ZAMBIA - St. Francis Pre-school is growing
2023-12-14
Sister Loice Kashangura, the Umckaloabo Foundation's long-standing project partner in Zambia, has once again initiated an impressive project: The St. Francis preschool is currently being built in Lusaka!
An important tile in the mosaic
The new St. Francis preschool is truly an important tile in the mosaic, a way to offer opportunities to the children in Chipata Compound on the outskirts of Lusaka. Most of them grow up in poverty, and the preschool gives them a place to play, learn and grow.
It has long been well-established that the first years of a child’s life are formative: they lay the cornerstone for successful learning later in life. This school is a place where children can grow up with self-confidence.
In September, Uwe Bothur, a member of the Umckaloabo Foundation board, was on site in Zambia. There he was able to see he construction site for the school which is being built on the grounds of the St. Francis and Clare Secondary School.
The groundwork has been laid
After his visit, the Umckaloabo Foundation approved a sum of 45,000 euros so that the four classrooms could be completed.
Beginning in January, four new teachers can teach 25 children each in their respective classes. Attending the preschool will greatly enhance the children’s prospects in primary school: they will not only have learned important skills before they begin school; they will already have been taught how important it is to focus and listen.
Sister Loice looking ahead
Sister Loice herself experienced how important a good school education is and what it can achieve. This means that her sense of commitment did not end when construction on the preschool began. Her vision is to fill the gap in educational coverage on the St. Francis and Claire campus and build a primary school as well!
If all of this comes to fruition, children and young people in the region could enjoy a proper education from earliest childhood all the way to the beginning of their vocational training or professional lives – at schools which teach them self-esteem, show them the value of their own motivation and offer them top-quality lessons. The result: self-confident, well-educated and independent young people.