By CHILA NAMAIKO –

WORLD Vision Zambia (WVZ) has said it will support Government efforts to increase school infrastructure particularly in rural areas where children cover long distances to access education.

WVZ board chairperson, Mumba Kapumpa, said the organisation in partnership with Christ Presbyterian Church would support Government’s initiatives to attain the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of providing education to all by 2015.

Mr Kapumpa said in Pemba District that there was need to improve school infrastructure and attract qualified teachers to enhance learning outcomes for secondary school children.

He said this during a recent handover of school infrastructure projects at Ndondi Secondary School funded by Christ Presbyterian Church of America at a cost of US$1,388,000 (about K6,940,000).

The facilities were four staff houses, 1×2 laboratory, a twin ablution block and a mechanised water reticulation system.

Mr Kapumpa said education was one of the four strategic pillars of WVZ’s programmes to improve the living standards of many vulnerable children in its areas of operations.

Pemba District Commissioner Reginald Mugoba said Government had engaged a Chinese contractor to complete remaining structures at the school such as home economics class, library and 13 classrooms.

He said, the people of Ndondi were not spared from the problem of children dropping out of school especially girls who were lured into early marriages.

He said the nearest secondary school from Ndondi, was Pemba High School, of which some parents could not afford to pay boarding fees

Pemba District Education Board Secretary, Mary Sifuniso, said the education sector was grappling with challenges such as a high teacher-pupil ratio, which needed to be addressed.