OVERVIEW
The New Apostolic Church Relief Organisation (NACRO) implemented a three-year 317,650 Euro project called Climate Resilient School Promotion (CREWASH) project targeting 25 schools in Kalabo, Western Province, Zambia. The. Project, funded by NAK karitativ of Germany, ran from 15th December 2020 to 30th November 2023, but was extended up to 15th January 2024. The project sought to realise the following results
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- Improved access to sustainable, clean and safe drinking water for 5,000 pupils and 150 teachers.
- Improved access to sustainable and clean sanitation infrastructures.
- Positive attitudes to environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene among learners.
- Enhanced food security and nutrition promotion through school gardens.
- Improved awareness and information sharing of lessons.
The CREWASH project reached 28 schools, 3 schools (in addition to the 25 initially targeted) benefitting from savings on infrastructure. Namaonwa and Daniel Kufuna community schools were provided with water boreholes while Mukola Primary School was provided with toilets for teachers and learners. Overall, the CREWASH project was cost-effective reaching over 12,000 direct beneficiaries and about 3,713 indirect beneficiaries.
NOTEWORTHY RESULTS
Improved availability of water and sanitation infrastructure
In terms of infrastructure improvement, the CREWASH project achieved the following results:
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- 14 boreholes were rehabilitated.
- 13 new boreholes were sunk – 2 solar powered and 11 equipped with handpumps.
- 50 double toilet blocks were constructed for learners – 25 toilet blocks for boys, 25 toilet blocks with washrooms for girls; and fifty (50) single toilets were constructed for teachers.
Improved access to WASH services
The new and rehabilitated water facilities and the new sanitation infrastructure enabled targeted school populations to adopt good and safe sanitation and hygiene practices – which in turn is contributing to improved health of the target group. The water facilities improved access to clean drinking water for over 11,348 learners (5,339 boys and 5,935 girls), 214 teacher families (with 815 dependents), and 3,713 people living in surrounding villages.
Enhanced food security and nutrition among learners – through school gardening.
The CREWASH project also supported schools to run functional gardens to support food security and as an income generating opportunity to establish infrastructure maintenance funds.
Progress realised towards establishing and running school gardens is outlined below.
- Targeted schools were supported with seed and implements to grow vegetables for school feeding and sale. In the first cycle, each of 25 initially targeted schools were supplied with tomato, rape (kale), carrot, and cabbage seed. They were also provided with 1 sprayer per school, 2 watering cans per school, and pesticides. In 2023, the now 28 schools were given another batch of seed, this time including cowpea.
- By 2023, 25% of the targeted schools were managing viable gardens and selling or using the vegetables for school feeding. Schools with particularly successful gardens were Chauluti, Munde, Kuuli, Salunda, Mbunde, Ng’unyama, Sishekanu, Matondo, and Lukona.
Improved life skills for learners and income generation
The project’s support to school gardening also enabled provision of hands-on training in farming for learners and growing of vegetables that provided a source of nutritional food, and in some cases, additional income for operations.