Magazine Community School
Marco Sardella is an Italian volunteer, who has been working on several projects around the world for over ten years. He started his charity work during the Bosnian war, where he spent time in Sarajevo and Mostar. After several years of working on various projects around the world he founded Magazine community school in 2005. The school is in Magazine Compound, a very poor part of Chipata in Eastern Zambia. After a few changes the school is now attended by 150 pupils (with a 50:50 boy:girl split) from first to seventh grade. Children that manage to pass the exams at the end of grade 7 can attend a secondary school. School fees for grade 8 and beyond are paid for by Marco from the donations he receives. Most of the children at the school are double orphans (which means that both parents have died). In Zambia double orphans usually live with relatives who are unable to feed them or afford school fees.
Children from the school washing their hands before eating!
As well as providing free education for all the children at the school, Marco also gives the children one meal a day. The meal is normally Nshima (a porridge like food made from maize flour) mixed with sugar and ground peanuts. For most of the children it is the only meal they will have that day. The school has been gradually improving since it first opened. During our first visit in 2006 there were no tables or benches and the pupils were sitting on little stools or on the floor. By our most recent visit in 2008 every child had a desk to write on and a proper seat to sit on as well as school uniforms.
Grade 2 children outside the school building
Chipata has a big problem with water supply. Most people in Magazine Compound spend hours each morning queuing at water kiosks to pay for buckets of water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Until recently Marco and the teachers would have to get up early to queue for water for that day of school. However in December 2008 Marco managed to get a water supply with a tap installed within the school grounds! This doesn't mean there is a constant supply of water but it does save lots of time, money and effort waiting for water from the kiosk.
Marco outside the school building with the new water pipe!
With your help the school can continue to improve even further and give underprivileged children the opportunity to make something of their life. These children don't have much of a chance of a successful future without an education to learn important skills such as reading and writing.