[expand title=”Vison & Mission”]
Vision Statement:
A future in which all children in Zambia, (initially in Kapiri Mposhi) have access to high-quality education, and are fully supported in realising their potential.
Mission Statement:
Vinjeru School Trust exists to improve the educational opportunities of children of all ages, in Kapiri Mposhi – Zambia. We also aim to improve the social and economic well-being of the whole community; by acting as a ‘hub’ for educational activity.
The charity’s ethos and school life are founded on Christian principles and values. The school is open to all, regardless of race, religion or gender. Through a bursary programme, the Trust seeks to ensure that even the poorest children have the opportunity to benefit from a high-quality education.
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[expand title=”Our Teaching Ethos”]
Whilst the Zambian curriculum is followed, the aim is to raise the quality of teaching and widen the learning experiences by utilising teaching methods, theories and resources used in the UK and elsewhere in the world.
We want to prepare students for the challenges of life by focussing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development in the school.
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[expand title=”Why we built a School”]
In Kapiri there were six secondary schools which catered for a small percentage of the secondary school aged population. In total, 35 schools would be required for all the children of the district. In 2010, the Vinjeru School Trust supported Martin and Karolyn Simbeye to move to Zambia to build a school that would begin to cater for some of that need.
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[expand title=”The Future Vision”]
We want to add to the resources, buildings and grounds of the school to ensure it is an optimal learning environment. We also want to invest in the teaching staff at the school so they can, in turn, provide the best quality education.
We look forward to seeing the school grow sustainably, offering education that focuses on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development.
The History
2013 – the land was secured, permissions granted and building work started on the first classrooms.
2013 – the building of the first teaching block was completed. Resources were sent from the UK and teachers were recruited and trained ready for the opening of the school.
January 2014 – the doors were opened to the first students in Grade 8 and teaching started as building continued on more classroom blocks, teachers houses and facilities.
2015 – Flying Kites was established and building started on the primary school classrooms
December 2015 – the first students took national exams and achieved excellent results
January 2016 – the third cohort of students was admitted to the school and welcomed into our community.
2017 – A new Design and Technology block was added to the school premises
2018 – Access classes were started to help students who struggled to meet the entry requirements of secondary education
2019 – The field to the side of the classrooms was graded to allow for sports and athletics
2020 – An accommodation block was built to allow Vinjeru to provide boarding facilities to children from rural areas.
[expand title=”Funding Model & Future Requirements”]
Over the past ten years, the building and running of the school has been funded by generous donations from individuals and groups in the UK. To date, we have raised £450,000 to facilitate the building and running of the school. It is expected that the project will cost a further £330,000 to complete.
The Trust’s key funding goal is to increase the number of people who give regularly to the school while also seeking innovative income generating solutions in Zambia and the UK.
The Trust’s objective is for the school to become sustainable and self-funding within five years. This will allow the Trust to focus on the scholarship programme for the poorest children.
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[expand title=”Who Else Benefits”]
The school is incredibly well resourced by Zambian standards and we want to bless other schools by sharing the facilities. Over the years we have built good relationships with other local schools, particularly the under resourced government schools. These schools have already started using the computer lab for examinations and are able to borrow science equipment for teaching. The Design and Technology rooms and the sports facilities are made available to other schools to promote health and wellbeing.
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We are very sad to inform you that our treasurer and fellow trustee Malcolm Pickard, sadly passed away on the morning of the 11th august. We are hugely thankful for all he did and he will be greatly missed.
Our Trustees
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Ross is a committed Christian who attends Fullbridge Church and has lived in the Maldon district most of his life. He is employed as a Senior Technician in the Design Technology department at the Plume Academy in Maldon. He has worked with young people, particularly teenagers, in various formats over the last 44 years. He had been a leader at Fullbridge Church for many years but stepped down to be involved with this project that is reaching out to the young people of Kapiri Mposhi. He is married to Bertie and has two adult sons.
Martin is married to Gillian and has two sons Adrian and Stuart. He is a computer programmer in Geographic information systems (GIS) and an active member of Longmeadow Evangelical church. He is very excited about being involved in this project and hopes that many children will be helped through it.
Gillian is Martin’s wife. She works part-time giving pastoral care to the women and elderly of Longmeadow Evangelical Church. She is enthusiastic about Vinjeru Trust School and loves the fact that a relatively small amount of work done here can make such a big difference to the children in Zambia.