
The Jennifer Memorial Deaf Community Community School serves Deaf students from throughout the nation of Zambia. The school is located in Kitwe, Zambia, the third largest City in Zambia located in the North Central region of the country. Jennifer Memorial is one of just a handful of Deaf educational institutions in the entire country of Zambia.
Jennifer Memorial currently has 53 students enrolled in early childhood classes to Grade 7. All students are Deaf or hard of hearing and learn Zambia Sign Language (ZSL) in addition to academic subjects. They are taught by a staff of 8 teachers, 4 government teachers and 4 volunteers. Government support is limited and the school relies heavily on donations to continue operations.
Give Back to Community Zambia (GBCZ) Founder, Francis Phiri, who grew up in Zambia, has developed a partnership with Jennifer Memorial Founder and Principal, Frank Musukwa that allows GBCZ to provide direct support to the students of this unique school. Many of the students at the school come in from surrounding towns and villages where they live with families facing severe poverty. GBCZ donors can now directly sponsor at-risk vulnerable students allowing them to live at the school full-time in safe conditions so they can continue their education.
The GBCZ partnership with Jennifer Memorial also envisions providing support for much needed school improvements and expansion. GBCZ will be raising funds for Deaf Teacher Housing and a medical clinic. The teacher housing is critical for the future of the school because in Zambia there are very few teachers who are also qualified Deaf educators. To attract quality teachers from around Zambia to come teach at Jennifer Memorial, offering affordable housing at the school is a necessity. Also, the construction of a small medical clinic would serve the needs of students and staff and the larger Deaf community in the region, a community that currently does not have adequate access to healthcare.
Jennifer Memorial currently has 53 students enrolled in early childhood classes to Grade 7. All students are Deaf or hard of hearing and learn Zambia Sign Language (ZSL) in addition to academic subjects. They are taught by a staff of 8 teachers, 4 government teachers and 4 volunteers. Government support is limited and the school relies heavily on donations to continue operations.
Give Back to Community Zambia (GBCZ) Founder, Francis Phiri, who grew up in Zambia, has developed a partnership with Jennifer Memorial Founder and Principal, Frank Musukwa that allows GBCZ to provide direct support to the students of this unique school. Many of the students at the school come in from surrounding towns and villages where they live with families facing severe poverty. GBCZ donors can now directly sponsor at-risk vulnerable students allowing them to live at the school full-time in safe conditions so they can continue their education.
The GBCZ partnership with Jennifer Memorial also envisions providing support for much needed school improvements and expansion. GBCZ will be raising funds for Deaf Teacher Housing and a medical clinic. The teacher housing is critical for the future of the school because in Zambia there are very few teachers who are also qualified Deaf educators. To attract quality teachers from around Zambia to come teach at Jennifer Memorial, offering affordable housing at the school is a necessity. Also, the construction of a small medical clinic would serve the needs of students and staff and the larger Deaf community in the region, a community that currently does not have adequate access to healthcare.
Supporting Needed New School Facilities
With support from Zambian Deaf Women and Youth, the school recently built a new secondary school with seven classrooms. Work is also underway on a school caretakers house. But the need is great for more classrooms and the medical clinic.
According to Zambian Deaf Women and Youth Facebook page, the need for this school in Zambia is huge.
"56 years after independence Deaf children and youth walk long distance more than 20KM just to access Education because there are few special units in the country. More so almost all school are day school hence deprive Deaf children of language as at home families have no knowledge of sign language. This is a Deaf youth leaders led initiative to establish a first modern Education centre for the Deaf and by the Deaf. We aim to leave a strong and better Deaf Education. This project will include primary section secondary section, boarding facilities and more projects that will contribute to improved Education."
GBCZ is working with donors to support this transformation of Jennifer Memorial into a modern educational institution with quality facilities and quality teachers that the Zambian Deaf community deserves.