There is excitement, hilarity and curiosity as a drone drops down from the sky and hovers above schoolchildren in the Western Province of Zambia. These children have never seen anything like it. Nor have many of them seen cameras or video equipment that the Peace Parks team is using.
Lying within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, Peace Parks Foundation has been supporting regional development in Simalaha Community Conservancy for over a decade. A core focus here is to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people which will reduce the pressure on natural resources and promote a more sustainable future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
This community school, run by principal Mwikisa Munyinda, is a prime example of the work Peace Parks and partners are doing to help lift families out of poverty.
A recent infrastructure development project has seen two new classrooms constructed. As the school has had to make do with temporary structures as classrooms, the children who are between 8 and 13 years old, can look forward to receiving their lessons in an environment that can tolerate the harsh summer heat. This means more children will be attracted to attend classes, which is good news for literacy levels.
A clinic and housing facilities for a nurse was also constructed to improve access to healthcare for people from the surrounding village. Previously, the nearest clinic was more than 10 km away, which is incredibly far when covering the distance on foot.
Like most school children, any excuse to get out of the classroom is welcomed with a cheer and involves a lot of laughter. The hope is that more community developments like this one will spread across the region and help to lift many more families, over time, above the poverty line.
