Mukwashi Trust School: Partners in Peace

ABOUT MUKWASHI TRUST SCHOOL

Mukwashi is a Community Trust School that currently provides education from pre-school to grade 12. Mukwashi, translated from Tonga, one of the local languages from southern province, means family. And that’s what Mukwashi Trust School is, a family of students, teachers, parents, and community members. From the moment you step foot on the school grounds you can feel it. It's like coming home. In 2006, when MTS first opened classrooms, there were only two teachers and 90 students. Now, nearly 15 years later, there are over 380 students and 17 members of staff. This is just the local MTS family. Through partnership with BoPH, Mukwashi Trust School has been expanding its family beyond the Lusaka West community and into the world. The school motto is prepare today for tomorrow, and with the help of so many people, MTS is preparing children for a brighter tomorrow. To learn more about Mukwashi Trust School, visit their website today: https://mukwashi-school.org/

OUR MISSION

To provide high quality education that offers its students lifeworthy learning experiences - ideas and skills that are likely to matter in the lives they are expected to lead (without limits). To achieve this we are committed to building the capacity of teachers by providing ongoing professional development.

OUR TEAM

  • Mulemba Sakuwaha - Acting Head Teacher and Classroom Teacher, Middle and Secondary
  • Mwangala Lubinda - Primary; Senior Teacher, Day to Day Direction
  • Angela Nkonge - Primary, Guidance and Counseling
  • Jolly Moono - Primary, Student Council
  • Kelina Chibinga - Early Years Teacher, School Librarian
  • Monica Mbosha - Primary, Clubs and Society Coordinator, Assistant Sports Coordinator
  • Nelson Jumo - High School: Business Studies, Computer Studies, and Religious Education; Production Unit
  • Golden Siankwebo - High School: Mathematics, Integrated Science, Physics, and Chemistry; School In Service Coordinator, Guidance and Counseling, Examination Coordinator
  • Salatiel Banda - Primary and Secondary
  • Mushiba Lubinda - Teaching Assistant
  • Clement Mwachiyaba - Secondary, Integrated Science, Agricultural Science, Biology
  • Laura Manni - Volunteer Director
  • Charlotte Hambache - School Caretaker, Office Assistant, School Bursar, Buyer (Hambache is the longest standing employee of Mukwashi and helped build the original buildings!)
  • Tina Mbewe- Cleaner
  • Vincent Simakwama- Gardener

Mukwashi Trust School Partners with Bridges of Peace and Hope

In 2009, John Farrell traveled to Lusaka, Zambia to present as the African International School Association (AISA) where he was the keynote speaker. During the course of the conference, he met many local and international teachers, including Kate Bidder. Kate Bidder was a teacher at the American International School of Lusaka at the time, and a good friend and colleague of Laura Manni, the volunteer director of Mukwashi Trust School. Kate told John “You have to meet Laura and visit Mukwashi Trust School" and invited him to join her on a Friday visit to the school, which was about a 45-minute drive away. Fortunately, John took Kate up on the offer. After only a couple hours at the school, John knew he found something special. And the rest as they say is history. It was the start of a collaboration that would lead to the partnership that exists today.

Mukwashi Trust School Begins Thirteenth School Year in 2020

January 2020, Mukwashi Trust School began their thirteenth school year offering classes from Pre-K through Grade 12. The start of a new school year is filled with energy and promise and students at MTS are wasting no time in their education efforts. Campus improvements include the now operational girls sanitation block and new chalkboard desk tops for elementary school students!

Conservation education starts early at MTS, chalkboard desks are a great paper saver.

Mukwashi Trust School students were eager to share love and their love of reading on Valentine's Day. Books and roses in hand, students visited their local village to spread love and kindness.

  

Mukwashi Trust School teachers are focusing on literacy as a bridge to a better world this school year. Time is put aside each week for serious reading and international teaching methods adapted from visiting educators are proving successful! Mukwashi Trust School excitedly prepares for a new visiting teacher team to come this April from their sister school, AIS Vienna!

New High School, Science Wing Built in Lusaka With Help From BoPH

Led by Volunteer Directory Laura Manni’s inspiring commitment and tireless dedication, BoPH helped raise $27,908 in 2017 to begin the building of the new high school block at Mukwashi Trust School in Lusaka West, Zambia. Ms. Manni, and BoPH had raised over $40,000 in 2016.

BoPH and our partner schools are proud to have Laura on our team and grateful that we have been able to assist her in helping the Mukwashi Trust School community reach their dream of building a high school. BoPH Founder John Farrell laid the first block while he was visiting Mukwashi in October, 2017. The building is now complete and construction on the accompanying science wing was finished last November!

 

Mukwashi Sanitation Initiative: SUCCESS!

Mukwashi continues to build the capacity of Zambian teachers and ensure quality education for children in the peri-rural community of Lusaka. However, to maintain a safe and prosperous learning environment for all students and staff, Mukwashi needs to construct new sanitation facilities on campus.

The first of Mukwashi Trust School’s new sanitation blocks is open and operational thanks to your generosity! In addition to covering the supplies and labor needed to build the sanitation structures, the funds raised will be used to bring new freshwater resources to campus and supplement sanitary supplies for female students.

The block will help Mukwashi students manage their heath needs and keep clean after physical education and agricultural science. A new sanitation block is a bridge to dignity and safety for our students. We would like to thank all the people who made and are still making donations towards this project!

International Teacher Exchange and BoPH Team Presents in Sophia, Bulgaria

In February 2017, four teachers from the Bridges of Peace and Hope Club at the American International School of Vienna in Austria, traveled to Lusaka West in Zambia where they spent time working with, and getting to know their colleagues at Mukwashi Trust School. The group was led by BoPH Club Leader Nicole Forbes Wagner. They brought supplies for the school and made improvements to the school playground. Lasting friendships were made and enduring bonds established.

In March, BoPH arranged for Mukwashi Head Teacher, Judah Sikamikami and Mukwashi BoPH Coordinator, Mulemba Sakawuha to travel to Vienna to continue this bridge building. The trip was Judah's first time flying and his first trip outside Africa. Judah and Mulemba loved AIS Vienna and were well loved in return.

While they were in Vienna, John Farrell joined the group, and together the four AIS Vienna teachers, plus Judah, Mulemba, and John traveled to Sophia, Bulgaria where they did a presentation at the CEESA (Central and Eastern European Schools Association) conference. The presentation was about building bridges through collaborative service learning projects. The students, teachers, and families from Mukwashi and AIS Vienna are continuing to strengthen the connections they have made. The two schools have done several projects together and have big plans for the future!

By Making Connections That Make a Difference Students Inspire Each Other

In 2017, the AIS Vienna Bridges of Peace and Hope Club held a Movie Night fundraiser for their friends at Mukwashi Trust School.  Their screening of the movie “Minions” raised over 1000 Euros for their sister school!

When the students and teachers at Mukwashi learned of this event and its success, they decided to hold their own movie night. They were even able to show the same movie in Zambia! The Mukwashi fundraiser raised approximately 65 Kwacha, the equivalent of $7. Students were happy to use the money to help a disadvantaged local student pay his school fees. Partner events like these allow students from around the world to inspire one another and make a difference!

This year, the Incredible tradition continued! In February, the BoPHoper’s at AIS Vienna raised over €1,000 for the Mukwashi Sanitation Initiative at their Movies for Mukwashi: Incredibles 2 Movie Night and Bake Sale.

USA BoPH Club Realizes Dream of Building a GaGa Pit in Africa

In a major student led initiative, the BoPH Club from the Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies Magnet School in Danbury, CT., raised funds and then participated in building a GaGa Pit at the Mukwashi Trust School in Lusaka West. It is believed to be the first GaGa Pit in Africa, and the boys and girls there love it. The Magnet School BoPH Club raised the funds for construction, and also created a book teaching the game to their new friends. John Farrell helped with the construction on his visit to Zambia in October, 2017. GaGa is an Israeli game with some of the elements of dodgeball but not as aggressive and it typically involves lots of laughter. It’s not a team game. It’s every player for him or herself and the object is to hit the ball with an open hand (no punching) and have it strike another player below the knee. It a player is struck he/she must leave the pit. If the ball travels over the wall and out of the pit the player who struck it is “out.” Students from both schools are happy to share the gift of play with one another!

 

 

Support Mukwashi Trust School!

Support Mukwashi Trust School

$
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00 One Time