HomeFirst Community meeting takes place at Makangwe
by Charity Lubingo in Zambia
The first community meeting was held on 2nd December 2009.
The aim of the meeting was:
- To get full understanding of the community’s needs following the needs assessment done by our partner organisation, Zambia Open Community Schools.
- Identify the key people in the community who would assist in mobilising community members in the provision of general unskilled labour, identification of trainees and collection of local materials.
- Discuss the roles that the various parties would carry out during the implementation of the project.
- Design the one by two classroom block of their choice.
The community members informed BII that they had already selected a steering committee called the Parent Community School Committee. The community was satisfied with the team because they have been involved in most of the community school developmental activities the previous year.
The Parent Community School Committee
The community agreed to prove the following roles before and during the implementation period;
- Collection of the local building materials – river and building sand. However, they requested us to assist then with transport as they do not have resources to hire. They equally requested BII to provide crushed stones. This was because they don’t have the desired quality of stones within their locality.
- Provide security for any materials delivered to the site
- Monitor the useage of the materials and equipment on site
- Protect the environment surrounding the school premises e.g. chopping the trees unless agreed.
The design workshop followed on 30th December 2009. The community members were taught what a design was. They were asked to come up with the key elements in a design e.g. light, air, space, orientation etc. Samples of the designs developed by other communities we have worked were showed to them to help them understand the importance of their contribution. This was to allow community input in the development of the designs of their own school. It indirectly creates a sense of ownership amongst them. In order to ensure that that the entire present community member contributes effectively, they were divided in smaller group. Each group was asked to draw the design of their choice with so much creativity in it.
Design workshop
The community has already started gathering river sand. So far they have collected 20 MT of the 100 tonnes requested for (physically checked by BII staff).
In addition they will require 100 MT of building sand, and 100 MT of crushed stones.