Bags of Hope: Learners in Milando Receive New School Bags
By Kingsley Gwebu, Communications Officer, Eswatini
Grace, a 12-year-old Grade 6 learner from Milando, a farming community in Zambia’s Northern Province, dreams of becoming a nurse. Like many others in Milando, her family relies on farming for their livelihood. Every day, Grace walks the dusty paths of her village to attend school, determined to achieve her goals. However, for Grace and many other children, owning a school bag was a luxury they could not afford.
Before World Vision Zambia provided her with a school bag, Grace carried her books in an old flour sack.
“It wasn’t big enough to carry all my books,” she explained. “I had to choose which books to bring each day and squeeze them into the sack. This often tore my books and wore them out quickly.”
Her books would get soaked on rainy days, and the ink would smear, making it hard for her to read.
This situation often demotivated Grace, causing her to miss school. But when World Vision Zambia, through the Gifts-In-Kind Programme, gave her and other children in the community new school bags, it marked a fresh start.
“I was very excited when I received the bag,” Grace said, smiling with gratitude. “Now I can carry all my books and learning materials.”
The new bag not only protects her books from rain but also ensures they last longer. “I feel confident and always look forward to going to school,” Grace added.
Grace’s story is not unique in Milando. Millard, a 13-year-old Grade 8 learner from the same village, previously carried his books in a plastic bag. The bag would tear easily, causing him to lose them.
“The plastic bag was too small for all my learning materials,” Millard explained. “Sometimes, I wouldn’t realize I’d left a book behind until I was in class. This made it hard to follow lessons.”
When he received a school bag from World Vision, it transformed his learning experience.
“I was so excited about the new bag,” he said with a smile. “Now I don’t lose my books, and the bag is big enough for all my materials.”
Millard is also part of a Reading Camp that holds sessions on weekends. His new bag has made it easier to attend these sessions and carry all his learning materials.
“I want to thank World Vision for the school bag,” he said. “Now I can keep my books safe and never miss a Reading Camp session.”
Through simple but impactful interventions like providing school bags, World Vision is helping children like Grace and Millard pursue their education and their dreams with renewed hope and enthusiasm.
World Vision’s Gifts In Kind (GIK) programme is a transformative initiative to channel essential resources to vulnerable communities in need. The programme mobilises and distributes a wide range of donated goods through strategic partnerships with corporations, institutions, and donors, including school supplies, medical equipment, clothing, and hygiene products.
These items complement World Vision’s development and emergency response efforts, directly improving the lives of children and families worldwide. By leveraging the generosity of partners, the GIK programme reduces operational costs and ensures that critical supplies reach underserved areas efficiently.
This initiative meets immediate needs and empowers communities to thrive, contributing to sustainable development and long-term resilience. World Vision’s GIK programme exemplifies the power of collaboration in creating lasting change for the most vulnerable.