SPW programmes offered 1 SHEP and 1 TAAP
Length of placement 8 months and 12 months

Zambia is one of the poorest nations on earth. With 1 in 5 people infected, Zambia is one of the countries most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The prevalence of other sexually transmitted infections, multiple sexual relationships, low condom use, cultural practices, gender inequality and poverty have all contributed to the increasing numbers of people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Following a feasibility study, Barbara Chilangwa, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education, invited SPW to set up a programme in Zambia from January 2004. SPW is now working in full collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the District Education Board Secretaries and other stake-holders in the education sector, to ensure that the SPW Zambia programme is replicated and integrated as a deliberate policy in the Ministry's fight against HIV and AIDS.

Programme Facts:
School Health Education Programme - Working where?

  • based in primary and secondary schools in Central Province
  • volunteers placed in mixed nationality, single-sex pairs or Zambian-only pairs
  • schools vary in size from 200 to 1600 students
  • schools may be in semi-urban areas or rural locations that are over 9 hours from the office by public transport
  • volunteers undertake work in placement schools and at least one other 'extension school' usually within or nearby the community

There are five main areas of work that volunteers undertake in their community:

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Life Skills Lessons:

  • teaching timetabled, structured lessons for grades 5 to 12 covering topics such as teenage pregnancy, STI's, HIV and AIDS
  • utilising non-formal and interactive techniques to develop life skills such as communication, assertiveness, self-esteem

Extra-Curricular Activities:

  • organising sports, performing arts and Youth Clubs with HIV/AIDS related themes

Youth Friendly Resource Centres:

  • improving access to informative materials by acting as a distribution channel for resource producing organisations
  • providing relaxed reading environments and informal counselling for pupils who wish to discuss sensitive issues with volunteers

Events and Activities:

  • organising and running awareness raising events in cooperation with local government and religious leaders, health professionals and teachers (e.g. Health Days involving guest speakers, marches, dancing, singing and celebration!

Capacity Building

  • at the district, provincial and national level

Case Study

As I got used to life in Chipaata, so my students, fellow teachers and people in the surrounding communities gradually got used to my partner and I. It was hard in the beginning; our students were shy and not used to participating in interactive classes - particularly when talking about such delicate topics as sex, pregnancy and dating! By being open with the parents about everything we were teaching within the classrooms and communities, by holding information sessions aimed at leaders within the communities, and by opening a Youth Resource Centre as a focus for the hours of work with our students outside of the classroom, Nzovwa and I slowly gained the cooperation, support, trust and respect of our community.
Louise Johnson, HEP Volunteer

Programme Structure:
Initial 4-week training period covering:

  • teambuilding skills
  • cross-cultural awareness
  • basic development theory
  • adolescent health issues (e.g. puberty, HIV/AIDS, gender issues)
  • NFE (Non-formal Education) Techniques
  • counselling skills
  • monitoring and evaluation
  • life as a volunteer
  • language training
Placement stage 1 (2 weeks)
  • orientation phase in school placements
Phase 2 training (2 weeks)
Placement stage 2 (6 months)
Mid-Term Review
Mid-placement training
  • top-up training workshops throughout placement period

Staff Support:

  • 2 offices based in Lusaka and Kabwe

Community Support:

  • school provides basic accommodation with a reliable water source

TAAP - Teachers AIDS Action Program

A new program was launched in Zambia in 2008 that runs alongside the existing School Health Education Program. The Teachers AIDS Action Program (TAAP) is looking to recruit international volunteers to work alongside national volunteers in teacher training colleges in the Central, Copperbelt and Northern Provinces of the country. The 12 month program is very similar to SHEP in that its emphasis is on increasing the capacity of Zambian’s to combat HIV and AIDS, and promote positive sexual and reproductive health, but the target group which volunteers work with is completely different.

Volunteers will be:

  • based at teacher training colleges, in more urban areas than SHEP placements
  • working with student teachers, rather than school aged youth, and will be working closely with lecturers of the colleges
  • placed in mixed sex partnerships

There are 6 pillars of the programme work:

1. Sexual Reproductive Health and Life Skills

2. Extra Curricular Activities

3. Community Outreach

4. Youth Resource Centres

5. Teaching Practice

6. Events and Festivals

Similar to SHEP, volunteers are expected to work closely with the communities in which they are based and training duration of both programs is similar.

The TAAP rogram will run January 2009-December 2009.

Country Information

Background: Zambia is one of Africa's most peaceful countries, with some of the most stunning landscapes on the continent, including Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River and various National Parks that boast some of the finest safari camps in the whole of southern Africa. Vegetation ranges from dense woodland to open grassy plains.
Language: Bemba, though English is now the national language and is widely spoken
Religion: two-thirds Christian, though many combine that with traditional animist beliefs
Food:
  • Staple - a stiff porridge called nshima, commonly made from maize or sometimes sorghum. Nshima must always be served hot with a vegetable, bean, meat or fish dish or ndiwo (relish)
  • Meat - meat and fish is difficult to buy in the communities
  • Vegetarianism - accepted easily. Green vegetables include collard greens, known as rape in Zambia, cabbage, pumpkin and squash leaves, pea leaves, cassava leaves and bean leaves
  • Other - nshima is always accompanied by ndiwo (relish), which is often cooked with meat such as beef, goat, mutton, chicken, rabbit, antelope, monkey or alligator! Other types of ndiwo include fish, peanuts, peanut butter, wild mushrooms or beans and peas.

Read more here about Zambia's cuisine and the importance of nshima.

 
 
   
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