A Community School Restored. Thanks to the generous support of So Others May Learn (SOML), Children in the Wilderness has completed the construction of two double classroom blocks for the Lupinyu community, located just outside Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
For years, CITW partnered with Jabulani School in Lupinyu, building classrooms, supporting teachers, and providing scholarships. But when the school was turned into a private institution, government support was withdrawn and our mandate to assist came to an end. The school eventually closed, leaving behind a fully equipped building with no teachers, no lessons, and more than 250 children without access to education. In response, the District Schools Inspector and the Rural District Council allocated land for a new, government-run, community-owned school. Learning began immediately, but under trees, with three government teachers and two volunteers doing their best to keep classes going. With the rainy season approaching, the need for proper classrooms was urgent.
Now, thanks to SOML funding, the new school finally has four safe, solid classrooms. Alongside the construction, SOML also provided desks and chairs, whiteboards, and stationery. These additions mean students now have the tools they need to learn, while teachers have the resources to teach effectively. For the Lupinyu community, this is more than a construction project. It is a restoration of hope and ownership of their children’s education.
The classrooms and equipment ensure continuity in learning, protect students from the weather, and guarantee that Lupinyu’s school will remain government-run and community-managed into the future. Above all, they mean that children who were once left without a school now have a place to grow, learn, and dream.
To everyone who made this possible, thank you. Your support has not only built classrooms, but also equipped them, safeguarding the right to education for hundreds of children in Lupinyu.
