For information about making donations and volunteering -
Contact the co-ordinator, Evelyn Roe: communityschool@junglejunction.info |
Nandavu Community School Project, Zambia
Nandavu Community School is located on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia, one hour’s drive from Livingstone and Victoria Falls. It was set up by parents concerned that their young children were missing out on schooling.
Two enthusiastic and committed Zambian teachers are now running morning classes for about 60 children, but the only building available to them is the mud-and-thatch church.
The Chief and the village Headmen have allocated a plot of land, building plans are ready and costs have been calculated. All that needs to be done now is the purchasing of materials…and getting on with the job of building the school! Volunteers are welcome immediately to assist the community with this worthwhile and rewarding project. Come for a week, two weeks, or longer. Help is needed to make the foundations and prepare the concrete slabs for the classrooms by October, the start of the rainy season. Funds are needed for the immediate purchasing of building materials. |
"What's this project got to do with you?", I hear you cry. Well, I used to live on Bovu Island on the Zambezi River in Zambia. I was there almost six months and ran the bar at the back packers camp. The island was opposite Nandavu village and I know the the project co-ordinator, Evelyn Roe and some of the children and many of the parents.
Well, I recently heard from the lovely Evelyn, who is one of my favourite people in the whole world - she is a botanist and lives on the island still. She and people from the village are working together to build a school for their children. Until 2007, when the first class enrolled, there was no educational provision for these kids. There is currently only a simple church building in which to hold lessons for about 60 children. This is barely adequate as a classroom and there is no storage space.
I don't know whether you have ever wanted to visit Africa, or whether it just isn't on your raddar, but this might be a wonderful opportunity to do so. They are looking for volunteers to go out there, help build the school (no experience necessary) and live on the same idylic island I lived on so happily for six months.
Bovu is my idea of paradise. It's only about a mile long and a few hundred metres wide. It's covered in jungle, all dappled sunshine, wonderful vines and there are monkeys and beautiful bird life. There are a number of huts, some for sleeping, with wooden decks overlooking the river, there's the bar, the library, the dinner hut and shop and the showers (all open air to the sky - best showers in the world!) The views from the island are over to the wide languid river to Zimbabwe and a national park there, so you can often see the elephants coming down to drink and I used to go to bed listening to the distant roar of lions (but knowing that I was safe over on the island). The place is run by Brett, a wonderful character, full of crazy stories and the bar is the place to be. There is an enormous collection of amazing hats (see gallery) and every night is a party...or you can slope off to your hut or swing in a hammock under a vast canopy of stars.
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So, you'd be building during the day and then back to Bovu in the evening. If you wanted to see something more of Africa, you could extend your stay as one hour's drive away is the town of Livingston - the home of Victoria Falls (probably the world's most awesome waterfall); if you love adrenaline sports, you can bungey jump or white water raft the biggest, baddest river in the world and much much more. If it's wildlife you're after, you can go over to Botswana's Chobe National Park (only an hour's drive in the other direction) and they have all the best animals - lions, hippos, elephants, etc.
It would honestly be the most AMAZING UNFORGETTABLE trip. And, you'd know that you helped a whole community of children.
I know some people have their reservations about charity work and donating money...what I can say about this project is this...I know the woman running the show and she is a very special lady, she is utterly honest and committed and your money and/or efforts would go EXACTLY to where they were needed, with no money creamed off in corruption or even administration or wages. This is the real deal.
If volunteering isn't up your street, but you would like to make a donation, then do go on their website and contact Evelyn direct. Or if you would rather go through me, then I will pass your contribution along with mine to Evelyn myself.
The money they need is a relatively small amount, just a few thousand pounds in total, but can go so far in Zambia.
Anyway, sorry to ramble on, but if you have got this far, thank you!
The website is: http://www.junglejunction.info/communityschool.htm
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