Makululu, located in Kabwe, Zambia

Makululu community profile­

Makululu is the largest shanty compound in Zambia. It is located in the city of Kabwe, a town that once thrived. That was before the mining industry dried up, leaving Kabwe to look more like a ‘ghost town’. Now the main economic activities include trade and seasonal fishing. Residents of Kabwe struggle to survive amidst poverty levels that are alarmingly high, and HIV/AIDS rates that are am­ong the highest in the country.

Children struggle to survive, let alone gain an education. High levels of poverty lead to chronic starvation which affects the children’s motivation and attention in school. Schools attract few qualified teachers because they lack the means to pay them well. The children see only a bleak future, with a poor education system and the sight of friends and relatives succumbing to the tragedy of HIV/AIDS.

In this community of 60,000 people, 24% of the adults are HIV positive and over 1 in 4 children are orphaned. There is only one health centre that services the whole community and they do not have proper drugs to deal with the epidemic. There are 58 churches currently working on projects and caring for those with AIDS, the orphans and the widows.

The needs in the community

  • More home based care
  • Community lacks feeding programs
  • Absence of pre-school education
  • Youth and HIV/AIDS education needed
  • Income generation activities

What we are doing

  • Providing windows, desks, chairs and other furnishings for our recently built school
  • Providing school supplies and uniforms for orphaned and vulnerable children
  • Providing home-based care in the community
  • Purchasing food supplies and basic medicines for home-based care workers to distribute to patients
  • Transporting patients to hospitals and clinics
  • Supporting a chicken farm income-generating project