Sooka Community School Upate

Today we have another post written by Joyce... or as the locals call her, Mama Vernon.


At the commencement of Term 1, 2012, the school began operating out of a third classroom. This is a temporary classroom built in the “African Style” with mud walls, thatch roof and dirt floor. As this room will require a lot of maintenance and does not match with the rest of the school, I have recently put in a submission to “Room to Read” who build Libraries (and equip them and train staff) and Classrooms in various countries including Zambia. I thought it best to ‘go for broke’ and have applied for both a Library/playroom and a new classroom.

We will all be waiting, hoping and praying that they consider Sooka Community School a worthy recipient. If not “we will make a plan”!

Earlier this year the children participated in exams/tests for the first time. There were mixed results with some children being very disappointed in the results. With the children only attending school for short sessions each day and with a limited understanding of English (students are taught in English after Grade 4), learning at school is more challenging in isolated small schools with limited resources. Many parents in the area do not speak English so there is not the opportunity for the children to practice at home.

A new staff member has joined the school; a headmaster who was appointed by the Government of Zambia. Up until now there has been very little support from the Government for this school. One would presume that the Government is also paying the wages, as the other teachers are already on a very low wage due to the only school income coming from school fees.

 A good news story:
One little girl who came top of her class and it is quite an amazing story of strength, resilience and global networking to get her there. 

On my visit to the school in 2009, I was attending a sports day put on by Sooka Community School and noticed a little girl walk in from the bush, she was not attending school but looked as though she wanted to be part of it all. She came with a sibling and was in clothes in very bad repair and bare feet. She also walked with difficulty and had clubfeet. Both feet turned in at right angles and she was walking on the outside of her feet, almost on her anklebones.
This child was on a video I had taken of the day and I watched it from time to time and one day thought ‘something has to be done for this little girl’. Life can be unfair.
•    I emailed the Beit Trust in England (I had heard they had built a children’s hospital in Lusaka) and asked what the cost would be for operations required by this child. A response came that if we could get her there, it would be FREE of charge!
•    Next email was to Sherie Shackleton with this news. Sherie located the family.
•    Cost of bus travel to Lusaka, for the father and child was covered by a donation of a guest at the Lodge.
•    Dr. Tom Irons (a visiting Paediatrician from USA, who was doing a clinic at Shackleton’s for the Sooka School kids) wrote the referral. Fiona Dixon-Thompson from Mwandi OVC helped with organising the logistics of getting the child and father to Lusaka.
•    I posted over a backpack of pj’s, washer bag with toothbrush etc and some things for her to do in hospital.
•     The wonderful Drs and nurses at Beit Cure Children’s Hospital, Lusaka, played a huge role.
•    Meanwhile Sherie Shackleton sponsored the child to go to school.
By September 2011, when I met with the family at Shackleton’s Lodge I could not believe the improvement in the child’s feet.

I am sure there were many more people involved in the process as well as those mentioned and of course central to all this is her family. What a hugely proud day to see her come top of her class after starting school quite late, only being there for one year and having trips away and painful operations to endure during this time.

One of the NGO’s in Australia has a catch cry, “Don’t Dis (as in dismiss) my ability”; ….oh how true.” This story just made my day and hope it makes yours as well.

Children from the community bringing thatch to repair roof at the school out buildings & teachers' houses.