Nanga Special School

HHI first made a visit to Nanga Special School in 2015. Nanga Special School has 25 – 30 disabled children who are all boarders.
There were two ill-equipped classrooms, two shabby dormitories and rudimentary facilities. What shocked us most was the nature of the sanitary facilities. Both boys and girls, many of them with mobility problems, had to use the same pit latrine with its narrow entrance and dark corridor. There were no handwashing facilities.

A disabled pupil accessing a pit latrine

Flushable toilets with ramps and grab handles for wheelchair use

HHI funded the building of separate male and female flush toilets with ramps to make them accessible to wheelchair users.

As well as improving the sanitary facilities we helped them to redecorate the dormitories. In the early days, shipping containers were sent from the UK containing toiletries, mattresses and stationery for the classrooms
The school began to grow as facilities improved and another basic need became pressing. There was no kitchen or dining room. The school cook used a makeshift corrugated iron shelter as her kitchen. She collected the firewood she needed from the local area – not an easy task during the rainy season – and served nshima to the children sitting outside their classrooms.

Nanga Special School’s old kitchen and dining facility

Children’s food being prepared by the house mother

So, in 2019, HHI UK funded the building and furnishing of a separate kitchen area/dining room where the students could eat their meals in safety and comfort. The large space would also double up outside mealtimes as a place for extra study and recreation.

Nanga Special School’s new dining/recreation area and the house mother now preparing food in separate kitchen area of new dining room

In 2020, concrete pathways and ramps were constructed in order to enable pupils in wheelchairs to mobilise around the school without being bitten by venomous snakes.

Nanga school dormitories decorated inside and out with funds raised by HHI UK supporters.

Despite the pandemic, 2021 saw further developments at Nanga. HHI UK funded the construction of an additional water tank so that the vegetable garden could be extended. This enabled the school to follow a national programme called ‘Activity for Living’ which greatly benefited the children. A water tank was constructed in the grounds of Nanga school to allow pupils to grow vegetables.

Although the school has official recognition from the Zambian Board of Education, it has provided nowhere for the headteacher to stay, even though school staff are usually given accommodation at boarding schools. The head teacher, Mr Bweupe, had to resort to sleeping in the corner of a classroom partitioned off with pieces of cardboard. In response to this, in 2021 our HHI supporters in Strathaven funded the construction of a single storey house for Mr Bweupe and his family.

Nanga Special School’s new Head Teacher’s accommodation

Mr Bweupe (Head Teacher) and his family outside his new house

The very latest development at Nanga Special School has been the installation of a solar system in the dining/recreation room in June 2022 for lighting, television and computers. Thanks to the generosity of Strathaven supporters who raised £10,000, boarding pupils are able to make use of this building day and night to relax, have fun and continue their learning experience.
Edmund and Jute are really looking forward to visiting Nanga school in September 2022 and hope to take with them some extra laptops for use by pupils.