Solar MP3 players to educate Zambian children

Lifeline Energy intern Kathleen Buchholz recently travelled to Lusaka, Zambia to research the relationship between energy poverty and education using Learning at Taonga Market as her case study. In her soon-to-be published MA thesis for the American University of Paris, Kathleen interviews students, mentors and parents, all of whom discussed how needed the radio school program was for the community.  Our solar and wind-up radios provided sustainable access to the lessons for children and the Taonga Market training gave confidence to the teachers and overall again validated the importance of this great radio program. 

The following observations were gathered by Kathleen and reflect the responses that we’ve heard repeatedly over the years: 

“When they hear a pupil talking on Taonga Market, the children would get encouraged and it made them want to be a teacher when they grow up.” 

“Taonga Market is so important because it makes it easier for the teacher to make their lesson plans. The work was so much easier for us and the children enjoyed it very much, too. The program is a direct one and it helped a lot of children in terms of songs and motivation.” 

“I was a teacher at Taonga Market at Chaise Basic School. It was so important because it helped a lot of the children that could not manage to pay for the fees for government schools. The children’s grades improved and actually you would see children come from government schools to join Taonga Market. Without Taonga it is difficult, as we have a lot of kids in the compounds not going to schools.”