Round Table Zambia, an NGO dealing in social work, has constructed a one by four classroom block at Washa Community School in Chief Chiwala’s area in Masaiti on the Copperbelt Province.

Round Table national public relations officer Chishimba Kaela told News Diggers! in an interview that the classroom block, which had been constructed at a cost of K400,000, would be handed over to the Ministry of General Education later this month.

He said Round Table believed that education was the only way to eradicate poverty in the country.

“Round Table in Ndola’s Itawa Township will be handing over a one by four classroom block. The school has been constructed at Washa Community School, and it’s in Masaiti in Chief Chiwala’s area. So, this handover will be handed over to the Ministry of Education on 17th November, 2018. This one by four classroom block cost about K400,000 and we built it with the help of our cooperating partners, as well as the fund-raising ventures, which we do as Round Table,” Kaela said.

“Early next year, we plan on handing over another one by four classroom block in Solwezi at Kazhila Matambo School. There, we are doing the one by four classroom block, plus the ablution block as well. The amount to be spent is about K500,000. There is a cooperating partner in Solwezi, it’s a company, which has also been helping us to build that school. We have seen the need for education as Round Table in Zambia and this is why our main focus is on building more schools and classroom blocks at the moment. We have always been encouraging our tables within Zambia to focus on education. We know that through education, poverty can be alleviated in this country.”

Kaela said that Round Table Zambia was also sponsoring vulnerable children with college and secondary education.

“We do sponsor students as well. Currently, in Ndola, we have a family, known as the Phiri’s, who lost their parents. So, through channels of information within the table, we started sponsoring two girls to go to school. One is currently in Grade 11 and the other one is supposed to go to college, it’s just that her results were not very good. So, we decided that she should rewrite. But after she has good grades, we intend to sponsor that family. But really, we want to focus on the broader network than individual students and scholarships. So, instead of spending K100 on educating one individual, we would rather channel that money towards building a school or a classroom block, which will cater for a lot of people,” said Kaela.

Meanwhile, Kitwe’s Round Table representative Albert Chingobe said the district representatives of Round Table had been conducting a number of works to enhance people’s lives in the district.

“As Round Table in Kitwe, we have lined up a number of fund-raising activities. And in terms of projects, Kitwe has predominantly adopted a number of projects. One is the one at Rokana Basic School where a house for children with special needs has been refurbished and handed back to the school authorities. We also adopted Nzambi School, which also houses children with special needs. We managed to donate something they could use like a stove to help cater for the children in terms of meals. Currently, we are renovating a children’s wing at Kitwe Central Hospital. We have done some pipe works and other plumbing works that were needed. So, this is collective work where other stakeholders have come in also to help. So far, in rehabilitating that children’s wing at the Hospital, we have spent about K18,000,” narrated Chingobe.

Round Table Zambia is part of the Round Table International of young men between the ages of 18 and 40 who are focused on helping local communities in meeting their basic needs.