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Construction of the first multi-million Kwacha boarding secondary school in Katete District of Eastern Province has commenced, leaving the people excited.
The project, which costs more than K23 million, will create more than 199 jobs in 33 villages surrounding the school and is expected to be completed in August 2025.
The school will house more than 1,200 students in grades eight through 12 and will also have 12 staff dormitories.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the school, Eastern Province Education Officer Brianley Malambo said the government attached importance to education and therefore ensured that the basic elements of formal education were as close to the people as possible.
“When we talked about government’s commitment to ensure schools are built in Eastern Province, people were sceptical but today we are here not to talk about promises but to witness the work that is going on in this great place where we are building a co-educational boarding school. As you can see on site, the work has already started. As PEO of Eastern Province, I am happy because my government and I are delivering on our promises to the people of Zambia,” he said.
Carter District Commissioner Raphael Phiri, speaking at the event, urged the community to be safe and not allow construction materials to be stolen as it would affect the quality of the construction.
“I appeal to everyone here, let us all be policemen and warriors. If we allow construction materials, especially cement, to be stolen, all it takes is rain for schools to collapse. Theft of materials is the root cause of undermining development,” he said.
Chief Mbangombe of the Chewa community in the Katte and Sinda regions asked authorities to provide places for local children before accepting students from other areas.
He expressed dissatisfaction that if students from far away were enrolled in Gawa Undi Secondary School, local children of the school would choose to indulge in things that would hinder their studies.
“This school, let’s not have those who come here from faraway places like Lusaka to study while our own children are busy burning charcoal. Let’s ensure that every child here can attend this school,” he said.
Andy Primary School principal Susan Banda thanked the government for providing secondary education to the children which will reduce the distance they have to travel to the nearest school.
According to the Zambia News Agency, Gawa Undi Boarding Secondary School is 3 kilometres from Undi Primary School, while the nearest secondary school at present, Katete Girls Boarding Secondary School, is 7 kilometres from Undi Primary School.
There are only two boarding secondary schools in Katete and the Gawa Undi Boarding Secondary School will be the third school in the area and the first in Mbonombe Chiefdom.
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