Kabundi High School partners with Pencoed
By TIONE PHIRI
PLACED in the heart of four residential areas namely; Kabundi East, Kabundi North and Kabundi South in Chingola on the Copperbelt is Kabundi High School.
By car, it is just ten minutes drive from the town centre with easy access via Kabundi road into Dag Hammarskjöld road past Kabundi South township.The school was officially opened on July 27, 1974 by then Minister of Finance, Fwanyanga Mulikita.
It was built with World Bank funding to cater for children from the surrounding mine townships and the mushrooming site-and-service area including Soweto township.
The school population originally comprised 400 pupils with a gradual increase leading to the current 1,600 pupils including 50 teaching staff.
Over the years, Kabundi High School has undergone massive transformation.
The school has been reconstructed with rustic imperial pan bricks. The lawns, flower beds, laboratories and classrooms have been given a major boost.
The aim is to provide a self-contained institution where all pupils would receive tuition and availed recreational facilities.
The school has continued to develop its facilities to enhance the learning experience which also allows pupils easy access to information about the outside world.
It is due to the foregoing that the school embarked on a search for a partner school in Europe.
The school was placed on the Global Gateway site with the intention of building links with a school community that had similar aspirations.
Over the next 17 months, a number of secondary schools from Europe (England, France, Germany) and Asia (India, China) requested partnership.
Some of them were inappropriate matches for particular needs of the school hence their invitations being shunned.
However in July 2005, Tom Biebrach, Project Coordinator from Ysgol Pencoed Comprehensive School in Bridgend Wales contacted Tione Phiri for a possible link up.
This invitation appeared to be the partnership the school had long sought for. In no time, the two project coordinators were in regular contact through e-mail, finding out about each school.
Ysgol Pencoed comprehensive school was built in 1973 and provides education to children up to upper 6th form.
The school population is about 1,200 with some 80 teaching staff. The catchment area includes Pencoed, Heol-y-cyw, Ilanharan, Brynna, Coy church, Brackla (part of) and Coity. It is a mixed school of non-denominational religion. It is located in Pencoed, Bridgend.
The regular contacts led to pen friend letter exchanges between pupils and this evolved into an official partnership agreement which was later to be endorsed by school authorities and governors.
The purpose of the partnership was to foster cultural understanding between pupils and teachers of Pencoed Comprehensive School and Kabundi High School as well as promoting global citizenship within a real context.
It was meant to promote a greater understanding of sustainable development, through a joint project stressing the impact of industrial pollution on water supply systems.
The partnership was meant to enhance a greater understanding of global impact of HIV/AIDS in Zambia and Wales and formulating strategies aimed at increasing sensitisation and prevention.
The work produced by pupils was to be shared and displayed on the partnership website http://pencoedkabundilink.wordpress.com
Among the numerous programmes that Kabundi High School and Ysgol Pencoed have embarked on include a 300 Pounds per pupil grant given to Kabundi to execute a scholarship programme to help orphans and vulnerable children.
As partner schools tried to strengthen their links, Mr Biebrach and Mr Phiri submitted an application in August, 2005 for a Reciprocal Visit Grant from the British Council.
The two schools were given funding of up to £1,900 for reciprocal visits through the British Council by December 2005.
By January 2006, all necessary arrangements for accommodation, insurance, visa application, immunisations and programme of activities had been fulfilled.
All invited guests to the school partnership signing ceremony confirmed their coming.
On January 22, 2006 the senior officials at the event included the Copperbelt Deputy Permanent Secretary, the Provincial Education Officer, the District Education Board Secretary, the Mayor’s representative and school headteachers from both Basic and High Schools in Chingola.
The school partnership agreement was endorsed by the Headteacher Mr Emmanuel Simbeye (for Kabundi High School) and Mr Tom Biebrach (for Ysgol Pencoed Comprehensive School witnessed by the Provincial Education Officer.
While in Zambia, Mr Biebrach taught selected classes at Kabundi High School and visited various offices which included that of the District Commissioner, the Mayor and District Board Education Secretary.
He also visited Nchanga Open Pit, Chimfunshi Orphanage and Hippo Pool, (the area most affected by pollution) on the Kafue River.
Other areas he visited were Soweto, Kabundi East and Kapisha Hot Spring.
At the end of his visit, Mr. Biebrach said his perception of Zambia had completely changed.
He said there were poignant stories in the west that sub–Sahara Africa was rampant with disease, war, natural disasters, famine and corruption.
Mr Biebrach said these were pictures constantly displayed on television screens back in the United Kingdom but was overwhelmed by the way of life, culture and warmth of Zambians.
In April 2007, Mr Phiri undertook a reciprocal visit to the UK, Bridgend in Wales and admitted it was great experience to learn about local culture, language and the educational system.
It availed him an opportunity to teach and explain the geography of Zambia in terms of economic development, culture, education and the general way of life.
He visited various places which included St Fagan’s Museum of Welsh life, Big Pit Mine Museum, Portcawl, Ffynnon o’er Wind Farm, National Assembly, Maes Yr Haul Primary School, Pencoed Junior and many other places.
He also met school Governors at Pencoed Comprehensive School, the MP for Bridgend, the Mayor of Bridgend as well as Dr Simon Jones at Glamorgan University with a group of his students. The essence was to brainstorm on how the link could be further strengthened.
Both visits by these teachers have made a serious impact in the two schools. Many schools in Wales have now developed a lot of interest to partner with schools in Zambia.
This school partnership has already won an award from the Welsh Secondary Association.
Kabundi and Ysgol Pencoed have also facilitated the link of Pencoed Junior School in Bridgend with Chibwe Basic School in Chingola.
The development of this link has led to pupils and staff taking a keen interest in the partnership activities.
They want to share their knowledge and experiences to their respective schools and communities at large.
It is envisaged that events surrounding the link would avail pupils, teachers and parents opportunities to create awareness of the global dimension as well as developing communication on leadership including team working skills.
The two schools are eager to invest in their communities in terms of information that would build strong societies in future.
The two schools are striving to become communities dedicated to fulfilling the potential of all to produce valued citizens of tomorrow.
/MISA%20promoting%20media%20diversity%20_%20pluralism%20_%20self-sufficiency%20_%20independence_files/spacer.gif){kind=spacer}
