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| ● PROJECTS ►► |
| VOLUNTEER WEEK IN ZAMBIA |
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Zoe with VSO in Zambia MAY, 2006. www.vso.org.uk You normally wouldn’t expect to see a footballer’s wife deep in conversation about the impact poor nutrition has on HIV & AIDS patients. But this is exactly what happened a couple of weeks ago when Zoe Lucker, the actress behind one of Britain’s most infamous TV characters visited Zambia with VSO. Zoe’s parents had volunteered with VSO back in the 1970s, so when VSO invited her to come and see how its work had changed over the years she couldn’t say no. Filmed as part of Volunteers' Week for GMTV, Zoe hopes that her experiences in Zambia will encourage more people to support VSO’s work and to consider volunteering themselves. “Volunteering has changed so much since my parents were VSO volunteers back in the 70s. VSO volunteers in Zambia today are more likely to be working with a HIV & AIDS project or training teachers than building houses or teaching in schools. I always loved listening to my parents talking about the time they spent in Zambia. Going with VSO gave me the chance to see for myself what my parents often talked about and see up close the work VSO is doing with disadvantaged communities.” VSO doesn’t send food or clothing to the countries we work in. Instead we send professional volunteers who share their skills with local colleagues, helping them to tackle poverty. During Zoe’s week in Zambia she meet with some of VSO’s partners and volunteers. VK Home Based Care  Almost one in five people in Zambia are HIV positive. Many of those who are ill are cared for by female relatives or neighbours. VK Home Based Care supports these women. When Zoe visited VK she met with Lomanzi Phiri, a carer at the project, and Charles Kalemeera, a VSO volunteer whose management skills are helping the project reach more of those in need in the community. Bauleni School  Zoe Lucker met Anne Gard, a VSO volunteer working as a special needs teacher in Zambia. Anne Gard has been a VSO volunteer at Bauleni Community School for almost 18 months. Originally from Portsmouth, Anne is using her skills to train teachers at Bauleni. Zoe met with Anne when she visited Bauleni School and had the chance to see first hand the work going on at the school. Bauleni Community School, just outside Lusaka, is one of the few schools in Zambia offering an inclusive education to both abled and disabled children. Set up eight years ago by Sister Elizabeth, it has developed a unique class called the “Lowani Class” for children with profound disabilities. The pupils who attend the Lowani class live at the school from Monday to Friday in term time and return to their families and communities at weekends and holidays. On the school grounds there is a farm, piggery, bakery and grain store all of which help to generate money used to run the school. Older children, both abled and disabled, learn life skills such as cookery, farm techniques, sewing and carpentry helping them to find employment after they leave. For Zoe visiting Bauleni was an inspiring experience: “The kids with disabilities used to get bullied. It was all to do with ignorance. Sister Elizabeth has made people see that everyone is as valuable as the next person.” |