World Vision Zambia and Absa Zambia Bank, handover a sanitation facility to Chipapa Primary School.

In a collaborative effort, World Vision Zambia, along with partners Absa, Ngalitas Hardware and Electrical, Telefonica, and His Royal Highness Chief Ndake of Nyimba district, has handed over an ablution block at Chipapa Primary School. The facility, valued at K460,000.00 ($18,000 US Dollars), aims to provide a conducive learning environment and improved hygiene practices and reduce absenteeism among girls.

At the same event, World Vision Zambia also commissioned two ablution blocks at Lishiko and Makangwe Primary School, which cost K990,000.00 (38,800 US dollars).

The Strong Girls Strong Zambia campaign, is a World Vision Zambia (WVZ) initiative launched in September 2022, aimed at mobilizing local resources to offer educational support to girls retrieved from child marriage and those at risk.

The goal of the campaign is to reach and empower 15,000 girls retrieved from child marriages and those at risk to live safer, healthier, more productive lives from October 2022 to September 2025.

Through the campaign, World Vision and its partners have constructed and handed over an ablution block at Chipapa Primary to improve the learning environment, improve hygiene practices, and mitigate absenteeism among girls.

Speaking at the handover event, Absa Managing Director Mrs Mizinga Melu said the bank has forged strategic partnerships with Global Development Organizations such as World Vision Zambia. She said World Vision and Absa Bank signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) valued at K900,000, which was in effect from February 2023 to February 2025.

“Absa Zambia and World Vision Zambia have jointly implemented numerous community activities under the Strong Girls Strong Zambia campaign in Kafue district. Some of these activities include providing education materials and bicycles to female pupils who currently walk long distances to school,” she said.

“We have supported the construction of an ablution block here at Chipapa Primary School alongside other partners like Ngalitas and Telefonika and various individuals, including His Royal Highness Chief Ndake of the Nyimba District,” added Ms Melu.  

Mrs Melu stated that Absa Bank Zambia firmly believes in going beyond profit-making to make a meaningful societal impact.

“Our partnership with World Vision Zambia aligns perfectly with our commitment to education and skills development, as evidenced by our contributions to projects like the Chipapa Ablution Block,” she said.

World Vision Zambia National Director John Hasse, during the the event, commended Absa Zambia Bank and other partners for enabling World Vision to provide education and empowerment opportunities to vulnerable girls in various communities. 

“Over the past five to six years, our Ending Child campaign has been a beacon of hope and change. Together, we have reached over 250,000 children and more than 170,000 adults, raising awareness against the tormenting practice of child marriages and advocating for vital policy changes,” said Mr Hasse. “Our collective efforts have not been in vain. They have resulted in the rescue of 936 girls from the clutches of child marriage, granting them the opportunity for a brighter future.”

Mr. Hasse said through the Strong Girls Strong Zambia campaign, World Vision and partners have successfully empowered 405 girls with school requirements, over 2000 boys and girls with improved water access, sanitation and hygiene, 280 girls with bicycles, and over 500 boys and girls with the improved learning environment.

He said before the construction of the ablution block, the school had six ventilated pit latrines against the ratio of under 1000 learners.

“The stipulated latrine ratio for girls is 1 to 20 girls and 1 to 25 boys respectively. This situation clearly shows a deficit of 38 latrines, putting the learners health at risk," he said. “I wish to further mention that we have also commisioned of two other similar ablution block facilities at Makangwe and Lishiko primary schools within World Vision’s Chipapa Area Programme.

“We are committed to keeping girls in school and ensuring they have access to educational requirements and more,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chilumbo Kazembe, a learner at Chipapa Primary School, gave his vote of thanks to World Vision and its partners on behalf of the three benefited schools.

Chilumbo said the ablution blocks, handed over, brought happiness, hope, and decency to the learners' welfare through enhanced hygiene and sanitation.

“The old toilets were not only inadequate and unsanitary but also didn't offer minimum levels of privacy. As such, attendance, especially among girls, has been affected, but now it is expected to go up as they will no longer shy away from going to school during their menstrual days of the month,” he said.

He also encouraged his fellow learners to take care of and guarded the infrastructure jealously so that many other upcoming learners could find and use it, too.