We started out …
At last our project has begun. Few days ago we signed the agreements with Pamodzi Ndi Ana, the Association of Enrico Carretta who lives and works in Zambia. You can read the terms of the agreement by clicking on the link here.
Enrico is collecting CVs, sent from the villages, of the potential students who will form the first course of study. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the course will start next January with nine students. These days, our psycho-pedagogist is finalising the educational programme, which will become the learning tool for the aspiring teachers. We will forward a copy to Prof. Grant Mapoma Mwinsa of Chalimbana University in Lusaka for supervision. At the same time, Enrico has started the search for teachers for our course. So everything is going well. The only bad news is unfortunately economic. After the elections of 12 August, in which the opposition leader, supported above all by the younger generation, surprisingly triumphed, the local currency began to strengthen significantly against the euro and the dollar, by more than 30%. This is certainly a good news for the country, if the appreciation should stabilise, but not so good for us, who had od understanding with Pampodzi Ndi Ana that you will find attached, which entails the realisation of two annual training courses for nine aspiring nursery school teachers, with all the related costs: board, lodging and transport for the students; teaching materials; salaries for the teachers who will hold the course of study, etc., as well as the construction of two new nursery schools, we have managed to limit it to an increase from an estimated 57,500.00 euros to 60,000.00, considering the revaluation to be short-lived and therefore affecting only the first payments of a two-year project. We also hope that the coming months will allow us to carry out some fundraising activities, since the Association’s coffers are decidedly empty due to the impossibility of launching any kind of initiative. In any case, the realisation of this part of the project is not at risk, because if we were unable to cover the costs by the donations of our supporters, the Executive Board will provide with personal resources. However, we would like to remind our readers that we always invest all the money we receive in our projects, and that all our members give their time and effort free of charge.
If you donate a thousand euros to us, a thousand euros are invested in the project.
Finally, we would like to point out that the second part of the Project involves the construction of another 6 kindergartens, complete with educational material and playground. The cost of these kindergartens has remained, at least for now, at 17,000.00 euro each.
