In 2023, we started a new partnership with the Ministry of Education which includes the allocation of government Head Teachers to our Katete West schools. This is our first major undertaking of embedding government staff into our programing and model. These teachers have all been allocated classes for them to be teaching using the eSchool 360 framework. Pictured below is the Kalowe head teacher, Mr. Pious Kawinga Zulu, teaching Grade 3 using our activity-based lessons!

Impact Network schools are really benefiting from the government partnership. One example is that school grants that were made available to all schools in 2022 with the implementation of the free education policy. Previously, our schools did not have direct access to the school grants funds because they can only be accessed by government staff. This mean that community schools, like ours, had to seek funds from the zonal or district level and the process was often slow and difficult to complete. With the appointment of government head teachers to the schools, the school now has access to school grants to fund its basic needs. In addition, government teachers are able to advocate for resources for the schools through the DEBS offices, such as new student desks and furniture.

At the most recent teacher training, 15 government teachers and zonal head teachers joined our professional development training sessions and fully participated in the meeting!

I had an opportunity talk to Mr. Denny Phiri, the head teacher at Mnyaula Community School, appointed in October 2022. He said there are benefits from the Impact program and he has enjoyed the experience. He noted that time management is well observed by the teachers in schools – teachers really follow the starting time for lessons and follow the timetable as planned. He also pointed out is the school support program whereby each class has two teachers which are assigned to oversee the class, so that struggling students can get extra attention.

“There are a number of good programs that I have enjoyed with Impact Network, therefore it is not possible that I can manage to mention everything, but just to say the organization is doing a lot of things in the education sector.”

I further had another opportunity to talk to Chimtende Zonal Head Teacher, who is pleased to see all the learners have equal access of learning opportunities. He was also pleased that teachers who are not employed by the government have been employed by Impact Network creating more job opportunities.

“Impact Network laid its foundation in the very disadvantaged communities which did not have access to education. The government is now being appreciated by ensuring these are now fully established schools with government support.”

While there is still much we are learning about how to work together, we are excited at the progress that’s been made so far based on our new approach to government partnership in 2023.

-Grace Zulu

Impact Network laid its foundation in the very disadvantaged communities...