BACKGROUND: After years of neglect recent investment in the copper industry is improving prospects for the region of Kitwe , but there is still a significant proportion of the population affected by unemployment, poverty and aids. It is surprising how little the mass of the population benefit from the commodities boom. The townships around the mines offer little by way of education and when families break down children leave home for the streets.
THE PROJECT: Our last project was to build two blocks of accommodation, including children's dormitories, kitchens, and staff accommodation. They gives children a place to stay while they are reintegrated with what remains of their families, or if that is not possible, receive education. In doing this we worked in association with Street Child Africa and latterly directly, with a local Zambian NGO, Friends of Street Children. They do excellent work through several different programmes. They urgently need money to pay teachers and carers and cover the every day running costs. They also need workshops and classrooms in which to educate these children and young people to give them the means of a constructive independent life.
| Latest News: To read James Forshall 's report of his visit click here: Zambian Notes. |
| News from Christopher Mulenga's about progress at Kitwe. |
Thanks to the great generosity of Romilly's donors two blocks of accommodation were completed in September 2006. It took another 9 months before the electricity was connected by the local power company, without which the local authorities would not allow children to move in. The buildings are each172 m2, and each provide 4 bedrooms, kitchen, living room/dining room, two shower rooms and 2 w.c.'s. The first cost £30,454. The second cost cost £24000. Savings were achieved by employing tradesmen directly.
In addition to the borehole (£7536) we paid a further £9000 for the installation of drains and electricity at the site.
ROMILLY'S SHELTER 2: Friends of the Street Children's street workers regularly patrol the streets making contact with children, who have left home, and gaining their trust. They also conduct regular classes in the streets. These are very popular with some of the younger children who enjoy learning to read and write. If at all possible the street workers will encourage the children either to rejoin their families or to come into the living quarters built by Romilly. Like the boy in the picture to the right they will be filthy, feral and dependent on brain destroying solvents. They will have to agree to forego solvents, alchohol and agree to clean up and to become domesticated. Between January 2005 and November 2009 Friends of Street Children reintegrated 336 children with their families. A significant part of this success has been due to the generosity of Romilly's supporters.
Further needs: Funds are needed to pay for teachers, street workers and carers and to build work shops where the children can be trained, and given the skills to make them independent and constructive. A first step is to build a protective security perimeter around the site upon which Romilly's accommodation blocks were built.