The Need

Unemployment is at an unbelievable rate of 95% in Northern Zambia, teachers are paid by the taxable income of the people and this explains why the government can only pay for a handful of elementary school teachers. Nevertheless, education is a top priority for the Zambian people, 90% of whom live in extreme poverty. Although they have no running water, electricity or even (in many cases) food to eat, every community builds a school, even if it interferes with the harvest. The school is the only building in the community, besides the huts they sleep in. But many of these schools have no teachers. In order for a student to go on to attend high school they must pass a high school entrance exam. Unfortunately, the lack of teachers has created a halt in a rural childrens' chance to go on to high school (only 8% of Zambia’s population attends high school). While the ZSF is assisting the government by paying teachers salaries, the schools these teachers are posted at are very remote. Because of this remoteness teachers face all kinds of difficulties including getting to town to pick up their salaries. As a result, many walk 3 days, leaving children to wonder where their teacher has gone. The second biggest difficulty are students' attention span, they can't concentrate when sitting on the ground or on a rock looking up at their teacher-- these children need desks.