We’re supporting Baraka Community Partnerships to build a learning centre in Kapiri-Mposhi district in Central Province, Zambia.
A shortage of schools in rural Zambia means many communities have no access to quality education. Schools that are open are greatly underfunded and have insufficient infrastructure, facilities and resources such as classrooms, toilets, teaching and learning aids, and the vast majority receives little or no teacher training.
Teacher training programme
The centre will be a community-based learning hub open to local schools, teachers and students. It will include a library, classroom, office, IT centre, storeroom and toilets, with equipment such as computers, books, desks and teaching aids. As well as building the learning centre, Baraka Community Partnerships is designing a training and professional development programme for teachers and school management teams to take place at the centre.
The charity is consulting with potential beneficiaries of this programme to find out what their training and resource needs are, and this will feed back into the course planning. The centre’s training and IT centre will be available to all teachers from across the country and will be free of charge to students and teachers alike. Various local partners, such as The British Council in Zambia, will also run core skills workshops at the centre to provide teacher training and IT training.
Employment opportunities
Baraka’s project goal is to improve education in the local community and wider area, and provide long-term teaching support. This will help improve exam results and overall school performance, and encourage more students to finish secondary school. The centre and course programmes will also improve teacher motivation and professionalism, and promote a better culture of reading and learning. Ultimately the project will boost employment opportunities and improve the income of local families.
The centre and learning programme will also be open to teachers and students across Zambia who are beneficiaries of Baraka Zambia’s Education Programme, and the charity’s long-term goal is to replicate the project in other areas of the country.
Photo credits: Baraka Community Partnerships
