Project Zambia 2017
Novicell has supported the Danish association Eventure and their Project Zambia since 2013, and we have closely followed the development the project has gone through - and the results it creates. It is an exciting journey to be a part of, and we know that with our fixed monthly contributions we are helping to make development possible by covering the running costs of running the project in Zambia.
Every year a group of colleagues visit the project in Zambia. It brings us closer to the project and provides value both here and there. With our commitment, we thus ensure a direct connection to the meaning of going to work every day: Namely, helping to create a better everyday life. Therefore it is very important that we are not "just" visiting Zambia and every year we have a new project with us to carry out - and which matches our own core competencies.
In 2016 we built an IT classroom with tablets and laptops for the project's after-school, and in 2017 we established wireless internet at the school, thus opening the door to a whole new world of possibilities for the students. It is always a great experience to visit Project Zambia and see with your own eyes the dedication and energy that is there.
"Now that it has been a while since the Zambia expedition, and everyday life has settled in again, I can still feel the energy and joy that you were greeted with at the Zambian school. Both the students and the volunteers were filled to the brim with a will and gratitude that makes you want to let go and get carried away. I certainly don't think this was my last visit to Northern Star Academy – the only question is whether my family will be there with me next time.”
News from Zambia
Below are the latest updates from Project Zambia - written by the project's volunteers in the period January-April 2017.
English and communication
The first module of the school year at Northern Star Academy is "English and Communication". During this module, students are introduced to basic theories within communication, rhetoric and other core language concepts, which are continuously tested in practice, evaluated and put into a larger context.
Morning gymnastics with a twist
Every Monday morning, all volunteers and employees meet on the beach or at the stadium at 06.00. And yes, sometimes you think it's too early, but when the whistle blows, the fighting spirit is at full throttle. We are playing. We play. And we laugh a lot. We do this to create a greater community between all of us on the plot. We meet to be together across age, work areas and culture. It's the best start to the day, and no one spares any effort. So the week is off to a good start.
Reunion 2017
Since 2014, more than 100 wonderful young people have been students at Northern Star Academy... On Friday, a large part of them gathered for the annual reunion, and it was a day filled with great energy and great mood! It was absolutely incredible to experience the joy that was everywhere, and the big smiles were plastered on all faces from start to finish. Even as both boats sailed towards Mpulungu in the late afternoon, they were rocking with song and dance!
Sustainable agriculture
In the second module of the year, the students are taught sustainable agriculture. Here, the concept of sustainability is introduced, which is put in relation to agriculture, and then the students create their own kitchen gardens and present the theory that is linked to plant science and practical work.
Cheer along from the sideline
Our stadium is used extensively, and we are delighted to see the inhabitants of the neighboring villages on the battens as well as on the pitch. We have played netball matches with and against the women from the villages, who can also field a football team in the space of zero point five when we whistle for a match. In April, it was a good old-fashioned gymnastic display with fan marching and all, and the funniest thing was that the audience got so caught up in the atmosphere that after the display they jumped onto the track and did the display a few more times. It is the enthusiasm and desire for fun that gives us all a good laugh and an extra shot of energy every single day.
Nice visit from Denmark
By Louise Elsøe Jensen (leader)
In April we had another visit from our good friends from Novicell. This time we received a group of 9 men and women who came with a very clear task: the IT room, which the colleagues established last year, had to be upgraded with internet! A really cool opportunity to make the teaching at Northern Star Academy even better. And a task that was solved impressively quickly by the sharp IT heads. In addition to internet, the novices also brought many other things with them, for example a brand new LED projector, a new printer, headphones for all students and not least a lot of great energy and good mood! It was great to have a visit from Novicell, and we are already looking forward to seeing what they come up with next year :-)
Below are the latest updates from Project Zambia - written by the project's volunteers in the period May-August 2017.
Health and nutrition
The title of module 3 is “Health & Nutrition”. Through theoretical and practical teaching, students have learned about the body's anatomy and physiology, health, sexual education, hygiene, diseases and nutrition. We have worked with questions such as: How do you keep the body healthy and avoid diseases? What do you do when the accident happens? How do you tackle problems such as malaria and HIV/AIDS in society?
Living Library rallies out…
... with knowledge and fun
Every Wednesday we sail to the nearby village of Chezi and give the children there a fun and educational afternoon. The concept is managed by our students, who complete an afternoon with extraordinarily high energy and enthusiasm. A few hundred children come to the football pitch every single week, and we continue the collaboration with the school in the town, who are very enthusiastic about our inspiration and ability to engage the children.
Thanks for the opportunities
Project Zambia is thriving and developing. First and foremost because of visionary ideas and the generosity of sponsors. It enables us to run the project solidly and safely - and gives courage to get new ideas and constantly increase the quality of both after-school and kindergarten.
The many volunteers provide an indescribable effort throughout the year: the project is enriched with professional skills and energetic personalities, which are translated into learning and cultural exchange when it is at its best.
Community Development
The Community Development summer module is packed with professional and personal challenges for the students. Here we start from something as abstract as the development of the local community. The requirement for the students is that, based on well-developed ideas, they can present concrete and realistic projects for the residents of Mbete.
Eventure Care turns 1 year old
After a good first year of building, start-up and development, Eventure Care is now entering phase two. Here, the focus will be on operations, consolidation and training.
A new management team has focused on training our two permanent employees in EC and wants to strengthen their professionalism through this. In addition, the educational work will be expanded to a greater extent also include planning and carrying out workshops for the surrounding villages.
Small steps - big change
By Kent Kristensen (Teacher)
When you see what circumstances the students come from, and thus get a feel for their prerequisites for learning, I must say that I really take my hat off to the Zambian youth. We work a lot with idea development, creativity and ingenuity, on how to constantly see and create opportunities for yourself and society. The students have been taught exactly the opposite all their lives. Until they get to Eventure. Here we ask for their opinion, we unfold the perspectives, and the students hang on by their nails to learn this approach to knowledge.
Below are the latest updates from Project Zambia - written by the project's volunteers in the period September-December 2017.
Entrepreneurship
In module 5, the school's students have been taught in Entrepenurship, Innovation and Economy. The purpose of the teaching was to get the students to think abstractly and creatively, which to a certain extent succeeded, and the big ideas came pouring out. Shoes with wheels and a luxury hotel in primitive Mpulungu were just some of the suggestions the students came up with.
I have started a football project in Africa
By Buster Emil Kirchner
Stray goats on the field, a mischievous schemer and a coach who beats his players. It is far from boring to be in charge of the village team Mbete FC. A new football project is a collaboration between Mbete's football delegates and Eventure. With three weekly training sessions and more than 60 registered players in the U14 and U17 age groups, the players are taught life values through football.
Read more about the football project at Eventures Facebook-page.
Welcome to Eventure
More than 100 hopeful youngsters have applied for admission to the Northern Star Academy in 2018. This man, Gilbert (to the right.), is one of them. And check out that smile. This is how he looked when Line told him that he has been accepted as a student next year. In January, Gilbert will therefore start together with 27 other young people in the fifth student team at Northern Star Academy. We are already looking forward to it!
High school preparation
In the last module of the year, there have been many subjects on the schedule. The pupils are now prepared to start high school in January and have been taught, among other things, mathematics, physics, religion and English. There was also a collection of what they have learned earlier in the year, which resulted in fine presentations on various of the year's topics. Again this year, all students are guaranteed sponsorship for their further progress in high school!
Green development
All the children in Eventure Care planted their own moringa trees this autumn. The children regularly visited their moringa trees and could see how they grew from time to time. Our moringa expert, Nicholas, made sure to tell the children all the time what happened and why we do what we do. And then he taught them a lot about all the things you can use the tree and its leaves and seeds for - knowledge that the children take home with them and that they can share with others. For graduation, the children got their own moringa trees home to plant.
The road ahead
By Mette Kaae
The students of Northern Star Academy finished the school year on November 25th, yet they were back in Eventure Village just days after graduation. Not as students, but as workers. In that way, they earned money for the equipment they have to bring to high school in January. The headman in Mbete had pointed out various desirable projects, and in collaboration with Eventure, the choice fell on building a road to Mbete. The students took the task very seriously and worked hard for their wages, which will be spent on mattresses, uniforms, shoes and much more.
Long-term cooperation
Novicell has supported Eventure's project in Zambia since 2013, and we have been on the journey almost from the beginning. We give ongoing donations every single month rather than a lump sum. In this way, Eventure can to a greater extent establish sustainable initiatives that dare to look ahead to create even more development for everyone involved. This applies both to children, students and employees in Zambia, but equally to the more than 500 Danish volunteers who have been through the project since it started.