Zambia Kanyama Bookfeeding
Kanyama Library was officially opened in September 2017 and is the result of the hard work of the local community, the Italian NGO Africa Call and Bookfeeding Project. At the moment we are trying to collect Braille books in English and Chinyanja for children and youth so we can offer reading classes to a number of blind students..
On a train on her journey through East and Southern Africa, our Bookfeeder Alena met Africa Call volunteer Michaela. Alena was invited to the Shalom Center in the Kanyama area in Lusaka and upon witnessing the learning energy and interest in books of the people who frequented the center, she exchanged contacts with the organization. That was in 2015. Two years later and after some changes in the management at Africa Call we were contacted by the new long-term volunteer who wanted to start where our last discussion ended. And so our Zambian library was created.
In 2007 Africa Call Organisation (https://africacallzambia.wordpress.com) established Shalom Center in Kanyama compound, one of the poorest peripheral areas in Lusaka. We decided to focus our interventions on health and education of children with disabilities, who, in such a difficult social and economic context, suffer huge discrimination.
Shalom Center is composed of a school, a clinic, a physiotherapy department, a vegetable garden, a poultry and a training center, which is used for health workshops that are open to the community. Shalom School is a community school with low attendance fees and currently counts about 850 students from grade 1 to 12. It also has 4 classes for the 53 students with special needs, who are cared for by specialized teachers everyday. Since Africa Call promotes inclusive education as part of its mission to break the stigma around disabilities, children with disabilities are integrated within the regular curriculum whenever possible: this year 19 children with special needs are attending regular classes.
The Shalom library has a good attendance of learners and students visiting the library for various activities: media club that takes place on Fridays and debate , spelling competition and games happens every Wednesday. There is a number of permanent volunteers who work on the sustainability of our library projects. These are combination of local volunteers (students or teachers at the school) and international volunteers. They are however connected with Africa Call through their sister organization in Italy and we are therefore not always able to guarantee a spot for volunteers. The community is happy to accept volunteers, however they are not always able to provide accommodation. If you are interested in visiting or volunteering at this project, get in touch with us and we will check what are the options.
Current projects, for example, include reading classes for adults and for the blind, debate classes and a journalist club that publishes its own newspapers!
About Volunteering
International volunteers are welcomed to visit and volunteer, however volunteers have to organize their own accommodation.
People at the Project
Mattia
The representative of the organization Africa Call and the coordinator of the volunteers who takes care of our library. Mattia joined Africa Call in December 2021. Although, the volunteers change every year or two, Mattia is still there. His goal is to make the library an inclusive place where every person can access its resources.
Current Needs: Braille books
Established: 2016
Languages: English, Nyanja
Accepting volunteers: Yes, but volunteers have to pay for the accommodation or organize their own accommodation
Local Partner: Africa Call Zambia
ZAMBIA KANYAMA
Bookfeeding Project
Africa Call Org. - Shalom School
Plot N° 5671/M/B Off Mumbwa Road
Kanyama compound P.O. Box 38772
Lusaka