Zambia Inclusive Education Project the Focus of BBC Radio 4 Appeal

A new three-year project by Leonard Cheshire in Zambia is working to see hundreds of children with disabilities enrolled and retained in primary schools.

This work has been selected for highlight in the current BBC Radio 4 charity appeal.

The project, designed to reach 750 children and 30 primary schools, is being implemented by Leonard Cheshire with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the Swedish Postcode Lottery, and the Peter Cundill Foundation. The BBC Radio 4 appeal, which features a new charitable cause each week, includes a radio broadcast about Leonard Cheshire’s work and a dedicated webpage for the appeal.

The project focuses on Zambia’s Eastern Province and the cities of Chipata, Katete, Nyimba, Petauke, and Sinda. Leonard Cheshire previously implemented a three-year program in Southern, Lusaka, and Kaufe Provinces, facilitating the inclusion of over 1,500 children in 60 schools. The inclusion program is based on a proven model that has seen almost 33,000 young people with disabilities enrolled in primary schools across Asia and Africa.

Leonard Cheshire conducts health assessments, providing any necessary assistive devices, training teachers and school administrators in inclusive teaching practices, adapting the infrastructure of schools, creating student clubs, holding parent support groups, and providing educational outreach to government officials and other stakeholders. They work with their local partner, Cheshire Homes Society of Zambia, in implementing the project.

SNF has supported past inclusive education projects through Leonard Cheshire in Kenya, Botswana, and Sudan.