By JOHN SAKALA
Chingola Member of Parliament Matthew Nkhuwa has handed over a 1×3 classroom block at Chigayo in Lulamba ward to Ministry of Education.
Speaking during the handover of the school yeterday, Mr Nkhuwa said the K600, 000 classroom block project which comes with school desks, is his footprint to improve the education sector.
He said the only sure way of guaranteeing the successful future of the next generation is giving them education.
Mr Nkhuwa who is also Energy Minister said proper education infrastructure motivates a learner to be in school.
He said an educated nation is a wealthy one, hence his desire to ensure that his term of office uplifts the education sector.
The school which has 405 pupils has no examination centre and Mr Nkhuwa implored Chingola District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Noah Simulunga to help the school have the examination centre.
He said if there is any help that is required, he is available to render it.
With six volunteer Teachers helping out, Mr Nkhuwa has lobbied for them to be considered first when employing.
He said when he went to Chigayo Community School in 2016 for the first time during campaigns, the people asked him to build a classroom block and connect the community to Zesco power grid.
“I have delivered both of them the promises I made. I know you didn’t vote for me and my President during 2016 because President Edgar Lungu, myself and our Councillor lost here. I did not chicken out from my promise and I hope I will get better results in 2021 because I have plans to recontest the Chingola Constituency seat.
“The school still has challenges like the ablution block and staff houses which I promise to deliver if the people of Chingola can re-entrust the PF with another mandate to govern. If you vote for me without my President, my power to deliver will be limited because most of the funds I use stream from his authority,” he said.
Chingola Constituency Development Trust (CCDT) Chairperson John Zgambo said the school is Mr Nkhuwa’s life changing projects aimed at improving lives of children.
Mr Zgambo said so far over K12 million has been spent on various infrastructure projects in the constituency by CCDT.
He said CCDT is like a vehicle which Mr Nkhuwa uses to deliver projects in his constituency.
“I came to Chingola in 1999, and I can attest that there has been no MP who has done so much for Chingola Constituency like Mr Nkhuwa. For the six volunteer teachers, I must state that I have been touched by your desire to help. I will be paying you K1, 000 each from my salary for the next 12 months starting from November month end so that you can be buying a bag of mealie meal,” he said.
Mr Zgambo said the school was built with the support of African Mechanical and Superlift Limited (AMSL), Oryxy Energy, Matty Investments Limited, Mr Nkhuwa as an individual and CCDT.
He said Rose Nkhuwa, the wife of Nkhuwa had been a selfless supporter of CCDT working silently to change lives of people in the constituency.
Speaking at the same function, Chingola Mayor Titus Tembo said Chigayo Community had received massive upgrade ever since PF government took over the reins of government.
Mr Tembo said between 2013 and 2014 regulation of Chigayo unplanned settlement started and now it has a school, power and Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation is taking its water and sanitation network to the area.
He advised the people involved in illegal land allocation to stay away from Chigayo School land because doing so will suffocate the growth of the school.
Chingola District Commissioner Agnes Tonga said the accountability of CCDT had made it possible for stakeholders to continue supporting the organisation.
And in receiving the school, Mr Simulunga said Mr Nkhuwa has made frantic efforts to uplift the education standards in Chingola.
He said the Chigayo project was not the only infrastructure handed over to the sector.
The school was started by Catholic but now government has deployed four government teachers plus six volunteer teachers.
