• 76% per cent of Zambians live on less than $1 a day. • Life expectancy is just 38 years, and almost 16% of the adult population are HIV positive. • 20% of Zambian children have lost one or both parents, frequently as a result of the escalating HIV/AIDS pandemic. • Of a total population of 11.7 million people, there are 1.1 million orphans. Against this backdrop, the right to quality basic education remains largely unfulfilled for most school age children in Zambia. Today, 300,000 children are not enrolled in school. The causes of low enrolment are complex. There are a lack of schools in Zambia, and those that do exist are often in locations inaccessible to children living in rural areas. Even when children can walk to school they can be prevented from going because their families cannot afford the books and uniforms required. Domestic responsibilities frequently mean that children often start school at quite a late age. This particularly affects girls, who tend to drop out of school to follow the tradition of early marriage or because they get pregnant. The impact of HIV/AIDS is forcing children to drop out to care for sick family members, as well as creating a chronic shortage of teachers. The school environment itself plays a role, typically the state of classrooms is poor and water and sanitation facilities are lacking. The quality of education is also suffering as a result of untrained teachers and a lack of books and desks. To further exacerbate these issues, the attitudes of communities and parents themselves is contributing to children’s non-attendance. Illiterate parents do not see the value of education and therefore do not support and encourage their children to go to school. In order to provide access to education for out-of-school children, the Government of Zambia has supported the establishment of community schools. The schools are non-profit and rely to a great extent on voluntary teachers, on premises being provided for free and on the general support of the community. Many communities have taken the initiative of setting up schools in their village, town or compound in order to cater for out-of-school children, particularly the more vulnerable children such as girls and orphans. However, further resources are needed to provide more school places for the thousands of children who are still not being granted their right to education, and UNICEF’s support is crucial. With your help UNICEF will: • Support communities who are already making efforts to start a school in their area by providing items and resources that are currently beyond their reach. • Provide training to teachers and Parent Teacher Association members to ensure children are receiving good quality education. The building work, teaching and organisation of the schools will be undertaken by the local communities themselves. Impact • Up to 4,200 children will benefit as a direct result of the implementation of this project, including those who face the greatest barriers to attending school. • 21 community schools will provide safer, more accessible, hygienic and better resourced environments for the children who learn and the teachers who work there. • More girls and vulnerable and disadvantaged children will be able to attend and complete their education at the community schools. • More teachers will be trained to deliver better quality education, both during and beyond this project. • More parents and people throughout the communities will recognise and promote the benefits of educating children. • The schools will have sound infrastructures and will be managed by knowledgeable teachers and parents equipped to continue to deliver long-term, sustainable benefits within the communities they serve, helping to educate future generations of children and give them the best possible start in life. The budget for the project as a whole is £452,200. We have so far raised £225,000.