The power and projection...

The operations coordinators have many responsibilities for the schools in their assigned clusters. Among them, assessing the infrastructure and solar systems is something they do each week. Where minor maintenance repairs are required, they will budget for materials and generally carry out the work themselves. If the solar system components need attention, they follow the troubleshooting process to gather as much information as possible before sending the item for repair. We have an incredibly capable operations team! In term 1 this year, the team implemented a couple of projects at every school to benefit the teachers and students.

First, metal solar cages were installed to safeguard the systems and make the regular battery testing easier. According to the team in the field, they are often asked – “Where does the school get the power to charge equipment? These are rural community schools which are far from town and are not linked to the hydropower driven national grid!” The team is happy to respond that we use solar power as a source of power – power that is freely obtained from our beautiful sun! The solar power is an integral piece of the project as allows us to charge the tablets and run the projectors so that our teachers can effectively deliver their lessons to our lovely learners on a daily basis. The functionality of the solar systems in the schools trickles down to the effective equipment usage which has a spill-over effect on quality education in our learners.

Second, the white projection squares in every room were given a fresh coat of paint to ensure the projected lessons can be seen well by all. Over time, the walls of our well used classrooms become dirty and dull so the team decided to clean and then freshen up the white paint to create a clear visual display. For some, it was their first time painting walls, but after a practical training session to guide them, they all did a great job and the teachers are happy with results!

We’re starting term 2 strong! Thumbs up to our Operations Coordinators for carrying out this important work in addition to the support they provide in so many ways to the schools.

- Richard Phiri and Emmanuel Lungu, Operations Officers