"Education stops the perpetual cycle of illiteracy, overpopulation, and the continual spread of disease.
When children are robbed of their education, our shared future is at stake."
When The Q Fund first partnered with Chimoza (from the Bemba word meaning “we are one”) in 2003, it was a one-room mosquito-infested building that served 47 street children who had no money to attend government schools.Today over 315 students in grades 1-7 receive a free education at Chimoza in new classrooms built by generous donations to The Q Fund.
The Mucinshi School Project.
The success of Chimoza has enabled The Q Fund to undertake an even larger project. In 2009, construction will begin on the new Mucinshi School (read more).
The Q Fund’s flagship project is the Chimoza Community School, which is situated near the old abandoned copper mines of Bwana Makuba and Old Regiment in the town of Ndola, Zambia. Zambia is a landlocked country in the south central part of Africa that is home to more than 70 ethnic groups who live and interact peacefully. Zambia's Copper Belt was the backbone of a thriving economy until the collapse of the world copper market in the 1970s. Sadly, this once thriving country has become one of the world's poorest nations.
Chimoza has become widely recognized and respected well beyond the six communities whose population it serves. Standardized test scores are consistently higher than those of neighboring government schools. And while a traditional curriculum is taught during the day, each evening the school opens its doors to the men and women of the community for free vocational classes in sewing, carpentry, cooking, and farming.
The recent purchase of a 30-seat public bus which serves the surrounding community provides a monthly net income of $2,000 USD. These funds are used to pay the salaries of teachers at the school and are comparable to those paid by government schools—a rarity among community schools. While most community schools lack the resources to survive over many years, Chimoza is not only thriving but also a financially viable and self-sustaining entity.
To date we have improved the quality of life for thousands of African and Asian children, 40,000 in 2007 alone, by providing funds for the following projects: Chimoza Community School, Zambia —Ngererit Primary and Secondary School Project, Kenya —Montessori school in Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka —Othandweni Children’s Orphanage, Soweto, Republic of South Africa —Chibode Primary School, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe —Water and food projects in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Congo, Botswana and Mozambique —Leonard Boniface Model AIDS Unit, Tanzania