Our Literacy Project

Abram Chima

There is a compound called Kalikiliki in Lusaka with a high population of youth. Many children do not go to school not because they do not want to, but because they lack finances.

It all started in 2008 when I was in Grade 10. I decided to set up a tutoring project of my own where people do not pay so that many would be able to utilize the service. I taught only on holidays because I was boarding at a private school. First, I would go door to door to recruit as many children as possible and explain my intentions to their parents. I decided to use the outdoor area at my house as the location to teach them. Japhet and Jeffrey then decided to join and this was the starting line.

Students from the Hotchkiss School visited the project while it was in session and I appreciate them for donating books for the students to use as this increased the teaching standard.

After graduating, the challenges that we face when starting the projected appeared once again. Specifically, it was rainy season and we could no longer teach outdoors. We decided to petition Kucetekela Foundation for help and they decided to help us rent a tuition house and purchase books, pens and pencils for the students to use.

Presently, I managed to recruit a huge number of students (approximately sixty five). To accommodate these numbers Sonia and I decided to run double sessions; she would teach a group at the tuition house while I taught another from my home. So far this has allowed us to reach the maximum number of children. We hope to also recruit more volunteers so we can break the students into smaller learning groups. Women in the community have also asked that we run a session they could attend because they would also like to become literate.

All this has been possible because of Mrs. Nkowane, Mark, Mr. Mukena, Mr. Mwila and the President Mr. Oliver Barry. I am looking forward to see this project expand to reach more of my community and eventually more of Zambia.