Because every child deserves to live and learn in a clean and healthy environment, Thankful Thinking is partnering up with local schools here in San Diego to help build a water tank for Kalingalinga Primary School in Lusaka, Zambia. Giving deprived and poor children a good, safe and clean learning environment is key to mission. Being poor must not limit any child from learning and having access to clean water. . A bad environment can negatively affect children’s ability to learn effectively and their future.
Sadly this is the case with Kalingalinga basic school, one of our current projects underway in Lusaka, Zambia. Kalingalinga basic school has a special place in my heart because this is the school that our founder Talia H Melton did her primary (elementary) education. After our recent visit to the school, we found that very little had changed and that the school is still in very bad conditions. It has a total of 1800 students, only 32 teachers and 16 classrooms with each class having 90+ students.
The school has one computer and one toilet that has no running water. Students are mandated to fetch the water in a bucket to pour in the toilet after use. The list is endless. With our fundraising initiatives change for Change and Heart to Heart – underway, we are hoping to install a water tank and taps (faucets) with running water. We hope that after our efforts, the children will be happier, safer and ready to learn.
A clean water tank will:
• Prevent water-born diseases like Cholera and Dysentry, which cause school
closures
• Provide clean and safe drinking water
• Make it possible for water to be pumped and run through the faucets
• Save the students time and energy of manually drawing water for use and give them more time in class