Help train Zambian children and young people

A lot has changed since the last visit from HATW in 2017.
We are grateful that the project has once more become vibrant and full of life. The new hammer mill is helping us with livestock feed and it has cheered the community who are able to have their mealie meal at a cheaper price.
Training is well underway in Tailoring / Knitting as well as Computing now that we have five new computers. We have managed to renovate the classroom which was in poor condition thanks to HATW. We have five students in Tailoring and 7 in Computing - our one classroom can not accommodate too many. Adult Literacy is another joy to witness, as women and youths are being enabled to read and write as well as do mathematical calculations.
The Beekeepers are happy with the help they are receiving from HATW to enable training together with the team at the Forestry department. This year we are helping 22 farmers, among whom 7 are youths in Beekeeping.
All thanks to the HATW team for their support.
In order to sustain worker's wages, we have 600 new pullets that will start laying in December. Also, the piggery has steadily grown from one to 22 now. Although this project is long term, we managed to sell 8 pigs to raise funds for feed concentrates for both layers and pigs.
We look forward to the new academic term which begins on 10th September, and thank you for your support.

Last time I reported on the Christmas party delayed by a Cholera outbreak and computer classes delayed by the classroom roof leaking in the heavy seasonal rains.

We have been busy getting the roof repaired and the classroom redecorated so that the computers can be installed. Not quite there yet, but nearly!

No sooner had the travel ban been lifted than a new ban was announced due to a Foot and Mouth disease outbreak nearby. So, even though the centre is not directly affected, piglets and chickens can't be taken to market. Life is not easy!

Persis is enthusiastically with her team drawing up plans for refurbishing the other buildings including staff houses and also for getting fish ponds ready and stocked. We hope too to be able to get another training workshop built soon.

I spite of all the setbacks, good work is happening at Kaliyangile, especially with tailoring, knitting and basic literacy and numeracy classes. There are many needy and deserving young people nearby keen to enroll, and with some more funding in place, we hope in the next year to move the project along well.

Please help us with a donation if you can. Thank you.

At Kaliyangile in Zambia, the knitting wool and needles sent out recently in our container were of great interest and much appreciated by many, as you can see! The sewing and knitting project is attracting regular (slightly older) trainees, the machines are busy, and seeing some new possibilities was a real eye opener.

There was lots of clothing in the container too, including donated polo shirts and sports tops. The plan was to give this out at their Christmas party, but sadly this was long delayed because of a government-imposed ban on social events due to a cholera outbreak. At last the great day arrived!

Persis is the project manager, and she writes: "It was a great day for the Kaliyangile community - committee, workers and students. We all enjoyed the celebrations and they were especially thankful to Hands around the World (HATW) for the support. It was all smiles when some clothing sent by HATW was given to the students as motivation. We look forward to a good year in 2018 and send our heartfelt love and gratitude to the team at HATW."

The next project is to start computer training to help many local unemployed youngsters. 5 desktops, chairs and tables have now been purchased and are currently awaiting installation. But in the heavy rainy season wind and downpours, the classroom roof has sprung a serious leak and needs a major overhaul and repair first. The anticipated cost of this is about £1350.

Never a dull moment!

Thank you so much if you have helped us in the past, and please consider helping us get the roof back on properly if you can. Thank you.

We have been working with the Kaliyangile Training Centre for more than 10 years. During this time we have seen many changes. Some teenagers have moved on and set up small businesses which have enabled them to support themselves and their families.

I was reminded when I visited this year that it often takes some time to obtain results. Three or four years ago I planted one of the trees that will eventually become a citrus orchard – maybe next year we will see the first oranges, after the flowers have provided their nectar for our bees.

As well as helping the bee population to thrive the orchard will provide an environment making Kaliyangile a good place to spend time and study. In the past year bushes and flowers have also been planted around the office, classroom and workshop creating a beautiful welcome as you approach the Centre.

There are many impacts of a project like that at Kaliyangile and some are difficult to measure. A very important aspect of the work done by our partners is demonstrating to those most disadvantaged that they are valued. This can be done by providing special surroundings and staying alongside the students for the long term, as well as proving the technical training.

The hammer mill is now installed and will make a big difference by creating additional income and enabling feed for the livestock to be produced from the by-products.

Honey is being produced for sale locally and the students are gaining a useful skill. Some have been provided with hives to enable them to start production at home.

There is a great demand for computer training from the young people in and around Chisamba. Though the centre would like to try to meet this need, they don;t currently possess enough equipment to establish courses. They are hopeful that they will acquire some computers before long.

We are approaching the rainy season in Zambia. This is the time when preparations are being made for planting crops, until then there is little for the cattle to graze and additional feed needs to be provided.

During the year the centre has concentrated on developing income streams, such as the hammer mill and piggery, to enable it to attain self-sustainability. We look forward to more students gaining skills in the coming months and years.

Thanks for your support.

Chris Barrell