Working visit to Zambia for Inverness County Cares
September 25, 2024

Left: Teacher Cynthia comforting a student as she teaches 28 students. Middle: John MacInnis left and John Gillies repairing windows with two local workers. Right: Music class with Betty Jane Cameron.
Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a society formed to help children in dire need. Our current project is to provide food, shelter and an education to the students of the Kawambwa Schools in Northern Zambia. These schools cater to the blind, visually impaired and persons with albinism.
On January 22, 2024 a group of six ICC members travelled to Zambia for a working visit of six weeks. The travellers were four retired Nova Scotia teachers, Charlotte Rankin, Winnie Rankin, John Gillies and Colleen MacLeod; Betty Jane Cameron, a nurse and music teacher; and electrician John MacInnis. The volunteers personally covered all their costs associated with the trip.
ICC has worked with the two schools, St Mary’s in Kawambwa on the edge of the northern Zambian plateau (115 students) and St Odilia, in Mporokoso (315 students) for five years. ICC partners with Chalice Canada, an international charity based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Our connection with this well-respected organization brings the stability of a partner who can provide onsite supervision of the project, accounting services, auditing support and CRA taxation receipts.
Through our work with the schools and our regular correspondence we’ve developed a virtual relationship with the Sisters of the Child Jesus, a Zambian order who administer the two schools. In 2020 three ICC members visited the school for four weeks, and it was with great joy that they renewed their friendship and introduced three more ICC members this year.
On our arrival in Kawambwa we were faced with a school without students because of school closures due to cholera. We had previously informed the sisters that we would have funding available for repairs to infrastructure at each school on our arrival. Right away, the sisters asked John and John to conduct an inventory of the infrastructure needs of the school. Betty Jane got to work helping teachers develop a framework for her music lessons to use later with students and teachers, using musical instruments already at the school and more we had brought with us this trip.
Winnie was assigned to the Home Economics class and initially met with teachers to help them develop additional food preparation skills. The sisters grow food in the school grounds and in other locations belonging to their congregation, which supplies the schools with abundant nutritious food. Charlotte worked with blind students who were already in residence at the school and assisted them as they built their confidence reading braille.
Meanwhile, Colleen introduced teachers to new insights in Canadian teaching methods, emphasizing interactive student-centred learning. The school understandably prioritizes good nutrition and braille supplies for the visually impaired. Other areas face a shortfall in funding because there just isn’t sufficient funding to conduct proper maintenance.
The children returned to school on February 12, and we were in Mporokoso to greet them. Here we moved our educational focus to being with the children. John and John continued to work on getting local tradespeople and supplies to repair non-operational infrastructure. By the time we departed, both school sites had water restored to classrooms, dormitories and shower rooms, and electricity functioning in classrooms and dormitories.
Once the water was running, it was discovered that the sewer system was non-operational and in need of new piping. This refit was achieved before we left. As well, 140 panes were replaced, and defective window catches repaired, which prevented more wind damage to windows. In total, ICC spent $17,200 on repairs to the school campuses. To put this in perspective, it’s important to know that the average yearly income for an unskilled worker in Zambia is $400 CDN or less. The changes have made a remarkable improvement in the school environment.
We were met with immense gratitude, which was expressed by all levels of administration, school boards, bishops, clergy, the school administration, and most of all by the children who now have lights, toilets and running water.
All this was made possible by our supporters who help by dropping off bottles and cans at our recycling trailers in Mabou and Port Hood as well as our donors who are so very generous. We were the messengers representing the good will and generosity of Canadians. Thank you all so much.

