Help train Zambian children and young people

It has been a challenging and busy time as efforts to resume training were shattered by the ablution block roof being blown away by heavy rainstorms last rainy season. Due to this, there has been a substantial delay in the Vocational Training Centre being able to take on new trainees. The focus lately has therefore been on constructing alternative pit latrines, to allow the Centre to re-open and continue delivering its vital services to the community, equipping disadvantaged and vulnerable young people (who may have had little or uneven schooling) with vocational skills.

With the commitment of our overseas partners, the pit latrines are now completed and have running water. As such, we are pleased to share that the Centre has now opened its doors to new students, beginning with an initial cohort of 20 women and girls who have been trained in beekeeping; the training will support them to derive an income from the likes of honey and beeswax production.

We now look forward to welcoming further students, after a long wait. In addition to recruiting new trainees and delivering trainings, a major focus at the Centre now is the construction of a new ablution block, to replace the storm-damaged block. Thanks to support from HATW, construction of the new block is underway and once complete it will include five toilets and seven showers. This will not only support the health and hygiene of the Centre’s students and staff but will also enable the Centre to increase the number of trainees that we can take on at a time. We will keep you posted on how the construction is progressing into 2023.

Speaking of next year, we will be hoping to address other key challenges at the Centre; renovations and upgrades to the piggery are needed, including more space, a new weaner pen, better water drippers and improved drainage. The chicken houses meanwhile have termite damage and will need replacing with steel structures and equipped with new feeders and drinkers. We look forward to working with HATW towards meeting these challenges over the next year; our thanks to all those supporting HATW who have helped the Centre through some challenging times this year.