Kawaza village Basic School, Zambia

responsibletravel.com has made a £500 donation to help build a new class room at the Kawaza Village Basic school in Zambia. By Justin Francis, responsibletravel.com

I first visited Kawaza in 1999 as part of a safari to South Luangwa National Park Zambia. In June 2005 I returned to write a piece for The Times and we made a modest, but we hope useful, donation to the building of a new class room. What has been achieved at the school over the past 6 years is quite remarkable, and a source of inspiration around what it is possible to achieve in education in Africa with the support of the tourism industry.


In 1999 the school had just 327 pupils, and 4 teachers. In 2005 the school now has 551 pupils meaning that a far greater % of children from the villages are now attending school. In 1999 no girls at all passed their grade 7 exams, this year more than 10 girls will pass grade 7. Tribal leader Chief Kakumbi told me 'if you educate a girl you educate a nation.' The numbers of teachers has increased from just 4 to 16 in 2005 - meaning far smaller class sizes.

To achieve this two classroom blocks were built in 2004, each with 3 classrooms. Despite this there are still only two schools in the area, taking in 850 children when the total population of the villages is around 2000 children. The 2005 aims are to build a new block - work in progress shown above - refurbish 3 teachers houses, and complete a half finished block. Much of the work has been funded, and coordinated, by Robin Pope Safaris who are seeking to raise $83,000 to complete the work in 2005.


Robin Pope Safaris (RPS) sponsor over 50 vulnerable children - often HIV/AIDS orphans - through school. Without this support they would not be attending school at all. To sponsor one child through school for a year costs about $100. RPS also funds 8 of the 16 teachers at the school.

Deputy Head Teache, Mawell Chimba told me that 'we are very proud of how the school has developed over the past 6 years, and that without the support of the tourism industry and RPs in particular the school would be in a very deplorable state.'






If you would like to make a donation (see school appeal link) to the school building fund, provide textbooks and other vital materials, or to sponsor a child through school I can assure you that the money will be well spent. Even better, why not book a wonderful safari to South Luangwa, stop over at the village and hand over your donation in person!