Hands Around The World has worked in this area for ten years in partnership with schools. We are now looking for help to fund a major new construction project at Ryankana Primary School which desperately needs new classrooms to reduce overcrowding and provide better teaching and learning conditions. We have support from Jersey Overseas Aid who have provided a grant of 40,000 but we need to match this before we can start the project. Every little bit helps!

There are more than a million orphaned children in Zambia - 1 in 10 people! How could a wealthy country cope with this size of problem? If they survive, what kind of adults will they become? They need food, shelter, education and training. But also someone to love them, someone who cares. With our partners, we are trying to help some of these very needy children and young people at Kaliyangile Vocational Training Centre in the small town of Chisamba.

Mrs. Sianga and her dedicated team love and care for more than 500 vulnerable children, more than half of them orphans, giving them an excellent education and helping them grow in maturity, self esteem and confidence. It is a wonderfully inspiring special place. Many of the children come to school hungry and feeding them is an urgent challenge. Currently they are also facing the challenges of Covid-19 which is pushing food prices up and many classes are closed in lockdown.

This project aims to get poor rural children cared for and into school. We support Chez Papa Geoff as a residential unit for up to 24 orphaned and vulnerable children. Older children are sponsored into apprenticeships or further education. We also support the development of an agricultural programme to help the long-term sustainability of the project.

HATW works in partnership with North Meru DCC, a community project helping children with disabilities, working with families and increasing awareness of disability issues. As well as this, the DCC supports initiatives in Athi and Irindiro and other local schools which provide residential education for children with a wide spectrum of special needs. HATW provides skilled volunteers and identifies initiatives which can be externally funded to support the work with disabled children.

At PIZZ, Mrs. Veronica Sianga and her dedicated team including teachers and care-givers, love and care for more than 500 vulnerable children. All are from very poor families (about half of them orphaned). They give them a lot of support, an excellent education and help them grow in maturity, self esteem and confidence. It is a wonderfully inspiring special place! Sadly, at the moment younger classes are closed during Covid-19 lockdown, meaning a need for even more community support.

An inspirational man, Alindra Naskar, in his retirement, has started a school and vocational training centre in his home village. Now running for 13 years, the school has grown and has recently achieved secondary status. 500+ children are enrolled and young women are training in sewing and embroidery. Exam results continue to improve rapidly.