Appendix to Project 9

Introduction

There are many people, both in Lusaka and outside Zambia, who are impressed by what the Holy Family sisters have achieved since they arrived in Chawama township in 1994. This appendix is written for those such people who may be willing to further the work of the Sisters through financial support or some other voluntary activity. Supporters who live in Zambia have the opportunity to visit Chawama and see for themselves the work being done. This is the best way to appreciate the Holy Family community. Thus, these notes are intended primarily for potential overseas supporters who may have not only little direct experience of conditions in this township but also limited knowledge of the whole Zambian state.

Context

Zambia is a country in Central-Southern Africa. Although it has major mineral deposits, abundant land, and generally sufficient rains for agriculture, Zambia – like several of its neighbours – has found sustained socio-economic progress difficult to achieve in the last fifty years. After satisfactory progress when global copper prices were good in the first ten years after 1964 Independence, Zambia experienced economic stagnation for the next quarter of a century. Moreover, for decades demographic growth exceeded economic growth. In 1980 the country’s population was 5.7 million, but this reached 10.9 million by 2004 – almost doubling in one generation. By contrast GDP had an annual growth of 2.6% in 1970-1975, which was followed by an annual decline of -0.9% (1975-1990) and a further annual decline of -0.3% (1991-1999). By 2000 Zambia was characterised as a ‘Least Developed Country’ with one of the highest per capita debt burdens in the world. Only in recent years has the situation improved, and the general population experienced progress. This has been particularly true since 2005 when the World Bank approved a $3.8 billion debt relief package and reduced Zambia’s overseas debts by 50%.

The economic stagnation for most of the last thirty years has resulted in widespread poverty. Official figures indicate that 68% of Zambians in 2004 lived below the poverty line. In rural areas this figure was 78% in comparison with the 53% below the poverty line in urban areas. Such high levels of endemic poverty have provided the context for a host of other social problems e.g.:

• 11% or approximately 1 in 9 infants died before they were 1 year old (2002),
• 16.2% or 1 in 6 children died before they were 5 years old (2002),
• 16% of the population aged 15-49 years were HIV positive (2002),
• in 2004 there were 1.08 million orphans who accounted for 18% of the population under 20 years. In Lusaka this corresponding figure was 23% of the under 20 population,
• youth unemployment is a major problem. 24% of 12-19 year olds are unemployed, but this figure ignores sharp differences between rural and urban locations. In rural areas in 2004 only 8% of youths were unemployed, but in urban areas the figure rose to 63% of the age group,
• 70% of Zambia’s population living below the poverty line live in the rural areas, but the greatest concentration of the poor is to be found in the urban areas. Furthermore, the incidence of urban poverty is increasing eg. 31% of Lusaka’s population in 1991 were classified as poor but this figure rose to 48% in 2004,
• as Lusaka is the major concentration of both wealthy Zambians and the poor, it is also the major location for crime.

Within the capital city Lusaka there are strong local variations in both poverty and associated social problems. In Lusaka Central area 26% of the population are poor, but only a few kilometres away in Chawama ward the level of poverty rises to 61% of the population. It is in this poor township that the Holy Family sisters choose to work.

Divine Providence Home

Divine Providence Home for the Aged and for Orphans was the first core activity to be established at Chawama. In fact the Home was founded in 1992 by a local parish priest, and therefore predates the arrival of the Holy Family Sisters in 1994. The original plan was to establish a small home for some 20 old and impoverished people of the parish, but poverty is so endemic within this township that the care offered by the Sisters continues to increase. At present Divine Providence Home provides a caring environment for 20 aged residents and 27 vulnerable children who live at the Home. In addition, Divine Providence gives food & support to some 15 elderly who live nearby in the township but who usually come to the Home on a daily basis. The Home provides similar care for a further 50 vulnerable children in Chawama township. Also there are two young adults who are disabled and share a house in the Home. Thus, there are over 100 people who depend on Sr Judith and other Holy Family sisters as their prime source of comfort.

Conditions within the Home are immeasurably better than the residents could expect if Divine Providence Home were not there. Each aged resident has their own room. Most of the younger orphans share a room, although there are eight boys who share a hostel facility. There are also communal rooms for eating, studying, and watching television. In addition to 4 Holy Family sisters, there are another 8 people employed to look after the considerable needs of the residents.

This large family of some 50 people, most of whom would be marginalised in ‘normal’ society, is sufficiently impressive to attract several donors who support Sr Judith’s cause. However, many such donations are construction work or other large material gifts. What would be particularly valuable to Divine Providence Home is regular income to offset regular payments for food and wages. The other great need is for volunteers who will simply spend time with the old and the vulnerable. Like everybody else the residents need company, stimulation, friendship etc, and the four busy Holy Family sisters simply do not have enough time to satisfy all these simple needs.

Chawama Open Community School

Despite the fact that universal primary education is a Millennium Development Goal, official figures show that in 2004 22% of the Zambian population aged 5 years and above had no formal education. At the same time education is a major influence on future income. In 2004 the mean monthly household income for non school attendants was K237,668 (about £30) compared to a national average of K502,030 (about £67). Thus, there is a great demand for education.

Yet many young children in Chawama lack even basic education, particularly because of parents’ inability to pay the required school fees or because they themselves are orphans. The Holy Family sisters therefore established an open community school – particularly for those who could not afford the uniform & shoes needed to attend the local government schools.

Chawama Holy Family Open Community School has had significant success. When it was first visited by SGG in October 2007 there were 548 children, most of whom would not have received even basic education otherwise. However, it also had severe long-term financial problems. The current school fees are K25,000 (just over £3/term), yet most parents cannot afford this amount. Furthermore, the government contributed nothing to the Community School, and so the institution was permanently short of resources and facilities. For example, as there were only 4 classrooms for Grades 1 to 7, the school timetable was divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Even with this arrangement, classes were overlarge and averaging nearly 60pupils/class.

High rates of both staff and pupil absence did not improve the quality of such education, especially as textbooks and other educational resources were minimal. However, the biggest problem was staff salaries. In 2007 Zambia Organisation for Community Schools (ZOCS) paid K400,000/month each for 4 qualified teachers, while other staff had to depend for salaries on funds collected elsewhere. As government teachers are paid a monthly salary of K1.2 million, this arrangement proved especially demoralising for teaching staff who felt severely underpaid. This issue came to a crisis point in August 2009 when ZOCS stopped all salary payments to the school as a result of reduced overseas donations to ZOCS. This is just another example of deprived African children being yet further deprived following major financial mismanagement in the richer countries of the world. The ‘credit crunch’ in Chawama means the end of a Community School.

Yet there will be some benefits from this global financial crisis, and the end of ZOCS funds has merely hastened an inevitable transformation in school status. The management of the Community School has been concerned for some years about the lack of school resources and the discrepancies within staff salaries. Thus, consideration has been given for some time to the idea of converting from an Open Community School to a ‘grant-aided’ school. The implications of the latter arrangement are that the Holy Family sisters would be responsible for the costs of development, buildings, and management of the school, while the Zambian government would pay teachers’ salaries which would be the major running cost. In late 2009 the negotiations and final agreement between Holy Family sisters and the Zambian Ministry of Education have not been completed, but at present such grant-aided status is very much the preferred option for the school.management.

This anticipated change in the school’s administrative status has resulted in a rather complicated management arrangement in November 2009. The former Open Community School now consists of : Nursery & Grade 1 classes which are managed by Sr Karen Mubanga of Holy Family community; the ‘remnants’ of the former Community School with classes from Grade 1 to Grade 7; and Grade 8 & 9 classes which are managed by Sr Victoria Kaimba, the present Superior in the Chawama Holy Family community. Each new academic year the Holy Family will take over the management of one more grade until the entire school is under their management. The present policy of the Holy Family sisters is to invest as much as possible to upgrade the standard of education in the two parts of the school which they manage, while the Community School administration lacks the resources to make any significant progress. This pattern of investment is closely reflected in the enrolment: the Nursery now has 80 children compared to 45 in 2007 ; the Community School 393 pupils compared to 433 in 2007; and Grades 8 & 9 classes 78 pupils compared to 80 two years ago. There is also a further 40 children in the Grade 1 class managed by the Holy Family. Despite the fact that the Holy Family-managed classes have school fees of K120,000 per term (as opposed to the K25,000/term of the Open Community School), it is the classes run by the Sisters which are flourishing while the Open Community School dwindles.

During the 2009 SGG field visit there was an opportunity to discuss plans with both Sr Victoria and Sr Karen concerning the development of the new school which will replace the Open Community School over the next ten years. What is needed during the next decade is the establishment of a new school with high educational standards, but there are already some new rooms, and also some rather shabby classrooms which are in need of refurbishment. So what is the priority for the 2010?

The agreed priority list is:

1. An improved water supply for the school,
2. Textbooks for the Year 8 & 9 classes, as they are following public examinations courses,
3. Rehabilitation of Community School buildings and toilets, with at least a classroom for Grade I completed by December 2010,
4. A photocopier for examination class use,
5. Other teaching aids (display material etc) are required by examination classes.

If the above plans run smoothly, there will still be some difficult issues to resolve. Within the present school there are some 104 orphans: 22 have lost their mother, 49 have lost their father, and 33 have lost both. Furthermore, there are 317 pupils who are described as ‘vulnerable’, which in this context means that they are unable to pay K 25,000/term (i.e. about £3). What will happen to these children if school fees increase more than fourfold? It is clear that the present system with high staff absence, poor punctuality & more non-attendance by pupils, and completely inadequate teaching resources justify fundamental changes if the standard of education is to be raised. However, some poor children are highly likely to lose their one opportunity for even the most basic primary education.
At a meeting with Mr Ngoma (Chairman), Mrs Ngoma (Secretary), Sr Judith and myself on 15th November, it was agreed that of all the developments currently taking place within the Holy Family compound it is the school which requires the most immediate investment, both in terms of finance and skilled manpower.

Holy Family Homecraft Centre

It is the Homecraft Centre which is the most successful of the Holy Family activities at present, especially as some 80% of the students are orphans. This centre was opened in 2007 with 50 students, but now there are some 75 students following the course. Sr Maria Krupinska & 3 other staff teach a curriculum with 3 main courses: cookery, sewing & design, and knitting & handicraft. There is also a shorter, additional course on Nutrition. The full course takes 18 months which includes: a year of practical courses at the Homecraft Centre; a 3 month placement with Zambia National Service at their textile factory in Lusaka: and where possible the individual student finds their own 3 month work experience.

There are few problems with the work of the Homecraft Centre. Sr Maria usually starts with 60 students, but she expects upto 10 to drop out because of difficulties paying the K 600,000 fees for the course. She is expecting over the next few years to steadily increase the number of students to perhaps 120. Another issue is whether or not the local economy can absorb this number of students joining the labour market each year. One great advantage of this course is that it provides good training for any mother or domestic manager, irrespective of whether employment is found.

When asked about future prospects, some of the students said they would look for employment, but a high proportion suggested that they hope to be self-employed and establish a small business. With this in mind we think it would improve the curriculum if there was some basic business training included in the course. This though is a minor issue: the Homecraft Centre is an excellent resource to be established in Chawama.

Congratulations to Sr Maria and her staff!