Charity volunteers prepare for trip to Zambia village
When most people are making plans to hit the beach or take it easy, one intrepid group of volunteers from The Nayamba Trust are preparing to jet off to Zambia on Saturday (15 June) to lead a week of phonics, sport and PSHE in a small rural community.
The volunteers are all connected in some way to the East Devon-based charity and as well as giving of their time free of charge, they have raised the cost of their travel and expenses in keeping with the ethos of the Trust in sending 100% of donations raised to Zambia.
A rich and varied programme has been prepared in advance that includes focussed activities around reading recovery, phonics and self-esteem.
Chair of the Trustees, Vanessa Pestridge, said: “We are truly humbled to have such a dedicated and talented team willing to come and share their skills and expertise.
"This is the 10th time we’ve taken a group out to Zambia, and we have every reason to think this trip will be the most impactful to date.
"One of our volunteers has organised an Amazon Wishlist (https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/3R3O7JHF1P7CU?ref_=wl_share) and we have had donations coming in from all parts of the UK, which is tremendous.
"Every little donation or offer of help can make a huge difference to the life of a child in Nayamba.”
Helen Day, a teacher from Lympstone Village Primary School, added: “I am very excited about the prospect of visiting Nayamba School in Zambia.
"I have been involved with this fantastic charity since last year as a 'Curriculum Champion', helping to produce educational and promotional resources for schools in the UK.
"It has been a privilege to help raise awareness of their wonderful work in providing education and enabling aspiration for children in this rural setting.
"When the opportunity to visit Nayamba arose, it was too good to miss. I am not at ease with flying, or spiders but the chance to see and support the children and staff at the school firsthand, will be worth stepping outside of my comfort zone.”
In 2010, the owners of the Nagwaza Farm in the Chisamba district of Zambia founded Nayamba School. Their aim was to educate the children of families working on the surrounding farms and in the neighbouring forest because there was no affordable school close enough nearby. This wonderful free school now educates more than 350 children from the local area.
Today, Nayamba School is supported by The Nayamba Trust, a charity built around a thriving educational community and supported by the Nagwaza Farm, trustees and volunteers in Zambia, the UK and beyond.
Initially designed for primary-aged pupils and consisting of three classrooms and a small office, today we provide a pre-school, 10 classrooms for Years 1 to 9 and a sustainable trade centre for apprentices to learn a trade once they leave Nayamba School. Over the years, 12 houses have also been built for teachers to live on site.
The Nayamba Trust works closely with the school to develop good educational practice by supporting teacher training and development and providing basics such as textbooks and electricity.
For more information visit www.nayamba.org
