Zambia
Baraka Learning Center
Koru Pacific Development and Koru Pacific Foundation work closely with Baraka Community Partnerships to support and fund new projects at the Baraka Leaning Center in Kapiri-Moshi, Zambia. Two projects were completed in 2024, a new Science Block with a science lab and a science classroom, and a Girls Safe House. For 2025 we partnered with Baraka to create the first Baraka Primary School, which will be located approximately 1.5km from the Learning Center.
Science Block, Baraka Learning Center, Zambia
Koru Pacific supported, on a volunteer basis, the planning and design process for a two-classroom science block at the Baraka Learning Center in Zambia. Construction and fit-out of the project was funded by Koru Pacific Foundation and the project was completed in early 2024.
Science is one of the poorest subjects in Zambia from a results perspective, primarily due to lack of teaching resources such as are found in a laboratory. There is only one school laboratory that Baraka is aware of in the Kapiri District where the Learning Center is based, and this is out of over 200 schools. The addition of a new Science Laboratory at the Learning Center will have a huge impact on the area.
Working with Baraka and the local team in Zambia, as well as two UK based science teachers, a program was developed for a science block consisting of two classrooms, a science lab (wet lab) and science classroom (dry lab). The two classrooms are interconnected, and the science block also includes a teachers prep room to allow for the safe preparation and storage of materials used for experiments.
The completed science lab can accommodate up to 32 students in a traditional laboratory classroom configuration and includes 4 workstations with gas supply, electrical outlets, sinks, and equipment storage cupboards. This is a very high standard for the region.
The science classroom can accommodate up to 32 students in a more traditional classroom configuration. There is a single workstation with gas supply, electrical outlets and a sink to allow for some introductory level science demonstrations for young children.
In addition to the two classrooms, the science block project includes two outdoor teaching areas. The first is a more formal, covered teaching area to allow for classes outdoors. The second is a teaching circle to allow for those fun experiments that may get a bit messy indoors as well as for general activities.
A garden area, maintained by the students, provides an opportunity for biology study and to grow plants for use in the lab.
We would like to thank Dialog Design for contributing their design services for the Science Block.
Girls Safe House, Baraka Learning Center, Zambia
Koru Pacific supported, on a volunteer basis, the planning and design process for a girls safe house at the Baraka Leaning Center in Zambia. Construction of the project was funded by World Housing, out of a partnership facilitated by Koru Pacific Foundation. The project was completed in 2024.
In rural areas of Zambia, few villages have schools offering education beyond Grades 7, 8 and 9. As a result, it is rare for children from remote areas to finish their schooling, severely limiting their career prospects. Some families choose to send their children away to study in towns where they can complete school, in most cases finding cheap lodging in areas where they are vulnerable to exploitation. The girls safe house concept was established to address this issue, and to provide girls with a secure environment to live and learn and a chance of achieving their potential.
Baraka’s first Safe House, Maamba House, accommodates 26 girls, a matron and a young female teacher who acts as a mentor helping the girls with their studies and offering moral support in other areas. The accommodation is basic by Western standards, but far superior to that of their family homes.
Building on the success of the Maamba Safe House, the new safe house at the Learning Center is now a model for the next generation of safe housing for these vulnerable girls. The adjacent Learning Center location provides the girls with a wealth of educational resources, a teaching team to help with their studies, and plenty of opportunities for creativity and sport.
Thirty girls from rural areas of Kapiri-Mposhi district were selected according to need and potential, to live at the new safe house where they travel daily to one of the many secondary schools in the town. They are looked after by a matron who manages the budget for food and sundries making sure all girls have their basic needs met. The girls help with cooking and cleaning and grow their own fruit and vegetables in the garden to supplement the food budget. Academic support is available to enhance their school learning. The proximity of the Learning Center is a huge benefit, offering facilities for both study and relaxation, including a library, ICT suite and plenty of opportunities for creativity and sport.
We would like to thank Dialog Design for contributing their design services for the Safe House.
New Baraka Primary School, Zambia
Koru Pacific Development and Koru Pacific Foundation have partnered with Baraka Community Partnerships to create the very first Baraka Primary School. Baraka has taken over the operation of an existing primary school (known as Mulungushi) located just 1.5km from the Learning Center. The existing school is in poor condition both physically and operationally and currently has just 6 classrooms to serve almost 900 students in grades 1 through 9.
The first two phases of the project, funded by Koru Pacific Foundation, include two new classrooms, a new teachers house, a new perimeter fence around the school property, new furniture and school supplies, and a re-fresh of the existing classrooms.
Work will begin in 2025 so stay tuned for further updates.
