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On Saturday the 25th May 2019 we travelled to Kasisi situated in the North Western Province of Zambia.

We are based in the capital, Lusaka so this was a very long trip, taking us 16 hours to drive there. I shared the driving with Ronald who is employed by CCZ (Council of Churches in Zambia) but he is now an integral part of our team, fully involving himself in the fitting of the lights as well.

The distance was 1200km, we arrived at our lodge at 11.30pm very tired!! The next day we drove to Kasisi School and fitted lights into 3 classrooms and a head teachers office. There were 550 pupils at this school, it was in the middle of nowhere and to get there we had to drive through sand roads which was fun - good job we had a 4 wheel drive vehicle!! We also gave out school dresses donated to us by Liz Toomer on behalf of the Sue Ryder Charity. They were given to the poorest children who were wearing little more than rags.

The following day we drove to Chinyingi school. This one was a big shock to us for when we got to the bank of the Zambezi river we could not see a school. We were then told we had to WALK over the river across a 1km long rope bridge. There was a stunned silence from us all. All of the equipment had to be carried across, thank goodness the pupils came from the school to collect it then all the way back to carry it across! All we had to do was get ourselves across. The sides of the bridge were made of chicken mesh wire with some big holes in it, part of the walkway was missing and broken. Ronald our poor driver was petrified of crossing over, so Margaret took his hand and slowly took him across with me behind, talking to him as well what a brave man.

Later that day we met the King of the region. He was staying at the same lodge. He was very interested in what we are doing for the people of his kingdom.

The third school we had to fit lights in, Madalitso in Lusaka Province, was situated close to one of the ones that we completed last year, we had received a report that some of the lights were not working and they asked us to investigate the reason why.

The team started at Madalitso school where there was only one classroom plus a head teachers office in the corner. There were no windows just holes in the walls. The walls themselves were so bad we had to alter our method of fitting the lights and use cord to tie it to the roof and let the cord arc down to the right height. The door was simply an iron gate. I left the team to to do the work and went over to the other school to see what the problem was, only to find that one classroom had been vandalised so badly that all light bulbs, the wiring and a full roof truss had been removed. The next classroom had most of the light bulbs stolen and some of the wiring. I was able to fix this room and it all worked. The last classroom was all OK as was the headmaster’s office!!! We reported it to Father Chikoya (CCZ) and he was going up to talk to the headmaster and the police to try and find out who stole the lights and did so much dreadful damage.

Back in the workshop in Lusaka there is enough lighting equipment for the Zambia team to fit out another school. We have left them to put everything together themselves and go and fit the lights. This will be the first time they will have gone on a trip on their own.

Roger Mugridge

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In September 2010 Lights for Learning visited Zimbabwe for the first time and Zambia for the third time.

In each country they continued their work of successfully installing lighting systems in rural places of education.

Throughout this month-long trip a total of six volunteers successfully installed lights in nine different places across Zimbabwe and Zambia. Transport within both countries was organised by Government officials on Location. As before the team paid their own individual air fares. The team also made valuable contacts within local communities and within the respective Ministries of Education.

[taken from the official trip report, available from the downloads section of this website]

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The SchoolsMilenge Basic School, Milenge District, Luapula ProvinceThe secondary school was using the basic school facilities until their own buildings were finished being built. Lights For Learning fitted buildings and dormitories with lights.

Muyembe Basic School, Kawambwa District, Luapula ProvinceIn the northern part of the province, LFL installed three blocks with lights for this school.

Lwela schools, Milenge District, Luapula ProvinceBasic and secondary schools benefitted from installations including dormitories, classrooms and offices.

The TeamNick Dye, Adam Larking, Jean Mugridge, Roger Mugridge, Mike Noble, Jan Power, Cathy Russell, Vanessa Sherwood

View Zambia 2008 in a larger map

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LocationTalisay, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines
http://www.bacolodcity.gov.ph/
The Welcome Home lies in between Talisay and Bacolod City. Bacolod City is the main city of Negros Occidental, an island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Known as the City of Smiles, it holds a festival called MassKara every year - originally organised to relieve an economic depression for the area in 1981.

The Welcome Home houses, at the time of our trip, seven families. The adults of which are deaf mutes. The purpose behind the home is to bring people out of the slums and into a place where they can develop their own livelihoods.
ObjectivesTo install lights at the Welcome Home Village for the Deaf, Talisay. Installation included the school building and twenty-five homes.
OutcomeWelcome Home Village, TalisaySchool building complete; seven homes completed; lights installed to the main meeting gazebo area.
Peace Village, SagayTwo school classrooms completed; two rooms in the Youth Centre building fitted with the remaining lights.

Both villages are under the direction of Couples For Christ's Gawad Kalinga project. After completing the necessary buildings in the Welcome Home Village we were left with extra kit. After inspecting another needy Gawad Kalinga community in the north of the island the work schedule was adapted to include this school and utilise the remaining equipment.
ReportsRoger Mugridge's General Report on Lights For Learning and the Philippine Trip of 2007
[report]

Images taken by the team during the trip
[pictures]
Trip Recordings
1] The Welcome Home School
Listen to Lights For Learning as they install lights into two communities in the Philippines.

Hear how the team came to being there and why their work was so valuable to the Filipino people. We hear from members of the team, of Gawad Kalinga and of the local Couples For Christ group responsible for the village.

Gawad Kalinga's Bob Magalona speaks to us about the movement and its vision in helping encourage poor families out of the shanty towns and into developed communities where access to education is provided.
We hear from LFLs Project Manager, Pete Genet and Logistics Co-ordinator, Mike Noble on the progress of the project. We explore important aspects of the small community and speak to the village Project Director, Santiago Franco.

Presented by Adam Larking of LittleSmasher.com.

Other Voices: Bacolod City Mayor, Evelio 'Bing' Leonardia; Village Project Director, Santiago Franco; Gawad Kalinga Provincial Head, Bob Magalona; Sue Larking; Peter Genet; Mike Noble; Andrew Noble; Michelle Stewart, and the Children of the Welcome Home Village of the Deaf. We also hear from Teody and Dennis, members of the local Couples For Christ group who were also the charity's generous hosts for this project.

Links:
http://www.lightsforlearning.org/
http://www.gawadkalinga.org/
http://www.bacolodcity.gov.ph/
Email:
info@lightsforlearning.org
© 2008 Lights For Learning and LittleSmasher.com[download]

2] Peace Village
Listen to Lights For Learning as they install lights into two communities in the Philippines.

Gawad Kalinga's Emma Randall and Vincent Rivera speak to us about the movement's impact on Peace Village and its beneficiaries' access to education.

We hear from the Mayor of Bacolod City, Evelio Leonardia and we hear how the work of Lights For Learning is contributing to the area.

Presented by Adam Larking of LittleSmasher.com.

Other Voices: Bacolod City Mayor, Evelio 'Bing' Leonardia; Gawad Kalinga Region Head for Child and Youth Development Programme, Vincent Rivera and Heart of the Father's Child and Youth Development Programme representative, Emma Randall. We also hear Oscar and AJ Lim, members of the local Couples For Christ group who were also the charity's generous hosts for this project.

Links:
http://www.lightsforlearning.org/
http://www.gawadkalinga.org/
http://www.bacolodcity.gov.ph/
Email:
info@lightsforlearning.org
© 2008 Lights For Learning and LittleSmasher.com[download]

Full Interview with Santiago FrancoInterview with Santiago Franco, Project Director of the Welcome Home Village, Talisay, Philippines. Adam Larking talks to Santiago about the issues the community is facing.

The Team

| | | Peter Genet |

| | | Adam Larking |

| | | Chris Larking |

| | | Sue Larking |

| | | Jean Mugridge |

| | | Roger Mugridge |

| | | Andrew Noble |

| | | Mike Noble |

| | | Michelle Stewart |

| | | Lights For Learning |

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Here's the report submitted to the Zambian Ministry of Education by its inspectors after a visit to assess the installed lights.REPORT AND COMMENTS BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM HEADQUARTERSIntroductionTwingi High School is the first school in Zambia to benefit from the services of Lights for Learning. It is found in the rural area, 75km south of Samfya District.
The pupils and teachers at this school have been using candles and kerosine lamps since 1991.
MethodologyA group of seven members of Lights For Learning came from the UK to the site and started installing the system for a period of five days. Some pupils and teachers were involved to master the system.
Eight classrooms, six dormitories, one hall and a room in ten teacher’s houses lights were lit.
Findings* The installation of lights changed the appearance of the school at night. * The health of the pupils and teachers has improved by stopping the use of kerosene lamps which produce dangerous smoke. * Enough room has been created for evening studies. * Pupils have now taken evening studies seriously. * Life has become cheaper for the pupils and teachers for they do not spend money on candles and kerosene. * The system has no impact on the climate.

Concusions and RecommendationsThe project is a great success to our school and country at large.The government is to improve the structures of the school to protect the system.
Lights for Learning to continue supporting our school because more buildings are to be constructed.

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