This year has been our biggest year as an organization so far and with your help, we’ve managed to make a huge impact in the lives of many children. This summer alone, we were able to successfully complete a total of fourteen projects in 2 countries.
In Milangu, Zambia, we built a primary school (Milangu Community Schoo). Prior to our arrival there were no schools in the Milangu area, leaving the children of the area without an option for an education. We built a three classroom primary school and boys/girls toilet houses. One of the classrooms will serve as an Early Childhood Development center and Work Skills Training Center for the local women. The plan is to teach the local women work skills that will allow them to bring in income that will benefit their families and a percentage of it will go to supporting the costs of running the new school (food for the children, pay for teachers). We also furnished the school with desks and chalk boards. The new primary school has ~70 children enrolled and started classes the first week of July. The children and the school were provided with school supplies, such as children’s books, chalk, pencils, and crayons.
At Rose of Charity orphanage in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, we installed indoor plumbing and a septic system, in an effort to promote better sanitation and reduce the risk of waterbourne illnesses. We also built a chicken coop that will, not only provide food for the orphanage, but also much needed income to pay for school fees, food, clothing and other necessities. In an effort to promote good health and well-being for the children, we built a soccer field and netball court at the orphanage, as well.
In Batoka, Zimbabwe, we built a secondary school. Prior to the construction of the new secondary school, the children of the area had been walking distances of up to 17 km (~ 10 miles) to and from a local primary school that allowed them to share space for classes. Due to the distances the children were walking to and from school, many of them were missing the first classes of the day and getting home too late to study. The students were subjected to fatigue, inclement weather (40s in the mornings, 90s at night) and dangerous animals (lion and leopard) during their walks. The new secondary School (Batoka Secondary School) is located directly between the two existing primary schools in the area and will cut the distances the children were walking by half.
Also in the Batoka, Zimbabwe area, we refurbished two classrooms at Sikumbi Primary School that had to be abandoned due to a collapsed roof, missing window panes and doors. We fixed the roof, replaced the window panes and added new doors, making the two classrooms available for use by the children immediately. Having these classrooms available again, reduced the over-crowding that was going on in the classrooms when we arrived and allowed the children to work in an environment that is more suitable for learning.
In Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, we completed several projects, including a boys soccer tournament and girls soccer tournament for 6 under-served primary schools and 6 under-served secondary schools. We also put on four soccer clinics. These soccer clinics included one for boys, one for girls, one for both boys and girls, and one for 4-5 year olds (Early Childhood Development). All of our tournament and clinic participants received jerseys, soccer balls, and refreshments. Boy participants received Math and English notebooks, rulers, pens and pencils. Girl participants received “Math Sets”, which include all the necessary school supplies for them to pass there O-level exams. In addition, medals were provided to teams placing 1st and 2nd, as well as to the top five performers on all participating teams.
In Chegutu, Zimbabwe we gave the gift of walking to amputees by providing them with prosthetic limbs and gait training. Prosthetics are expensive and we rely solely on donated time and materials from a generous prosthetist (Missy Malkush) to accomplish our amputee projects. This year we were able to provide the opportunity to walk again to two people. One had not walked in 15 years and the other in 10 years. Though some might wonder how helping two people can affect an entire community, we would quickly point out that a new leg provides hope. When you live in poverty, sometimes hope is all you have, and these amputees that will now be walking again are an example to their communities that life can get better. That there is reason to hope.
In summary, with your support, we were able to work with and make a direct impact in the lives of over 1500 children from 6 secondary schools, 9 primary schools and 1 orphanage, this summer. In addition to those children directly impacted by our work this year, the construction projects will impact the lives of many more children into the future.
We’re very proud of what we were able to accomplish in Africa this summer and there’s no doubt that the generosity and support our our donors played a major role in the success of each project. We hope that everyone who supports us is proud of the work that we’ve done and we humbly ask that you consider continuing your support of our organization and the children we serve in the future. Together we can make a difference!
Thank you!
ISWS Team