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ECE TRAINING
In collaboration with the Association Santina Gusmini Onlus, we have started a training for volunteer preschool teachers.
In Zambia, despite governmental efforts, it is difficult to find enough teachers to work in schools for the youngest, especially in rural areas. However, fortunately, many dedicated people offer a service to their community and work as volunteer teachers in classes for children aged 3 to 6 years.
To cover the demands of the schools we launched a training course for the passionate volunteer teachers who show such high interest in working with children. Some of them have already many years of experience in the field.
The goal of the training series is to improve their skills and their knowledge in preschool education. We are convinced that the students will hugely benefit from the tools and methods the participants acquired in the ECE training when put into practice in their daily routine.
ECE TRAINING
In collaborazione con l’Associazione Santina Gusmini Onlus abbiamo avviato un corso per maestre e maestri volontari di scuola dell’infanzia.
In Zambia, infatti, nonostante gli sforzi governativi, si fa fatica ad avere insegnanti a sufficienza da inserire nelle scuole per i più piccoli, in special modo nelle zone rurali. Tuttavia, fortunatamente, molte persone scelgono di offrire un servizio alla comunità in cui vivono, decidendo di svolgere il lavoro di insegnanti volontari nelle classi per bambini dai 3 ai 6 anni di età.
Per questo, abbiamo deciso di andare incontro ai bisogni delle scuole, avviando un corso di formazione per questi insegnanti che dimostrano passione e interesse nei confronti dell’insegnamento, nonché, nella maggior parte dei casi, hanno già maturato esperienza pluriennale nel settore.
Le maestre e i maestri selezionati dal programma non hanno una formazione specifica di stampo educativo, per cui il nostro obiettivo è quello di migliorare le loro competenze e conoscenze nell’ambito della didattica per l’infanzia, con il fine di fornire strumenti per l’insegnamento che potranno utilizzare durante le loro lezioni e di cui i loro alunni potranno beneficiare.
LA SCUOLA IN ZAMBIA
A seguito delle chiusure dovute alla pandemia da Covid-19, le scuole in Zambia da circa un mese hanno riaperto. Nonostante gli sforzi governativi e della popolazione, però, ci sono ancora dei problemi all’interno delle zone più rurali della Eastern Province. In Zambia, infatti, più ci si sposta dalle città verso i villaggi e le zone rurali, maggiori sono le possibilità di trovare scuole fatiscenti e scarsità di personale. I bambini, quando la scuola è presente sul territorio, sono spesso costretti a frequentare le lezioni seduti per terra, in classi sovraffollate, per poco tempo al giorno. Sebbene vi siano delle oggettive mancanze strutturali, gli studenti manifestano entusiasmo e voglia di imparare.
Benché il MOGE e le comunità siano impegnate nel garantire a tutti i bambini l’accesso alla scuola, in Zambia spesso mancano spazi sufficienti per tutti gli studenti e, quindi, i bambini devono fare turni di lezione di tre ore ciascuno. In questo modo, gran parte dei bambini, anche nei villaggi, riesce ad avere accesso all’istruzione quantomeno primaria. Tuttavia, di frequente non si tratta di istruzione di qualità, poiché c’è carenza di materiale scolastico e il tempo effettivo trascorso in classe è poco.
Pamodzi Ndi Ana si impegna per garantire a ogni bambino l’accesso a un diritto fondamentale dell’essere umano: l’istruzione. Per questo, il team di PNA lavora affinché i bambini, a prescindere da genere, disabilità, provenienza e possibilità economico-sociali, abbiano l’opportunità di essere studenti all’interno di contesti scolastici sicuri, accessibili e di qualità.
Potete aiutarci a realizzare la nostra missione di promozione di condizioni di vita migliori per i bambini all’interno delle loro comunità attraverso il Supporto A Distanza. Grazie alle vostre donazioni garantiremo ai bambini delle zone rurali il pagamento delle tasse scolastiche, l’acquisto delle divise e del materiale necessario a frequentare le lezioni.
SCHOOLS IN ZAMBIA
After the closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools in Zambia reopened about a month ago. However, despite the efforts of the government and the population, there are still problems within most rural areas of the Eastern Province. The further out you go from cities to villages and rural areas, the higher the likelihood of finding poorly maintained and understaffed schools. In these remote parts of Zambia children are often forced to attend classes sitting on the floor in overcrowded classrooms, and for only a few hours. Despite structural deficiencies, students show enthusiasm and a desire to learn.
Zambia’s Ministry of General Education (MOGE) and the communities are committed to ensure that all children have access to school, even if in Zambia the schools do not have enough space for all the students, so that children can attend school only three hours per day. Most children though, even in the villages, have access to at least primary education. In these schools the quality of education is not always high, caused by the lack of school supplies and the limited daily time spent in class.
Pamodzi Ndi Ana committed to ensure that every child has access to a basic human right: education. All children, regardless of their gender, disability, and socio-economic background, can be students in safe, accessible and good quality schools.
Help us to achieve our mission to promote better living conditions for children within their communities, by joining our Sponsor a Child program. Your donations will guarantee that children in rural areas are able to pay their school fees, purchase uniforms and materials needed to attend classes.
DISABILITÀ IN ZAMBIA
In Zambia, come negli altri Paesi in via di sviluppo, il tasso di disabilità infantile è elevato, per via di problematiche legate alla gravidanza, al parto e a incidenti post-natali.
Con il concetto di “disabilità” si intende l’integrazione tra l’oggettiva menomazione fisica della persona, con i limiti imposti dal mondo circostante. Per questi motivi, è di fondamentale importanza creare un contesto accessibile per tutti e tutte, nonché dei servizi che rispondano ai bisogni di ogni persona.
Quando si parla di bambini con disabilità, i bisogni e i diritti delle persone disabili si intersecano con quelli dell’infanzia. Come ogni bambino, anche i bambini disabili hanno diritto al gioco, a una vita sociale, ad avere una famiglia e un’istruzione. Di frequente, però, questi diritti non vengono soddisfatti a causa di una mancanza strutturale rispetto alla possibilità di accedere a determinati servizi. Si parla, per esempio, di scuole che non possono e/o non vogliono accogliere fra i loro studenti i bambini disabili, o che li relegano in classi speciali. Di famiglie che non riescono a gestire lo stigma legato alla disabilità. Bambini che non hanno accesso alle cure mediche e agli ausili per la mobilità che consentirebbero loro di migliorare la condizione fisica e sociale.
Pamodzi Ndi Ana lavora da anni mettendo al centro i bisogni dei bambini e, in particolar modo, si focalizza sui bambini disabili, che sono una fetta della popolazione più fragile del mondo. Grazie alla consegna di carrozzine, ai follow-up dei bambini, al pagamento delle tasse scolastiche e ai workshop, PNA riesce a garantire un grado di benessere superiore ai bambini del programma e alle loro famiglie. Il programma di consegna di carrozzine, infatti, permette alle mamme di non trasportare più i figli sulla schiena e ai bambini di giocare con gli amici e, in alcuni casi, di spostarsi autonomamente nel villaggio. I bambini, poi, vengono seguiti di anno in anno, tramite visite presso le loro case, durante le quali le sedie a rotelle vengono aggiustate in base alla crescita corporea. Queste visite sono anche molto importanti al fine di comprendere il reale impatto della sedia a rotelle nella quotidianità delle famiglie, nonché per entrare in contatto con il contesto dei bambini e vedere come loro, le famiglie e la comunità interagiscono con l’ausilio. La sedia a rotelle consente ai bambini di andare a scuola, inoltre. Per quelle famiglie che non possono permettersi di pagare le tasse scolastiche, PNA li inserisce nel proprio programma di Supporto a Distanza o li sponsorizza in prima persona, al fine di consentire loro di frequentare la scuola come tutti gli altri bambini. Infine, PNA organizza dei workshop per insegnare ai caregiver come gestire l’incontinenza di vescica e intestino per i bambini con spina bifida, in modo tale che i bambini stiano meglio, migliorino la loro autostima e, col tempo, imparino a gestirsi in maniera autonoma.
La disabilità, dunque, per quanto abbia alla base una compromissione fisica, non è qualcosa a cui rassegnarsi. Si può, infatti, sempre lavorare sulle potenzialità dei bambini con disabilità e migliorare la condizione di vita loro e delle loro famiglie, nonché delle comunità in cui vivono.
DISABILITY IN ZAMBIA
In Zambia, as in other developing countries, the child disability rate is high, due to issues related to pregnancy, childbirth, and post-natal accidents.
The definition of "disability" is the combination of a person's objective physical impairment and the limitations imposed by the surrounding world. That’s why it is crucial to create an accessible environment for everyone and services that match the needs of each person.
Speaking about children with disabilities comprises respecting the rights of people with disabilities in general, and in addition the needs and rights of children. Like any child, children with disabilities have the right to play, to have a social life, a family and education. Often, however, these rights are not fulfilled because of a structural lack of access to certain services.
For example:
Schools that cannot or will not accept children with disabilities, or that relegate them into special classes.
Families that cannot cope with the stigma attached to disability.
Children who do not have access to medical care and mobility aids that would enable them to improve their physical and social condition.
Pamodzi Ndi Ana has been working for years putting the children’s needs first, with a particular focus on children with disabilities, since they belong to the world's most fragile population. Through the delivery of wheelchairs, child follow-ups, payment of school fees, and workshops, PNA provides a high level of well-being for the children in the program and their families. The wheelchair delivery program allows mothers to stop carrying their children on their backs, it allows children to play with friends and, in some cases, move around the village independently.
Children are followed up year after year through visits to their homes, during which the wheelchairs are adjusted according to their body growth. These visits are important to understand the real impact of the wheelchair in the families' daily lives, as well as to connect with the children's context and see how they, their families and the community interact with the aid. The wheelchair enables children to go to school. For families who cannot afford the school fees, PNA includes them in the Sponsorship Program or supports them to make sure they attend school like any other child.
Finally, PNA organizes workshops to teach caregivers how to manage bladder and bowel incontinence for children with spina bifida, which is essential for their well-being and enhances their confidence and dignity. Over time, they ideally learn to manage themselves independently.
Although disability is based on physical impairments, it is not something to be resigned to. It is always possible to work on the potential of children with disabilities and improve their own lives and the lives of their families and communities.
WRITING FRAMES for MAGWERO SCHOOLS for DEAF and BLIND
One key activity of Pamodzi Ndi Ana’s support for children is the involvement in the education field. We want to make sure children with disabilities go to school and receive a proper school education.
Especially in the Magwero Schools for the Deaf and Blind, we support two deaf and two blind children through our Sponsorship Program.
Before Christmas 2021, we visited both schools to write Christmas letters for their sponsors, an activity that we do in regular intervals together with the children.
During our visit, in conversations with the headteacher of the school for the visually impaired, we realized that there’s a considerable lack of writing frames. In fact, for the 53 blind children enrolled in the school, the aids were just 5. This forced the children to take turns using the writing frames, not only to study but also to take exams.
As remedial action, our volunteers started a fundraising campaign for Christmas, intending to buy as many writing frames as possible to donate to the school.
With the funds raised, we were able to buy additional 23 writing frames. Two frames were directly handed over to the blind children in our Sponsorship Program, while the remaining 21 were donated to the school.
We are delighted to help these children and their teachers to improve their ability to read and write with Braille code.
THE SUCCESS STORY of one TEACHER in MAGWERO SCHOOL
When our volunteers visited the Magwero School for Blind to donate the writing frames purchased with funds from the Christmas collection, we discovered an amazing success story of our Sponsorship program.
The Sponsorship program, that we’ve been carrying out for years allows many children, either with or without disabilities to go to school and follow their dreams. In Magwero Pamodzi Ndi Ana sponsors two blind children and two in the deaf children's school next door.
At the School for the Blind in Magwero, a young partially sighted teacher revealed to us that he was once part of our Sponsorship Program and attended the same school where he’s now employed as a teacher.
In fact, the Sponsorship Program offered him the chance to study in a boarding school for people with sensorial disabilities, and it gave him the opportunity to learn how to write and read in Braille code. He grew up as an educated adult and started teaching himself.
Thanks to the Sponsorship Program, many children can have the same educational opportunities as this teacher.
TAVOLETTE BRAILLE per le SCUOLE per SORDI E CIECHI di MAGWERO
Fra le attività a supporto dei bambini, noi di Pamodzi Ndi Ana ci occupiamo del settore educativo in vari modi. Una delle modalità con cui ci occupiamo di favorire l’istruzione, è supportando i bambini disabili nell’integrarsi a scuola.
In particolar modo, nelle scuole di Magwero per sordi e per ciechi supportiamo tramite il programma di Sostegno a Distanza 4 bambini: due sordi e due ciechi.
Quando, alcuni mesi addietro, siamo andati nelle scuole per le consuete letterine di Natale da far scrivere ai bambini per i loro sponsor, abbiamo parlato con la preside della sezione della scuola per disabilità visiva e siamo venuti a conoscenza della carenza di tavolette Braille nella struttura.
Difatti, per un numero totale di 53 bambini ciechi a scuola, il plesso disponeva esclusivamente di 5 supporti per la scrittura Braille. I bambini, per questo motivo, erano costretti a utilizzarle facendo a turni, non solo per studiare, ma anche per svolgere gli esami.
Per questo motivo, i nostri volontari hanno avviato una raccolta fondi natalizia, con l’obiettivo di acquistare più tavolette Braille possibili da donare alla scuola.
Con i fondi raccolti, siamo riusciti ad acquistare 23 tavolette. Due di queste sono state regalate ai bambini ciechi inseriti nel nostro programma di Sostegno a Distanza, mentre i restanti 21 sono stati donati alla scuola.
Siamo immensamente felici di poter aiutare questi bambini e i loro insegnanti nel migliorare l’apprendimento della lettura e della scrittura in Braille.
LA STORIA DI SUCCESSO di un MAESTRO della SCUOLA di MAGWERO
Nel corso della visita delle nostre volontarie presso la scuola di Magwero per ciechi, in occasione della donazione delle tavolette Braille acquistate con i fondi della raccolta di Natale, siamo venuti a conoscenza di una storia di successo del programma di Supporto a Distanza.
Da anni, infatti, portiamo avanti questo programma che consente a tantissimi bambini e bambine, con e senza disabilità, di andare a scuola e perseguire i propri sogni. A Magwero, in particolar modo, sosteniamo 2 bambini ciechi e ne sosteniamo anche 2 nella scuola adiacente per bambini sordi.
Presso la scuola per ciechi di Magwero, un giovane maestro ipovedente, per l’appunto, ci ha raccontato di aver a sua volta fatto parte del nostro programma di Sostegno a Distanza e di aver studiato nella medesima scuola in cui attualmente insegna.
Grazie al Sostegno a Distanza tanti bambini e bambini possono avere le medesime opportunità educative di questo maestro, a cui l’istruzione di qualità presso una scuola residenziale specificamente pensata per persone con disabilità sensoriali ha dato modo non solo di imparare a leggere e scrivere in Braille, ma anche di diventare un adulto istruito e insegnare a sua volta.
THE TEKAMA BOREHOLE
Tekama Primary School, a school in the rural area of Chipata is one of the ten schools included in our program for access to clean water. Thanks to the collaboration with the MADZI ALI MOYO Association, we drilled a borehole for the school, allowing students, teachers and the community to enjoy clean water.
The Tekama school was in danger of being closed down by the Ministry of Education, due to an increase in cases of dysentery among students. We were able to intervene promptly with the opening of the borehole, avoiding the closure of the school and giving the population access to one of the most precious assets for humans.
IL POZZO di TEKAMA
Tekama primary school è una scuola primaria nella zona rurale di Chipata ed è tra le 10 scuole inserite quest’anno nel nostro programma relativo all’accesso all’acqua pulita. Grazie alla collaborazione con l’associazione MADZI ALI MOYO, abbiamo regalato alla scuola un pozzo, dando modo agli studenti, agli insegnanti e alla comunità di usufruire di acqua pulita.
La scuola di Tekama rischiava di essere chiusa dal Ministero dell’Educazione, a causa di un aumento dei casi di dissenteria tra gli studenti. Siamo riusciti a intervenire tempestivamente con l’apertura del pozzo, scongiurando la chiusura della scuola e garantendo alla popolazione l’accesso a uno dei beni più preziosi per l’essere umano.
THE e-EDUCATION PROJECT
In January 2022, a meeting was held at St. Margret Girls Secondary School to present a project we are launching in Chipangali District. We were very pleased to welcome the area’s most important institutional representatives of the educational field who also attended the meeting.
"The e-Education Project" intends to electrify five rural schools in Chipangali district, using a system of solar panels, as well as providing equipment useful for computer classes.
In Zambia, especially in the most isolated areas, teachers and students are forced to do computer science at the blackboard.
Since one of our main areas of intervention regards school access this project is very close to our heart. We believe that every child has the right to receive a high-quality education, and we agree with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4).
The goal is to improve not only lives and teaching quality of the teachers and students who benefit from the project, but also to support the rural communities that will have access to new technologies.
PROGETTO e-EDUCATION
Nel mese di gennaio 2022 presso la St. Margharet Secondary School for girls, si è svolto l’incontro di presentazione del nuovo progetto che stiamo avviando nel distretto di Chipangali. Erano presenti le più importanti figure istituzionali di zona nel campo dell’educazione.
“The e-Education Project” è un progetto che prevede di elettrificare 5 scuole rurali nel distretto di Chipangali tramite un sistema di pannelli solari, nonché di fornirle di materiale utile alle lezioni di informatica. In Zambia, infatti, soprattutto nelle zone più isolate, insegnanti e allievi sono costetti a fare informatica alla lavagna.
Poiché una delle nostre principali aree di intervento riguarda il campo dell’accesso a scuola e crediamo che ogni bambino abbia il diritto di ricevere un’istruzione di qualità, in accordo con gli Obiettivi di Sviluppo Sostenibile delle Nazioni Unite (SDG 4), questo progetto è per noi molto importante. L’obiettivo è quello di migliorare non solo la vita e la qualità dell’insegnamento dei professori e degli studenti che beneficeranno del progetto, ma anche delle comunità rurali che avranno accesso alle nuove tecnologie.
DEBATE at ST. MARGRET GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL
One key area of interest of Pamodzi Ndi Ana is education. We work hard to achieve one of the goals set by the Agenda 2030: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. That’s why we as sponsors proudly supported the debate organized in St. Margret secondary school.
The debate was divided in two parts. The first part was on girls' education, the second part was on rural development in Zambia. Two different groups of students debated on the two topics, sharing their views and reasoning.
It’s important for teenage girls to practice their debating skills on various topics and to listening to other people’s arguments. In this way, they get used to be confronted with different views and learn how to express their opinion.
These girls are the new generation of Zambian women. It is crucial for them to improve their critical thinking about the nation they grow up in, knowing that often women still do not have the same opportunities as men.
Involved in the debate were not only the school’s headteachers and teachers, but also some public officials showed up, which underlined the debate’s importance. A clear signal to the students to have the adult’s attention and time dedicated to what the girls had to say.
Pamodzi Ndi Ana will continue to support debates between secondary schools, to promote the exchange of opinions between our new generations.
DIBATTITO a ST. MARGRET GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL
Una delle aree di interesse di Pamodzi Ndi Ana e’ l’istruzione. Lavoriamo per contribuire alla realizzazione di uno degli obiettivi fissati dall’agenda 2030: “Assicurare un’educazione di qualita’ che sia inclusiva e paritaria, nonche’ promuovere opportunita’ di apprendimento lungo tutto il corso di vita per tutti”. Questo e’ il motivo per cui abbiamo supportato, come sponsor, il dibattito organizzato nella St. Margaret Girls Secondary School.
Il dibattito si e’ svolto in due parti. La prima ha riguarato il tema dell’educazione femminile, mentre la seconda lo sviluppo rurale in Zambia. Due diversi gruppi di studentesse hanno dibattuto riguardo le due tematiche, portando le loro argomentazioni.
E’ molto importante per le adolescenti allenare la loro capacita’ di avere un dibattito riguardo diversi temi e ascoltare le argomentazioni delle altre persone. In questo modo, si abituano a confrontarsi con differenti opinioni e modi di esprimerle.
Queste ragazze sono la nuova generazione di zambiane. E’ fondamentale per loro migliorare il loro pensiero critico riguardo la nazione in cui vivono, nella consapevolezza che spesso le donne non hanno ancora le stesse opportunita’ riservate agli uomini.
All’evento hanno preso parte varie figure pubbliche di rilievo, oltre ai presidi e agli insegnanti delle scuole coinvolte nel dibattito. Questo testimonia quanto la giornata sia stata sentita come importante non solo dalle studentesse coinvolte nel dibattito, ma anche dagli adulti che si sono impegnati nel partecipare e prestare attenzione a cio’ che le ragazze avevano da dire.
Pamodzi Ndi Ana si impegna, per il futuro, a supportare nuovamente i dibattiti in programma fra scuole secondarie, al fine di promuovere lo scambio di opinioni fra nuove generazioni.
BLU SPRING and PAMODZI NDI ANA in LUNDAZI DISTRICT
One of the main aspects of Pamodzi Ndi Ana’s work is about children with disabilities, especially the ones with hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy and spina bifida. To improve their lives and to promote the well-being of their families, we provide them with special wheelchairs. The wheelchairs are specifically designed for African terrain and must be assembled based on the size and characteristics of the child.
This project is carried on thanks to the important collaboration with Blu Spring, which allows wheelchairs to reach us in Zambia from Australia (Wheelchairs For Kids).
Last week, part of Blu Spring team joined us in the Eastern Province, where we operate, to help distribute new wheelchairs and do follow-ups of children living in scattered villages.
We managed to distribute 16 wheelchairs in Lundazi District Hospital, working all together with Blu Spring, ZACD (Zambian Association for Children With Disabilities) and the Pamodzi Ndi Ana teams. We also managed to visit 13 children already using a wheelchair that we gave in the past. It is very important, in fact, to ensure that as the child grows and the wheelchair is used, to check the adjustments, repairs and spare parts replacements to be made.
We are very grateful for the collaboration with Blu Spring, which gives us the possibility to make the lives of children with disability better. Providing them with a wheelchair means they can access school and play with their friends. Moreover, the improvement also regards the life of the family of the child, especially of mothers who usually carry children on the back.
BLU SPRING e PAMODZI NDI ANA nel DISTRETTO di LUNDAZI
Una delle parti principali del lavoro di Pamodzi Ndi Ana riguarda i bambini con disabilità, specialmente quelli con idrocefalo, paralisi cerebrale e spina bifida. Per migliorare la loro vita e promuovere il benessere delle loro famiglie, forniamo loro delle sedie a rotelle speciali. Le sedie a rotelle sono specificamente progettate per il terreno africano e devono essere assemblate in base alle dimensioni e alle caratteristiche del bambino.
Questo progetto viene portato avanti grazie all'importante collaborazione con Blu Spring, che permette alle sedie a rotelle di raggiungerci in Zambia dall'Australia (Wheelchairs For Kids). La scorsa settimana, una parte del team di Blu Spring ci ha raggiunto nella Eastern Province, dove operiamo, per aiutarci a distribuire nuove sedie a rotelle e fare follow-up dei bambini che vivono in alcuni villaggi sparsi.
Siamo riusciti a distribuire 16 sedie a rotelle nell'ospedale distrettuale di Lundazi, mettendo insieme i team di Blu Spring, ZACD (Zambian Association for Children With Disabilities) e Pamodzi Ndi Ana. Siamo anche riusciti a visitare 13 bambini che già utilizzano una sedia a rotelle, fornita in passato da noi. È molto importante, infatti, man mano che il bambino cresce e la sedia a rotelle viene utilizzata, controllare le regolazioni, le riparazioni e le sostituzioni dei pezzi di ricambio da fare.
Siamo molto grati per la collaborazione con Blu Spring, che ci dà la possibilità di rendere migliore la vita dei bambini con disabilità. Fornire loro una sedia a rotelle significa che possono accedere alla scuola e giocare con i loro amici. Inoltre, il miglioramento riguarda anche la vita della famiglia del bambino, soprattutto delle mamme che solitamente portano i bambini sulla schiena.
C.I.C. and Bowel Management Workshop for Carers of children with disabilities
Growing up disabled is challenging, it means having to adapt to a different way of living, we at Pamodzi Ndi Ana understand the challenges facing disabled children and we help them develop skills they can use to live a healthier life. Spina Bifida is a disability that can impact a child’s physical health if untreated, and if the carer and the child are not given essential tools to deal with the disability it can lead to permanent physical damage over time. Through our program we are able to teach the carers of children with Spina Bifida, and the disabled child themselves, on how to do Clean Intermittent Catheterization (C.I.C.). This is a process that allows someone to empty their bladder in a clean way without dirtying themselves, it is also essential in reducing urinary tract infections and kidney damage.
The Clean Intermittent Catheterization (C.I.C.) will need to be taught to the carers and the disabled child by a trained Nurse or Physiotherapist. As most carers for disabled children live in far rural areas around Chipata, to make sure we are able to teach them all we organize a workshop where carers and disabled children can all come to our Pamodzi Ndi Ana center for a few days where they will be taught everything they need to ensure their child is healthy.
Along with the C.I.C. the nurses and physiotherapists will also teach them about how to deal with bowel management, this will help the carers and the disabled child to become self sufficient and to feel comfortable that they can manage the disability. The workshop will also be an essential coming together of carers of disabled children, as they will be able to share stories and commune and feel a sense of solidarity and community with others in their same situation.
To organize this workshop we need to train 14 nurses/physiotherapists from 7 hospitals around Chipata area on how to perform C.I.C. and bowel management, then they will be able to teach the carers and the disabled children on how to conduct the procedures, the goal at the end of the workshop is to have 20 mothers with the ability to perform both of these procedures.
To be able to do this we have decided to start a fundraiser, we hope that this fundraiser can help us better achieve our goals and proceed with the workshop. If you want to help us please follow the link which will take you to our donation page under Global Giving, you can donate as much as you like, we hope that through your help we can make this happen and help disabled children lead a better life.
Favour and Helping Caregivers of Disabled Children
Pamodzi Ndi Ana works to improve the lives disabled children, to help their families, and facilitate their inclusion in the communities where they live.
That’s why our project cannot leave mothers alone. Mothers, in Zambia as well as around the world, are the main caregivers of disabled children. As they are responsible for the well-being of their kids, this can lead them to feel stressed and overwhelmed, as often they do not have access to medical and social services that can give them the chance to live an easier day-to-day life, so they may experience feelings of loneliness, neglect, and hopelessness.
To make these mothers feel less alone with their difficulties, we are trying to create connections between them. In May we hosted, in the PNA Centre, a workshop where mothers of children with spina bifida learned how to do Clean Intermittent Catheterization (C.I.C), in order to manage urinary and intestinal incontinence of their sons or daughters. After that week of training course, we are working to ensure that the building of relationships between mothers continues.
When a new child with spina bifida, Favour, joined our programme, we arranged to link her mother to Ruben’s mother. Ruben is 11, he is in our programme since he was very little, we provided him with a wheelchair and built ramps in his school so as to let him attend class every day. However, he was ashamed to go to school because of the incontinence. After the workshop we did in May, he is now able to happily attend his lessons. His mom is perfectly able to do C.I.C, they both came to our office to show Favour’s mother how to do the procedure.
Also, Favour’s mom had the chance to directly see a bigger child with the same condition as her daughter, so she was able to practically understand that disability isn’t an insurmountable limit. In fact, Ruben is a smart, healthy, happy child. He has many friends, goes to school and he’s well-liked in his community.
In a day and a half, the two women cooked together, spoke to each other, helped each other with the children needs, spent some time playing with the kids, and were able to share information, know-hows, and similar life experiences. In this way, having one mom to teach to the other how to do C.I.C was a significant part of the time they spent here at Pamodzi Ndi Ana Centre, because Favour’s mom needed to learn the procedure for her and her children well-being. But the meaning of the days the two women spent together was not limited to do the C.I.C procedure. In fact, the occasion also turned out to be a pretext for the mothers to connect, since they face similar daily problems. Although each experience is unique, relating with someone who has experienced or is experiencing analogous issues can be comforting and supportive; it is a way to feel less alone in the difficulties that having a disabled child involves.
Once a mother has implemented a transfer of previously acquired knowledge and skills regarding the specific condition that spina bifida implies, the other mothers learned a new way to take care of their child with a safe approach, seeing the procedure put in place not by a specialist, but by another mother who shares with her the challenges of having a child with spina bifida.
We hope that, from now on, we will be able to improve the networks between mothers of children with disabilities. This is important so as to ensure no one feels abandoned. It is also a way to continue this transfer of information and skills from some moms who already have a certain level of expertise, to other mothers. In fact, learning better procedures can improve the lives of both the disabled children and the caregivers. No one should be unaware of some easily learnable skills they could use to improve their daily lives and the lives of their children.
We are very thankful to everyone who support us and work with us, so we can give to children and mothers an easier day-to-day life and ensure a better future.
WHEELCHAIR DISTRIBUTION TO 20 DISABLED CHILDREN
Despite covid restrictions, we were able to distribute 20 wheelchairs in June, July and August. We gave 20 children the dream of a better life; 16 children have cerebral palsy, 2 children are hydrocephalus, 1 child with hydrocephalus and spina bifida and 1 child with both legs amputated. We managed to make a difference to 20 children, we gave them mobility, the opportunity to play with friends, and integrate into the community they belong to. We have been able to make a difference for their mothers who no longer have to carry babies on their backs.
CONSTRUCTION OF LATRINES IN CHALUMBE
Thanks to a contribution from Progetto Marco, we were able to complete the latrines in the secondary school of Chalumbe. We were able to construct three double latrines, one for girl, one for boys, and one for the teachers. Chalumbe is only one of two secondary schools in the surrounding areas, this work is essential to ensuring that this school is a contribution to the community at large.
We hope this will offer a beautiful and welcoming place to all students; it is one of our top priorities, as it is for all friends who, with their generosity, allow us to realize these dreams.
Now the secondary school of Chalumbe can accommodate all the students who live too far from the city of Chipata and who could not access secondary education. This will be an invaluable contribution to their lives, education is essential to improving lives and we look forward to who these men and women will become.
These are small, huge steps towards a better future for many young people.
ONE YEAR INTO THE PANDEMIC, HOW DO WE EVALUATE THE SITUATION?
Zambia is a diverse country that gained independence on October 24th 1964. Throughout its history the country has had many hurdles to overcome, from economic instability in the 1980s, to a change of government in 1990, to the AIDs pandemic in 2010. Zambia has managed to strive forward through each one; however, with this latest global crisis the country has found difficulty regaining its footing.
The Covid-19 Pandemic was found in December of 2019, it arrived in Europe two months later, and then on March 18th 2020 Zambia had its first Covid-19 case.
Following the protocols set by countries around the world Zambia shut down everything in an attempt to quash the spread, schools and business were hit the hardest. With 4.4 million children not attending school anymore[1], the Zambian government had a problem on their hands. To deal with the crisis the Government of Zambia instated an ‘Education Contingency Plan´[2].
To understand the scale of the impact a research was conducted between the Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Health and the Poverty Action Organization. Due to the loss of income from falling salaries, most households had to resort to savings to pay for basic necessities, including food and education[3]. Another study by the International Growth Center (IGC)[4] looked at the economic impact that the pandemic had, it was estimated that 9.1% of the population had fallen below the poverty line (along with the already almost 60% of the population already living in poverty[5]).
Our organization has provided assistance where possible during this period of increased crisis, whether it was through the distribution of health and safety resources (i.e. soap, water, sanitizer etc.), or through the construction of VIP (Ventilated Pit Latrines) in select schools to provide a clean toilet for the children. We are able to assist by constructing clinics in areas that do not have them and working on other projects. Our work is based mostly around helping children out of poverty by giving them the tools they need to overcome these issues.
During the pandemic it has become increasingly difficult for many people, as has been shown. If you wish to help us and support what we do please consider donating. We realize we cannot do everything, but in our small way we can help.
Sources:
[1] World Vision Policy Brief: Covid-19 and its impacts on children’s education in Zambia (July 2020)
[2] World Vision Policy Brief: Covid-19 and its impacts on children’s education in Zambia (July 2020)
[3] Innovations for Poverty Action: RECOVR Zambia: Tracking the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic https://www.poverty-action.org/recovr-study/recovr-zambia-tracking-effects-covid-19-pandemic
[4] One year on: Zambian economy during COVID-19 - https://www.theigc.org/blog/one-year-on-zambian-economy-during-covid-19/
[5] The World Bank in Zambia: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/zambia/overview
ASSEMBLY OF FOUR WHEELCHAIRS FOR CHILDREN
One of our main projects includes the distribution of wheelchairs for disabled children. These wheelchairs need to be adjusted and assembled according to each child’s body, this assemblage requires a specialist who is trained to do so.
Therefore, whenever we have to distribute a wheelchair we ask physiotherapists from local hospitals to come and assist us in the process. On June 13th two physiotherapists from Chipata General Hospital, and one Italian Volunteer worked together to assemble 4 wheelchairs, the children all have disabilities and their ages range from 4-7.
Three of them have Celebral Palsy and one is with Hydrochephalus, these wheelchairs will be an invaluable contribution to their lives as it will assist them in bettering their lives and giving them the opportunity to attend school.
This was possible thanks to donations and assistance from Blu Spring, we are very thankful.
WORKSHOP FOR SPINA BIFIDA
In our program of children with disabilities, we have a total of 10 children with Spina Bifida.
To help manage these disabilities, we decided to organize a workshop on the management of urinary and intestinal incontinence. The goal was to teach mothers to do Clean Intermittent Catheterization (C.I.C) and bowel management. Both of these programs were necessary for health, social acceptance and self-esteem.
The workshop lasted 5 days (from 31st May to 4th of June) and was planned for at least 20 children with Spina Bifida from Chipata and nearby hospitals. At the end of the workshop, all children were given a kit with all the necessary tools to be able to independently perform the procedures of Clean Intermittent Catheterization and bowel management.
Afterwards we followed them up with a follow-up visit to assess whether they are performing these two procedures correctly, and further support will be provided if necessary.
The total cost for the workshop was 1,500 Euros, this was necessary for the travel, accommodation and food costs of the children and their mothers, for the material to be distributed, and for the specialists who conducted the training.
This workshop, along with the many we have given, and will give, is essential for the mothers, the disabled children and the community, as it helps to teach them all about the disability and give them the tools necessary to lead a healthy and happy life.
CONSTRUCTION OF CHALUMBE SCHOOL
The schools of Chalumbe area in the eastern province of Zambia offered education up to the ninth grade (primary school), any students wishing to complete their education had to attend surrounding schools, leading to an increase in the cost of their education due to the distance, the cost of accommodation and food.
These difficulties lead many young people to abandon their studies, as their families usually cannot pay for it. The need for a secondary school was expressed by the community in various occasions but unfortunately the lack of funds on the part of the institutions has never allowed for the construction of any schools.
With help from Progetto Marco Onlus we were able to build three classes and two offices that are now teaching grades 10 to 12, for a total cost of 30’000 Euro. The construction was undertaken from January 2020, to March 2021. These school blocks are hosting a total of 690 students. This construction was supported by the head of the area and the DEBS (District Education Board Secretary).
This secondary school has directly helped in the cutting of costs, as there is no need to pay for children to attend it in far away areas. Students can now attend school close to their homes, allowing them to be closer to their families and have a chance of bettering their lives.
DIGGING OF BOREHOLES IN 2020
In rural areas the acquisition of water is an essential part of the local communities. Most of the time women need to walk many kilometers to get water, and the water is usually unclean. Therefore one of the essential things we do is to provide clean drinking waters to rural areas through the construction of boreholes, most of our boreholes are built next to schools, so that students can have access to clean water while they learn.
In 2020 alone we have build seven boreholes in total, benefiting a total of 2727 people. The affected areas include: Chalumbe, Mnukwa, Mtewe, Mpapa, Mchenja, Rukuzye, and Tamanda. Six of those boreholes were build together with Madzi ali Moyo association, and one was built together with Progetto Marco Onlus.
Access to clean water is essential to a healthy body and in turn a healthy mind. We hope that these boreholes can contribute to bettering the lives of the most vulnerable.
CONSTRUCTION OF KAULEMBE SCHOOL
In March 15, 2021 the Kaulembe school blocks were opened, the original school buildings were degraded after many years, and recently have been used for other services due to the lengthy rain season in 2019-20. This long rain season affected many activities, including the growing of crops. This also affected education for children as they were no longer able to attend school, therefore it was clear that the construction of another school block was necessary.
Together with donations from Santa Gusmina Onlus, we were able to build a school on the site. Due to the rising inflation of the Kwacha, there was a surplus of funds, so we were also able to provide bathrooms to the school. This construction will allow the community to continue sending their children to school, and give them a chance to improve their futures for the better.
CONSTRUCTION OF MBENJERE MATERNITY
Pamodzi Ndi Ana works hard to provide infrastructure for the most vulnerable in rural areas, one of the ways we do this is to construct maternities for pregnant women. As is most often the case, pregnant women have to walk many kilometers (in the case of Mbenjere up to 25KM), to access maternity services. These maternity services they would access were located in the same building as other services, and therefore there was very little privacy for the mothers, as well as a low level of cleanliness, leading to a higher mortality rate for both the mothers and the children.
Together with support from the Banco Credito Cooperativo Cremasco, we were able to construct a maternity in the Mbenjere Area in Chipangali District. The project began in 2018 had a total cost of around 22’000 Euro.
Our objective was to provide a separate building where the pregnant women could deliver in privacy, cleanliness and safety. According to the Chipangali District Health Director Danny Soya in a speech given on opening day by the District Nursing Officer Sarah Tembo, this would effectively help in reducing maternal deaths in the area.
Since the Mbjenere area has a large of population of 10’000 people, this maternity has proven to be an essential infrastructure in the lives of those living there.
One of the main donors and assistants in the construction of the maternity was Bambo (Father) Francis, a Monfort Father of the Monfort Missionaries. One of his dreams was to construct a maternity in the Mbjenere area, he was invaluable in the construction. Unfortunately Bambo Francis passed away before the construction could be completed, the maternity has been dedicated in his name, so that we may remember his contributions and his dreams of helping those most vulnerable.
CONSTRUCTION OF KASENGA SCHOOL
As in previous years, some of the intervention implemented by the PNA Zambia, went to support the maintenance of school infrastructures (i.e. the demand for classrooms, desks for the children, teacher housing and toilets). The PNA Zambia is thankful for its partnership with Progetto Marco Onlus and other NGOs who have tried to give an answer that is adequate to the local context without replacing the work of the Ministry of Education.
The projects, completed in 2019, was the construction of a three-classroom building in the Kasenga Day Secondary School and the construction of a two-classroom building in the Katiobola Community School, all projects were identified and implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education office of Chipangali district and with the help of the parent school committee.
A simple ceremony was held on June 26 in the presence of the Representative of traditional authority Chief Chanje and the district secretary Mrs Felisitas Nkoloma.
During the ceremony, the concept emphasized by the representative of Chief Chanje, and then by Mrs Felitas Nkoloma, was to make good use of the building but above all to put education first and to avoid early marriages.
Unfortunately, the common practice for girls is to be given as "brides" for a small sum of money or at best a cow or a goat.
But in recent years, thanks to the support given to the schools, the attitude towards education has changed, and more and more parents are enrolling their daughters in school and parents are actively collaborating in building the schools by mobilizing local materials (such as stone, sand and bricks) in order to improve the education.
After the speeches, the traditional dances and the ribbon-cutting followed.
COVID 19 PREVENTION
The coronavirus pandemic has affected the whole world, as of late 2020 in Zambia more than one thousand case were recorded, schools had to be closed and other measures were put in place, this followed the closure of bars, churches and other large gatherings, as well as the mandatory face masks in public areas and the use of hygiene and sanitizers in all public buildings.
PNA Zambia's area of operation is Chipangali district. Schools and clinics are our partners so in order to support the effort of the government to prevent and prepare for the exceptional situation two distributions were done.
The first distribution targeted Mbenjere and Kasenga Clinics, with the support of African Dream Onlus we distributed to both clinics some hygienic materials (such as gloves, disinfectant, spirits, buckets and other materials) to help the Nurses and Clinical Officers to improve hygiene by making people wash their hands as they enter the premises and disinfecting the clinic and surrounding areas.
The second distribution was done in 18 schools, all of which opened on the 1st of June as they are the ones sitting examination classes for grade 9 and grade 12.
Each school received two washing facilities, students are requested to wash their hands as they enter the class and after using the latrines, they also must use masks and keep a safe distance.
Both distributions have helped clinics and schools in this difficult time as we wait for the situation to normalize.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 2020
The following is a testimony from one of our volunteers who spent two months working for us:
"For me Africa has always been a land to discover, a land to live and understand its authenticity.
I thought that the most suitable way to fully understand this reality was a volunteer experience. Thanks to the project Pamodzi Ndi Ana (Together with children) by Enrico and Simonetta Carretta, I was able to combine my desire to leave with my profession as a physiotherapist.
I arrived in Zambia in early January with four other study companions. The project we developed focused on assembling and distributing wheelchairs adapted for children with different types of disabilities. These were produced by a group of Australian volunteer retirees ("Wheelchair for children") and subsequently transported and managed by a Swiss association, "Blue Springs". In short, a project that embraces the whole world. The distribution took place in seven hospitals corresponding to as many districts in the territory of eastern Zambia. About 30 wheelchairs were delivered to families who needed it most. A wheelchair is a tool that can provide opportunities for participation and happiness for children to whom, regardless of illness, much has already been taken away.
Besides, we visited many disabled children in the various villages and compounds in the area to offer rehabilitation aimed at improving their quality of life. In this way, the children involved were allowed to play, integrate, socialize, go to school: in short, to be children like everyone else. Their shy smile was our daily victory.
We have learned day after day that a lot can be done with little if we have, hands and a lot of heart and that you will be given back much more than you expect.
All this would not have been possible without the people who accompanied me on this trip: first of all Enrico and Simonetta, the couple from Vicenza who made a courageous and dedicated life choice 25 years ago, all the collaborators of the Pamodzi association, and finally my adventure companions who have become a bit of a family. "
Alice Gedhin
DISABLED PROGRAM 2019
PNA Zambia's commitment to the disabled has materialized in the first workshop for more than 30 children conducted at the newly opened Centre of PNA Zambia.
Thanks to the collaboration started with Beit Cure Hospital in Lusaka, and thanks to the support form Golden Bottle Foundation UK, for the first time a team of doctors from Beit Cure Hospital have visited disabled children directly in Chipata.
The disabled program started in 2010 has gradually specialized in children with hydrocephalus, spina bifida and cerebral palsy; this disability is often the consequence of poverty, inadequate nutrition, malaria, lack of hygiene (that often causes infections) and meningitis (often fatal for children, if not promptly diagnosed the disease leads to irreversible damage and death).
For years, PNA Zambia has been helping children and their mothers to reach the hospital in Lusaka Beit Cure where Neurosurgeon's practice the most appropriate interventions, then the children must continue to go to Lusaka for check-ups; unfortunately the trips consists of 8 hours of bus plus various movements certainly not easy for mothers and children in these conditions.
With the workshop it was possible to avoid these long trips to the capital. 30 mothers and their children, were screened by medical personal. In addition to the normal check-ups, a team of volunteers from Scotland educated the mothers and the staff on how to cope with stress due to the disability.
OPENING OF PAMODZI NDI ANA CENTRE
On the 22nd April 2019 the Centre Pamodzi Ndi Ana (which in the local language means Together with Children) was inaugurated, the centre was built thanks to the help of African Dream Onlus and in memory of “Fiorella Galmarini”. At the ceremony, Fiorella's nephew summarized Fiorella's life, her dedication to work and to support others above all through her service to people in need and missionaries’ group.
The ceremony was attended by the His Reverend the Catholic Bishop of Chipata Gorge Lungu, and the Chipata District Commissionaire but also by children and mothers that have been helped by PNA Zambia over the past years.
Through the support received in the community centers malnourished children are now adults and about to complete their studies, disabled children have improved their lives through medical support and some of them are now in school, all of them express their gratitude for the work done by PNA Zambia in the last 15 years.
Having a permanent structure is a big achievement for PNA Zambia that will facilitate its work in the years to come. The Centre offers three offices, one big meeting hall, two smaller rooms and toilets for men, women and the disabled.
Apart from being an administration office, the Centre will be used for meetings with mothers, training of youth and women, and for the distribution of wheelchairs and other services in support of the community.
In the plaque attached at the entrance of the Centre is one sentence that summarizes Fiorella Galmarini's life: “There is no end for those who dedicate the life to others” and Fiorella really did that in her life and the Centre is now her living memory.