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Mutakwa has been the inspiration to the setting up of The U Foundation. It is a village home to approximately 500 people who have a desire to help themselves.
The first stage of this project was the purchase of land to enable the people of Mutakwa to have the possibility of year round food production. This is normally limited to four months of the year during rainfall.
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The current projects at Mutakwa Village are 10 Acre Farm, Mutakwa Middle Basic School , The Nursery, and The Clinic |
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10 Acre Farm |
The U Foundation originally purchased 27 hectares of land to support the livelihood of the local population. However, it is our aim to support Mutakwa Middle Basic School, Mutakwa Nursery School (currently being built) and the future Mutakwa Secondary School (at present children above 14 years walk 25 kilometres to Lusaka) by the provision of food and the sale of crops produced from the farm.
The farm has had several stages of development. Initially a borehole, water pump, water tank and solar panels were installed. The second stage was to install taps and an irrigation system throughout the farm.
We also purchased and shipped a tractor for use of the farm and surrounding villages. The land has been cleared and now celebrates its third annual harvest. This includes crops such as maize, tomatoes, ground nuts, soya beans, peppers and potatoes amongst others.
Future plans include poultry, pigs and cattle. We are currently researching the feasibility of animal husbandry of the farm. |
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| Mutakwa Middle Basic School |
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Mutakwa Middle Basic School is home to 500 pupils who come from surrounding villages within a 15 kilometre radius. They often walk up to 30 kilometres each day to attend school. Currently the school is being refurbished by the Zambian government and The U Foundation.
Previously we have provided the school with books, Desks, chairs, and sports equipment. We have also provided solar panels to give the students the opportunity to learn music and basic computing skills.
Recently The U Foundation donated 500 school bags, one for each student, and teacher packs to provide the school with education aids.
It is the aim of The U Foundation to continue supporting the school and our future plans include the provision of electricity and running water in order to expand the educational process at the school. |
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| Nursery |
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We are currently building a nursery school for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. At present they are using a local church building as their classroom. This building is constructed of mud walls and a tin roof. The new building will be brick built with a reinforced fibre glass roof.
This will be completed by October 2006 and will have a capacity of up to 50 children. Any child from the surrounding area is eligible for a place at the nursery school. We simply encourage their parents to work for one day at 10 Acre Farm and in return their child can attend the nursery for one whole month. For more details see future plans |
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| Clinic |
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The clinic is located in the village of Mutakwa but supports over 11,000 people from surrounding villages. The amenities are very basic. The maternity ward is a single bed in the nurse’s office.
Child development health checks take place but can be irregular. Each of the two wards is in need of desperate repair, having broken windows and leaking roofs. The medicine supplies are limited and the store room is often bare. We hope to help change this. |