Following the President of the Republic of Zambia’s direct ‘No Child Shall Sit on the Floor’, the Mansa Municipal Council set out to procure 5,964 desks from the 2023 Constituency Development Fund for Bahati and Mansa Central Constituency.
With due consultation with the end user Government Department, District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), it was established that there was need to procure more desks in addition to the 1,722 procured using the 2022 CDF for both Constituencies.
The Luapula Province Constituency Development Fund Approval Committee approved the procurement of 2,500 desks from the Bahati CDF to be distributed to schools in the same constituency at a value of K4,875,000.00. While 3,464 desks were approved to be procured using the Mansa Central CDF at a total value of K6,754,800.00.
While the 2022 CDF procured desks were distributed to 32 schools in both constituencies, in 2023, the Local Authority is Mansa District distributed the desks to 92 schools in Bahati and in Mansa Central Constituencies.
And the Mansa District DEBS Irene Chikoti says the procurement of the desks was timely and has changed the face of schools, while at the same time changed the attitude of the pupils towards consistently attending classes,
“Since the introduction of the free education policy, many pupils have been enrolled into schools in Mansa District which created an even bigger furniture deficit. And we saw many pupils in various parts of the district missing classes from time but since the desks were delivered, children are not sitting on the floor and on bunt bricks. They are actually very excited to come to school because they want to sit on desks – something many of those in rural areas have never experienced”, she said.
Mrs. Chikoti adds that her department has also enjoyed massive infrastructure boost as many schools have been and are currently under construction funded under the 2022 and 2023 CDF from in Bahati and Mansa Central Constituencies.
Meanwhile, she adds that projects such as the construction of eight (8) staff houses, eight (8) waterborne ablution blocks, water reticulation at six (6) schools have not only motivated the surrounding communities and pupils but the teachers as well as the presence of these infrastructures is an assurance that the Government has stayed true to their promise.
And Mr. Methias Kabaso a resident of Kapompwa Village near Mwela Community School – a recipient of two staff houses from the 2022 Mansa Central CDF constructed at a value of K659,776.43, thanks President Hakainde Hichilema for increasing the CDF from K1.6 million to the current K30.6 million which has paved way for developments that many communities did not imagine could happen.
He adds that with the current focus on the education sector, the literacy levels in rural communities like Mwela community will improve because teachers will be motivated and will be living within the respective communities which will give them more time to focus more time on helping children develop and improve in their learning.
The education sector has in 2022 and 2024 been funded to construct and rehabilitate 15 Classroom blocks, eight staff houses, eight ablution blocks and two laboratories.
