In 1996, Maria Makombe, a mother and teacher, opened Kachema Musuma orphanage in Kawambwa, Zambia, focusing on children who had lost parents to HIV/AIDS, malaria, childbirth, and disease. She named her home Kachema Musuma, which means Good Shepherd.
Maria, concerned about the future of her children, asked the Sisters of the Child Jesus – who run Chalice’s Kawambwa site – to take over the orphanage. They agreed and expanded the home, resulting in the opening of the new Kachema Musuma in 2007. The Sisters of the Child Jesus also constructed a school called Queen of Angels Academy to provide quality education to the orphaned children as well as those in the nearby community.
Currently, 260 children attend Queen of Angels for pre-school to grade seven. A hundred students are Chalice sponsored children from Kachema Musuma orphanage and 160 from the neighbouring community. The school has 12 teachers as well as three caregivers, three cleaners, and two cooks.
Since its opening, the surrounding community has grown, creating much greater demand for primary education. Most of the surrounding communities send their children to distant schools because Queen of Angels cannot fit them all.
It is constantly overcrowded. Each of their current rooms can only comfortably accommodate a maximum of 20 students, but many hold at least twice that. Illnesses spread quickly in congested classes and cause many missed school days.
The Kawambwa site has therefore partnered with Chalice to build Queen of Angels a one-level building with two 57m2 classrooms with staff offices in the middle. The new school buildings will provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning, and a source of pride for both teachers and students. The clean, spacious, and airy classrooms will have weather-resistant roofs and ceilings and proper lighting. They will offer efficient storage facilities for books and equipment. The Chalice family circles can also use the rooms on weekends and holidays for their meetings and events.
The six-month construction project has a total budget of $59,874.10 CAD, which includes building materials, roofing, electrical wiring, plumbing, glazing, painting, professional fees (supervision and drawings), transport of materials, and labour.
Program Location: Kawambwa, Zambia
Program Code: CP-ZKK1024
Budget in Canadian Funds: $59,874.10 CAD
DONATEPlease note that any donations that exceed the request will be used to fund other community projects that may arise.