Projects
Education Policy
- Title: Education financial assistance Guidelines for poor and vulnerable families.
Objectives:
- The financial assistance is aimed at facilitating attainment of basic education or skills that prepare a young person for life. This assistance will therefore not cover primary education since primary education in Zambia is free.
All young people in Zambia in grade 8 to 12 and those in skills training institutions, college or university, provided they are in the following categories.
- Orphans
- Young people below 25 years from poor families, old parents, disabled parents
- Support will not be given to more than 2 young people in each family
- Grants will be given equally to each of the provinces annually
- Rural areas will be given preference
- These grants will be given at the start of each academic year in January
- Those that are given these grants will be supported up to the end of grade 12 or the end of their skills training; college or university studies provided they do not fail
- The conditions of education assistance will be reviewed from time to time. However 5 to 10 grants may be given to each province annually.
- Get information from School authorities if client (pupil) is already in school
- If it is a new entrant, get the ACCEPTANCE letter which bears the school requirements
- Scrutinize family status to establish the causes of failure to meet school needs
- In case of higher learning institutions (University, College, Trades Training Institutes, etc.) details of what Bursaries being offered must be obtained.
- The grant will be paid through the school by the Treasurer and a receipt obtained
- The National Treasurer will make a separate Financial Report on the Education Fund quarterly, copy made available to Dublin Regional Council.
- In case of higher learning institutions, payments will be made direct, through the Registrar or Bursar of the institution.
- End of term or semester progress reports must be obtained
- In case of failing at school, the National Council will stop grants to affected persons.
Housing
Our housing project, undertaken by SSVP Zambia, is dedicated to addressing the critical need for affordable and inclusive housing solutions. The initiative aims to create a vibrant and sustainable community by constructing houses and associated infrastructure. The primary goal is to provide dignified living spaces for individuals and families, particularly those facing economic challenges.
In an effort to broaden revenue streams for the Society, the National Council of Zambia embarked on a notable initiative by acquiring agricultural land. Armed with crucial farming equipment like a Tractor, Disc Plough, and Planter, and supported by essential utilities such as electricity and borehole water, the council aims to cultivate a diverse range of crops. Furthermore, the council is facilitating the breeding of livestock, encompassing Pigs and Chickens, and fostering the growth of various flora, including border trees, orchard trees, and garden vegetables.
As a way of introducing some auxiliary sources of income within the Society, the National Council of Zambia acquired a 50 hectare farm in the year 2003. Situated some 60 kilometers north of Lusaka along the Great North Road, Ozanam Farm has a cleared area of 30 hectares, the remaining 20 hectares being virgin land earmarked for future development activities.
With notable farm tools and equipment such as a Tractor, Disc Plough, and Planter, and utilities of Electricity and Bore Hole Water, the Farm has been attempting to cultivate Maize for grain, Green Maize, Bananas, and Soya Beans, both irrigated and rain fed. However due to the isolated location of the Farm and absence of fully qualified farm workers, the annual returns recorded have generally been very poor.
From the year 2011, however, the outlook at this Farm has started to change. Our Twin Partners, the Dublin Regional Council, noting our predicament, have mobilized financial assistance to the National Council of Zambia, through the Gift of Hope Project. Gift of Hope has provided for assistance to Zambia of financing in the breeding of livestock, e.g. Pigs and Chickens, and the growing of such flora as border trees, orchard trees and garden vegetables.
Future development plans for this Farm include the construction of a Head Office Complex and a Retreat Centre for Christians and groups which may wish to hire the venue. Such other ideas as the creation of an Agricultural Training Centre are also being contemplated as a way of providing long term empowerment for young Vincentians.
Readers are invited to share their ideas by writing to the SSVP National Council of Zambia as to how best this valuable piece of land may be developed in order for the Society to derive maximum benefits towards the furtherance of its works of charity in Zambia.
Is it not absurd that out of a national Vincentian general membership of about 20,000 in Zambia, the youth account for only about 1,300 representing 7%. The critical challenge of the National Council therefore is to increase this percentage to a minimum 12.00% in the next two years. A concerted drive to meet this target has already started with election of a Youth Coordinator at each Central Council to be in charge of mobilization and induction, reporting directly to the National Youth Coordinator and the National Council of Zambia.In fact youth mobilization and growth factors were strongly emphasized upon at the August 2011 International Youth Conference held in Madrid, Spain, graced by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, and also attended by the Zambian Vincentian National Youth Coordinator, Jackson Banda.
A review of the recommendations made at the 2011 meeting wwere expected to be made at the follow up International Conference to be held in Brazil in the year 2013. We thus hope to achieve the full meaning of “imiti ikula empanga” (Bemba language meaning “todays youth are the leaders of tomorrow”) by attracting youths in our country to the call of active service in the Society.One of the attractions already in place for the Vincentian youths is the provision of Financial Grants by our Twin Partners, the Dublin Regional Council, to the Zambian Central Councils to support Small Projects initiated and run by the youths themselves at Council or Conference levels. The Grants are approved by Dublin on recommendations from the National Council of Zambia, and do not exceed K3,000 per Council at the moment. Central Councils are being encouraged to take advantage of the Small projects Grants to enhance their cash flows.