.
Community schools are low-resource schools found in many of Zambia's lower-income areas that are initiated by most residents of a particular area. The schools offer education to the indigent for free or at a very minimal cost.
Compared to the government or private (for profit) schools, community schools are run with very limited resources and are manned by untrained volunteers. They often have inadequate learning materials and desks and are in many instances overwhelmed by large numbers of learners.
However, the challenges have not prevented community schools from delivering beyond the expectations of many and bringing hope to poor and rural communities throughout Zambia.
"Misisi community school has produced graduates that are now contributing to the advancement of their communities. This is an indication that the school is doing commendable work in providing education in the compound," said Evans Phiri, Chairperson for Misisi community school.
Phiri attributed the success of the school to parents and volunteer teachers as well as community leaders whom he said continue to give various resources to help bring out the best in the learners.
"The school offers free education but parents and management agreed that households contribute 30 Zambian Kwacha (about 1.7 U.S. dollars) every month to assist with administrative costs," he explained.
Prosperous Chongo, headteacher for Linda Community School which is situated in Chilanga district, about 20 Kilometers south of Lusaka said that community schools provide an alternative for children that are not able to access education from government or private schools.
"Without community schools, many children in Zambia's poor communities would not have access to education, which could result in the country registering very high illiteracy and poverty levels," Chongo said.
"One of the key advantages of being at community schools is that learners are not obliged to have uniforms. The idea is to ensure that children are not hindered from accessing education because their families are unable to afford to buy a uniform or school shoes for them," he explained.
According to Education Development Center, the first community schools in Zambia started in the 1990s. Currently, Zambia has over 3,000 community schools, and that number is growing.
The Zambian government has since formally recognized community schools and made efforts to offer professional development to community school teachers as well as give grants and infrastructure support to these schools.
The government also provided grants for building as well as upgrading the infrastructure of community schools so that they can provide better learning environments. Enditem
