LearnAsOne

Compared to many of its neighbours – particularly Zimbabwe, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – Zambia could be considered one of the more successful countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a stable, democratically elected government, no history of civil war and inflation levels which even dipped into single figures for year end 2006.

Unlike many African nations, it’s a country rich in natural resources, agricultural potential and – thanks to Victoria Falls and some of the continent’s best wildlife reserves - has plenty to attract foreign tourists.

And yet, when you see the raw statistics, Zambia typifies the profile of nearly every country in the area.

• A massive 68% of the population live below the poverty line.
• In a country of nearly 12 million, less than 5 million access to clean, safe drinking water.
• One in seven people are HIV positive, and AIDS has played a key factor in reducing life expectancy to 42 years of age
• The infant mortality rate is over one in ten, while the under-5s mortality rate is 170 in a thousand
• One in three adults are illiterate, placing Zambia in the bottom 25% of countries in the world for literacy.
• Out of 177 countries, Zambia is ranked 165th on the Human Development Index, a UN measure of well being and standards of living.

It shouldn’t be this way. A 10-year period of corrupt governance throughout the 90s and reliance on the fluctuating prices of one major export – in this case copper – means that by some estimates, the average Zambian was three times better off at the time of independence in 1964 than they are today.

The need for better schools

While it’s not the only solution to Zambia’s problems, improving the standards of education throughout Africa will play a key role in pulling communities out of poverty. As well as being an obvious route to economic opportunity, a primary education is proven to reduce malnutrition and HIV infection, and combat the spread of infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. Malaria alone kills over 1,000,000 people, mostly children, in Africa each year.

The current government recognises this. It is committed to the Dakar Framework for Action which was drawn up to help African countries meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Education is free up to grade 7. In the last nine years, it has increased the number of children enrolled in primary school to over 90%.

The challenges

While that’s to be applauded, the truth is that they need more help to meet the MDG targets by 2015. Education is a priority, but it’s also a strain on an overloaded system that’s been hit once again by the global downturn.

It’s hard to see how the Zambian government can fund the necessary changes on its own. Thanks to low life expectancy, 48% of the population is under the age of 15, and a third of those are orphans.

Even with the provision of universal access, only 10% of children in grade 6 reach the standards expected by SACMEQ, the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality. Books are a luxury, and the average pupil to teacher ratio is around 1:50 – a measure that includes the relatively successful private schools for the wealthy.

As a result only a quarter of children continue their education into secondary level, and in the poorest areas the dropout rate among younger children is so high that only 40% actually complete their primary education in the first place.

That’s why we’ll be in Zambia for the next few weeks. To give a community who need a school the opportunity to share their stories with you. Please follow the trip live on our blog and Twitter and help to share the stories with the world.