Zambia

Livingstone and Lusaka are at the heart of our programs in Zambia. It was our Founder who introduced us to Cathy Chilambe, a remarkable educator, foster mother and Head of Linda Community School in Livingstone. Affectionately dubbed ‘Linda’, the school educates over 400 orphans, many of whom fend for themselves, living in improvised shelter without adults to care for them.

Ducere provides salaries for all Linda teachers along with communication costs and materials. Linda Community School has become an education hub training teachers across the Southern District in the African Children’s Stories program, Science Circus Africa and the Read Out Loud Radio Program. Each Saturday, the program broadcasts mini-master classes, inspiring parents, teachers and children to write stories from their imagination and real life, and to share the stories  of their elders. The Honourable Julia Gillard AC, Australia’s 27th Prime Minister and Chancellor of Ducere at the time, visited Linda Community School and also presented a radio segment. The children loved her visit, and she was enthralled by their vocal choruses, dance and science experiments. 

Chilanga Primary School, on the outskirts of Lusaka, was the second location where we worked in Zambia, also rich with indelible experiences. Under the leadership of Principal Kenneth Muleya, the school has hosted story writing and story-telling master classes, with the book launches reflecting the children’s talent, creativity and pride. They too were visited by Ms Gillard as part of our program. 

The Zambian program relies on our partnerships and their passionate teachers and learners. The Ministry of Education has actively supported the publication of five Zambian African Children’s Stories collections, written by children around and beyond Livingstone, Lusaka and Choma.

Most of the children involved in the program have moved on to higher grades. This keenness to learn and to help one another was beautifully expressed by Joyce Maposa in her story, when she wrote:

It is important to encourage our friends to study hard and be the best that they can be.