Who are we?

Children with Future in Zambia is a non-government organization (NGO) established by a group of concern Zambians registered in April, 2007. Its main base is in Kitwe and mainly operates in Copperbelt district, Nakonde and Lumwana East in North Western Province, at present.

Children with Future in Zambia is mainly interested in people who have been affected by many factors such HIV/AIDS, disabilities, natural disasters and are struggling to fund some of their basic needs such as education, food and shelter. We have found that the people who mostly need our help are orphans, vulnerable children (OVC), widows, the disabled and families without a male figure who can earn a regular income. Just as we try to help the target groups, it is also important that we try and fight the cause of all this. Our Patron, Mrs. Nancy Kalikeka Phiri believes that some of these problems of growing number of orphans, vulnerable children are a result of irresponsible families, especially the head of the house. So as the organisation this is another area which we are trying to address by way of promoting strong family morals.

Who do we work with?

1. Orphans and vulnerable children

Most of the children that need our help come from families where either one or both parents have passed away and those who are under destitute situation. They are often in situations where their remaining family/guardian finds it hard to take care of them due to a lack of money or even ill health. These children have little chance of getting regular meals, let alone an education or even unable to do anything tangible. Lacks of all these things make the prospect of these children having becoming self sufficient adults, even less likely. Children with Future in Zambia aims to reduce the number of children that would otherwise be left without an education or skill. Children are a future of every nation and we really need to fight for their rights.

Childred with Future in Zambia aims to reduce the number of children that would otherwise be left without an education.

2. Widows and vulnerable women

The consequences of HIV/Aids are numerous and devastating. As well as leaving many children orphaned, it also results in many women becoming widows. The widows have to support their families with no job and no income. As a result, sacrifices have to be made, which usually begins with the children's education.

Children with Future in Zambia is trying to provide financial support to these women in order that they may start up small businesses. In turn, we hope that these women will become self sufficient and so being able to meet their own living expenses as well as the costs of other dependants.

Overseas volunteers

Although CF in Zambia is a Zambian organization, we would like for it to have links with countries around the world. We believe that there are many individuals from developed countries, especially students and tourists, who are concerned about the problems affecting Zambia at present and would be glad to volunteer for a period of time. We think that this would prove to be an effective yet feasible way of heightening the awareness of various issues gradually, in other countries.

How do we fund our projects?

Previously, funding of our projects has been mainly from membership fees and personal contributions. However now, we have many more fundraising ideas to ensure that our projects have sufficient financial support. We have started a fundraising initiative involving the selling of chilled beverages at busy public places and occasions. This has proved to be a good way of raising funds as well as promoting the charity within the community. With regards to future plans, we are working on forming a close relationship between the community school in Chibuluma and primary and grammar schools in Horice, Czech Republic. This will hopefully result in close friendships forming between the children as well as support for the community school, not just in terms of money but also books and stationery.

We are also in the process of contacting prominent companies that operate within the area. By informing them about the organization's aims and objectives, we not only hope to earn their support but also to get them directly involved with the improvement of their own community.

What are we doing?

1. Community Schools

Some children in communities cannot afford to go to school. This is either due to the fact that they are orphans and that their remaining family cannot afford to educate them or that they have lost their father and their mother cannot support them financially. Without help these children are likely to struggle in the future, due to a lack of an education, skills and social inclusion.

The organization has been running four community schools in Kitwe, Chibuluma, Nakonde and Lumwana in North Western Province.

Community School at Robert's Compound in Kitwe

Unfortunately there is a high unempolyment rate within the Robert's compound area. The lack of residents with jobs inevitably brings its own problems, for example the low number of children in full time education. In April 2007, we identified 98 children within the area who were not being educated. The organization then arranged for the one of the buildings owned by the church, to be converted into a school. Blackboards were bought and volunteer teachers were recruited. Classes were set up for the nursery age group as well as grades 1 to 7.

Community School in Chibuluma

Chibuluma is a rural, former mining town with its own problems such as orphaned children, widows, unemployment and a lack of the basic infrastructure. There are 80 children attending our community school from nursery up to grade 7. For some of them, this was their first experience of a formal education, for others, this was the first time they had been at school after years of absence. At the moment the school is housed in the church, where four voluntary teachers work with very little equipement. The shcool lacks books, pens, penicils and even blackboards. With some of the fundraising money, we would like to provide the children with a better equiped school in order to meet their needs. We have applied to take over an disused former social club in Chibuluma. We would like to renovate it; building fully functioning classrooms for the children to enjoy.

Community School in Lumwana East

Lumwana East Community School is loacated in Lumwana East in Chief Mukumbi Area in the Northwestern Priovince - some 100Km away from the Provincial Town, Solwezi. Lumwana is fast growing town because of the newly opened mine called Lumwana Mine, the second largest mine in the World.

Due to the mining activities happening in the area, there is an influx of people from different towns and countries going to the area hence making the area more prone to diseases such as the deadly disease -HIV/AIDS, which is leaving a big number of orphaned children and widows. This brought concern to CFZ and we thought of extending our help to areas such as this. After doing a research, we were able to identify about 108 children who are both orphans and vulnarable wthin the community, and 25 both widows and vulnerable women who need quick help such as survival projects. We had put all these children in school starting from nursery to grade 2. The number of children in school now stands at 185. Our Community leader is Mr. Kalulu who is currently working as a Teacher in the Ministry of Education and as Deputy Head Teacher at a school called Shinda. The Organisation is using one of the buildings which belongs to the United Church of Zambia and the other one at the market as classrooms. We currently have 3 volunteer teachers. So we really need partners such the Lumwana mine itself and other companies operating within the Area to help us improve the living for orphans, vulnarable children and widows in the Area.

2. Women Empowerment Groups

The organization also helps disadvantaged women by encouraging them into business. Groups of women are given a small amounts of money and are encouraged to use existing skills in order to form a profitable business. One of the long-term running projects for the Women Empowerment Groups is in Nakonde and Kitwe which are involved in selling drink and food from chilled mobile units, which has proved a great success!

3. HIV/Aids Awareness Campaign

The organization has a HIV/ AIDS awareness {triained} nurse who as well as working at the local hospital, also finds time to go to community, to talk about different aspects about HIV/ AIDS; ranging from details about protecting aganist the disease as well as its social impact. The campaign is integral in maintaining the focus on the HIV problem within the area. We are currently in the process of organising a programme for medical students to get involved with the HIV/ AIDS awareness project, where they would be able to shadow and assist a HIV councellor in the local area.

Where do we need assistance?

Due to the high number of orphans and vulnerable children failing to get a proper education in Kalulushi area; our ultimate goal would be to build a nursery and primary school in the area.

The school would be built on the plot of land which was offered to us by Kalulushi council. This school would have 3 classes running within the nursery school and classes for grade 1 to 7 for primary school offering opportunities for 300 students from villages such as Chibuluma. This school will be receive government grants therefore the teachers will be supplied and paid for by the government.

How we intend to build the schools:

Our inspiration is St. Marcellin's secondary school in Chibuluma, who are also willing to advise us on the building of the school.

The project of building this school is a long term goal that depends mainly on available funds. The first step would be to buy a Hydraform blockmaking machine. The Hydraform machine (MkI model powered by an 11kW diesel engine; the exact same model used by St. Marcellin's secondary school) makes 1500 blocks per day and costs $19,000.00. This was decided as the best way of supplying the project with a reliable source of well made blocks, as well as providing bricks that can later be sold in order to fundraise for the organization.

The Hydraform system is a portable machine which moulds bricks under a high pressure. The mixture for the bricks is first prepared. It consists of sifted soil (which is free as it is dug up from the ground), a little cement and water. The mixture is then placed into the machine, where a large amount of pressure is applied. About 10 seconds later, a brick is produced. The bricks are then left the dry in the sun. The bricks are moulded so that they interlock with each other, therefore eliminating the need for lots of cement. By using the Hydraform machine, we would hope to minimise costs that would be otherwise be spent on bricks, cement, burning and transport. We aim to recruit unskilled labour from the Chibuluma area so that we may train them in using the machine.