For as long as anyone at Chidobe Primary School can remember, the kitchen looked much the same as it did when it was first built back in 1990. Meals were cooked over open wood fires by a single volunteer community member, and how often those meals happened depended entirely on what food was in stock. When supplies were good, students ate daily. When they were not, meals dropped to as little as three times a week.
Thanks to a generous donation from the Grand Circle Foundation (GCF), CITW Zambezi is proud to share that this kitchen has now been completely renovated. The existing walls were raised to carry a new roof over the cooking and serving area, a concrete serving counter now stands in place of the old makeshift setup, and a proper exterior cooking area has been built to hold four large pots at once.
Hygiene was front of mind throughout the build. A double stainless-steel sink has been installed so learners can wash their hands before meals, and the improved layout has also reduced the smoke exposure that both the cook and learners used to deal with at mealtimes.
This project has directly benefited the school’s 262 students and 13 teachers, along with the community cook who gives her time to keep the feeding programme running, with the School Development Committee overseeing the renovation locally. A safer, more reliable kitchen means a stronger feeding programme, and a stronger feeding programme means children who are fed, focused and ready to learn.
We are so grateful to see this project completed, and on behalf of the students, teachers and the wider Chidobe community, CITW Zambezi thanks all those who enabled this to happen, for investing in something as simple and as vital as a good meal.
