TALES FROM TUJATANE
SITUATED IN A SMALL RURAL VILLAGE CALLED SIMONGA, IN SOUTHERN ZAMBIA, APPROXIMATELY 20KM WEST OF LIVINGSTONE, TUJATANE IS A SCHOOL WITH A DIFFERENCE. MEANING ‘LET’S ALL HOLD HANDS TOGETHER’ IN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE OF CHITONGA, TUJATANE WAS FOUNDED BY VANESSA PARKER IN 1996, FUNDED BY THE NEARBY TONGABEZI LODGE.
Today, Tujatane has over 280 students ranging from pre-school to Grade 9, and are also supporting 65 at secondary school, and 20 at universities and colleges. Ex-pupils have gone on to become everything from accountants to engineers, pilots to teachers, lawyers to clinical officers, but their educational foundations were born here at this little school in the heart of Zambia.
Funded 100% by donations, Tujatane is a prime example of the symbiotic relationship between tourism and local communities, and we spoke to the team at Tongabezi and Tujatane about their very special partnership…
Can you give us a bit of background on Tujatane and why it was founded?
Tujatane, Tongabezi Trust school was born in 1996 and back then was only made up of one preschool classroom of 15 children. Vanessa Parker started the school, after arriving in Zambia as a teacher, volunteering through VSO. After meeting Ben, who was then building Tongabezi Lodge, Vanessa started the school after much persuasion from the community in the area. The school grew very quickly however, and today Tujatane is a complete and successful school.
The children from Tujatane come from homes within the local villages and all of the children either walk or cycle to school. Some children walk up to 12km to school and the same back home, meaning they leave home at 4am just to get to school. Almost all of the children live in houses made of mud and poles, with an iron sheet for their roof. They have no electricity or running water at home so it is necessary to collect firewood for cooking and water from nearby wells and pumps for use in the home. The children all help in the home from a young age, either collecting water in small containers, washing clothes, sweeping or washing pots and plates.
Due to the high poverty rate in the area, a lot of the children will leave home having not had breakfast. Tujatane runs a sponsored feeding programme which provides porridge for the children and also a hearty lunch of the local staple, nshima, either eggs or beans and a vegetable mix. It is very important to make sure the children can concentrate in lessons without being hungry.
The aim of the school is to give as many underprivileged children, in the local area, a privileged education by offering small class sizes, quality teachers and a range of extra-curricular activities such as ICT, sports, music, drama, cultural dance, chess and art.
Tujatane is run 100% from donations. The children cannot afford to pay to come to school so we try and get all of the children sponsored by people all over the world. The money they donate covers the costs of the resources one child needs at school and also contributes towards the salaries of the teachers and running costs of the school. Tujatane is able to feedback directly to each donor about their child as all of the teachers, administrators and managers are passionate about each individual child. This has not only a big impact on the donors, but also on the students, as they are able to forge important relationships with their donors.
What are the links between Tongabezi and Tujatane?
Tongabezi and Tujatane are intertwined but also totally separate entities as well. They both run in their own capacity. Tongabezi kindly built the first Tujatane classroom and continues to support the school in different ways. In every presentation we do it is vital we let operators know about the school which is so much a part of the Zambia experience meeting people from the local areas and learning about a totally different culture. When you head out on safari you learn about environments and wildlife and a stay at Tongabezi close to the town of Livingstone will also give you a valuable insight into Zambian life, culture and people. Most guests staying at Tongabezi will include a visit to the school and find themselves falling in love with this very special place and wanting to support in some way or other.
How does tourism impact the school?
Tourism plays a vital role in the success of the school. The school relies 100% on donations from well-wishers across the globe, many of whom know about the school through their stay at Tongabezi. The guests at the lodge are able to come and visit the school and interact with the students. This is carefully monitored by our guiding team, who are aware of the lessons which are happening and ensure that the tours are conscious of the students and their learning. Our children love meeting people from across the world and as well as visitors learning from our students, our students learn a lot from interacting with visitors and hearing their stories. This builds confidence, helps them practice their English, and broadens their knowledge of the world. Our children also love sharing their stories and their talents (singing, dancing poetry etc).
Tell us more about the support Tujatane offers to its students…
Tujatane prides itself on the extra-curricular programmes it runs for the students. Through the support of our donors we are able to have multiple clubs for the children to join, such as chess club, art club, sports, music club, to name but a few! This is vital for the holistic development of the child and for unlocking the talents and potential of each individual student. Although the school only goes up to Grade 9, we continue to support students all the way through to Grade 12 which is the end of secondary school, and for some students we will support them to study further at university, college, or trade school. Some of our graduates are nurses, electricians, accountants, teachers, lawyers, and even a pilot! The school offers extra support to the students, such as educational school trips, extra lessons for exam classes, as well as guidance and counselling for those who need a little more support.
Tujatane focuses a lot on girl and boy empowerment to uplift the students and ensure they are aware of the challenges girls face in the community and how the students can ensure as much inclusivity and gender equality in their lives as possible. The school has grown over the years, to have facilities such as a computer lab, science lab, sports grounds, a canteen, as well as a classroom for each grade. The school runs a feeding programme which means each student receives two meals a day when they are at school, to help them concentrate throughout the day. Due to the backgrounds our children are from, sometimes the meals they receive at school are the only meals they will have in a day, so it is essential that our food programme exists.
Our teachers are a vital part of the school. We have been able to hire good quality teachers, and empower, uplift and train the teachers to keep them motivated and enthused and for the benefit of the students. At Tujatane, we are to keep class sizes small which is a huge positive.
What impact has Tujatane had on the wider community?
By the very meaning of the name Tujatane, the impact the school has on the wider community cannot be ignored. The school runs not only a day school for students but also a night school for parents who are wishing to further their education. We run an adult Grade 9 class and we also sponsor the top achieving parents from Grade 9 to continue their education through to Grade 12. As well as this we run a women’s English group for women to be able to learn English to help support themselves and their family, and at our new Art Centre we run a sewing group to help upscale members of the community.
What has your response been to the challenges the pandemic has raised?
Of course, similar to everyone in the world, COVID-19 has affected the school and the area significantly. Livingstone relies heavily on tourism for its economy and with no international guests coming into Zambia it has been challenging for the region. In May we launched our COVID-19 food relief fund and we were overwhelmed by support. It has meant that in a time where many of the parents or guardians of our pupils are on reduced salaries, have been made redundant or the search for informal employment is more challenging than ever, we have been able to provide a basic food package to support each of our students every month and due to the generosity and kindness of our donors, we are now able to continue the basic food handouts until Christmas and also into 2021. Any extra funds we receive will enable us to add to these handouts. To see how much we have raised, or to make a contribution please click here.
What kind of supplies does a school like Tujatane need that visitors can think about bringing with them, and what kind of impact can that have?
We are always so grateful to people for bringing items to the School. Usually, guests contact us first and we avail a list to them of our most needed items. Often, we ask for supplies which we cannot find here in Zambia or are cheaper outside of Zambia. We update what we need each term to focus on different aspects of the school and this is on our website. However, being a school, we are always grateful for any supplies people bring us as every pen, pencil and ruler truly makes a huge impact. When we have had guests, we always send out after tour communication emails to our visitors. Tujatane is a family, so it is so important for us to keep contact with everyone who wants to hear more about us and ensure we can build up personalized rapports with each guest or donor.
Do you think it will become more important in the future for clients to want to stay somewhere that has a positive impact on the local community?
A key element of travel is raising awareness about sustainable travel and the important role plays it plays in protecting our global environment, wildlife conservation and economic development in communities. It is also important for clients to take something valuable and empowering away from their trip. Education is the key and it is so important to ensure children are getting the best possible start in life to ensure their futures and their environment’s future. All lodges and camps in this day and age should have programmes in place to support the environment and their local areas. In turn the travel industry needs to educate people that when they choose to stay in a camp or lodge they are not just enjoying an incredible experience but they are also supporting communities and wildlife conservation projects.
For more information on Tujatane, the Tongabezi Trust school, please visit tujatane.com
