Zambia is considered one of Africa’s success stories, enjoying internal peace, good governance, and economic growth. However, as in many countries, the growth in prosperity, educational opportunities, and employment has flowed disproportionately to the cities. Many rural communities continue to struggle with poverty, lack of roads, schools, health services, and electricity. Traditional attitudes towards women also hold many back from schooling and professional training.
Crossroads’ partner NGO has been working to overcome this urban-rural divide through projects that include building and equipping schools and health centres, providing academic scholarships and vocational training, and advocating for the rights of women and other marginalized groups in remote areas.
Following positive changes and enthusiastic community responses to the distribution of goods from Crossroads’ first shipment to them four years ago, our partner has reached out again for assistance. This time, the aim is to equip schools and clinics in three additional districts, as well as to upgrade their own training centre to meet the requirements for national certification.
This shipment will include school and office furniture, computers, electronics, and stationery, along with kitchen and household goods for training and residential facilities.
Albert Malichanga is one of our partner’s individual success stories. Having witnessed his determination to succeed despite growing up in dire poverty, they provided him with goods in kind and scholarships, enabling him to complete his education and secure a good job in the civil service.
Before our partners built this school (complete with solar power!) on a remote island in one of Zambia’s large lakes, secondary students had to paddle flimsy canoes over a lake with hippopotamus and crocodiles to reach a school on the other side of the lake.
The first computers to arrive on this island came from Crossroads’ previous shipment and were set up in the school. This greatly impressed visiting government inspectors, who then officially upgraded the school to a Year 12 examination centre.
“This photo shows the empowering moment when community health care workers received bicycles,” our partners wrote. “The bicycles were strategically distributed to increase mobility and bridge the gap in accessing remote rural villages. This significantly multiplies the scope and efficacy of their life-changing interventions.”
“Additionally, the basic medical equipment in the shipment (such as hospital beds and wheelchairs) greatly eased our workload, enabling us to focus on what matters most – saving lives!”
Our upcoming shipment will include more bicycles and hospital beds.
