PEPAIDS

Check out the video below to see how your money helped to make our Schools of Good Hope project a 'Mission possible'.

Almost 300 people “signed” our Great Big Christmas Card and helped us win the Globalgiving UK fundraising competition our campaign was competing in. The race was on right up until 22^nd December to get as many names and donations as we could, to help train the untrained volunteer teachers in eight Zambian community schools. This January, our Schools of Good Hope Co-ordinator, Vincent Heselwood, took our great big Christmas Card with our long list of supporters to each of the community Schools. He asked the communities what they thought about the fact that so many people from around the world, knew about them and had personally put their hands in their pockets to see the lives of 23 teachers and over 1000 of Zambia’s poorest school children transformed.

When we hear that people in England and Asia and all of the countries have tried by all means to help us it takes away our words, except that we thank you.” 
Community member at Cecilia’s School of Good Hope

“Even as you leave today I don’t think you truly appreciate what you have done for these schools. You have given us confidence and we believe that we can improve, because people believe in us”.
Headteacher, Matimba community School

“This is the best course for people who cannot access formal training.” Teacher from Chisila Community School

So what exactly has your money paid for? Your generosity has meant that we now have the funds we need to deliver our Schools of Good Hope Project in full. We actually started back in November in the good faith that we would raise the money somehow! Prior to our project, most of the teachers in our eight Zambian community schools had no teacher training whatsoever, largely because they couldn’t afford it. They had been volunteering their time and doing their best to provide an education for the local children who couldn’t access government schools. However,with no training and hardly any resources, the quality of education they could provide couldn’t compete with that of government schools, leaving community school children without the skills or qualifications they needed to be able to climb out of poverty and at a higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
Each month, over the course of a year, our Schools of Good Hope Co-ordinator, and qualified teacher, Vincent Heselwood, is going to each community school and delivering a free course of teacher training to all the teachers and community members who want to help run the school. They close the school for the day to concentrate fully their training and then Vincent goes back later in the month to observe the teachers and mentor them in practice. Your money helps pay for all of this, from resources such as teacher toolkits and classroom starter packs, to the fuel Vincent uses to get out to the rural community schools. Our project has been a hit so far and the teachers have been loving the course!

“This is the best concept- we were teaching without any guidance now we have better ideas and feel like we are being supported. For the children here the quality of education will benefit.” Teacher from Chisila Community School

“I have seen the ZATEC [government] teacher training course and attended and mentored people through it. This course covers the same important content but in delivery is much more enjoyable. It was not boring and you have brought out the best in people through engaging them.” Headmistress from Matimbia Community School

To find out more about what Vincent has been doing, check out his training diary!

WE DID IT! Our Great Big Christmas Card Campaign has been a Great Big Success! You guys are AMAZING! Thanks to your fantastic support we raised £12,033 in one month! Not only that, but you have helped us win an extra £2000 in the GlobalGiving UK Gateway Challenge, which is just awesome! We are blown away by your generosity! Thank you so so much! The best news of all, is that with our fundraising and prize money combined, we now have enough money to pay for the whole of our Schools of Good Hope Project! This is beyond our wildest expectations! YOU have given over 1000 of Zambia's poorest school children, the precious gift of education this Christmas and you have given us all here at PEPAIDS in the UK and in Zambia the gift of encouragement! THANK YOU!!!!