Mwanakatwe donates 120 desks to State Lodge School
LUSAKA Central Member of Parliament Margaret Mwanakatwe has donated 120 desks to pupils at State Lodge A Primary School and urged them to concentrate on education.
Speaking during the donation on Tuesday in Lusaka, Ms Mwanakatwe said she had the heart for the children and she will ensure that they were given the best in terms of education.
Ms Mwanakatwe said it was unacceptable that pupils at State Lodge School did not have computers for science classes as well as Information Technology (IT).
She has since promised to provide the computers to the school so that they were not behind in learning.
She acknowledged the many challenges the school and teachers were facing among them being poor sanitary conditions and lack of accomodation.
Ms Mwanakatwe who is Minister of Commerce urged the pupils to take education seriously and take care of the desks donated as the beneficiaries.
“I am happy to see school children as well as members of staff, I feel happy and I will ensure that you and my people deserve the best,
“And this donation of 120 desks is not the first and last there is an issue of sanitation and computers among others and I will ensure that I fulfil my promise,” said Ms Mwanakatwe.
And a Head teacher at the school, Inonge Kakeya appealed to Ms Mwanakatwe to construct them 1×3 classroom block as the school has been upgraded to grade 9 status.
Ms Kakeya said the construction of a class room block would accommodate the new learners in grade eight and nine.
She said with the introduction of new curriculum the school was finding difficulties to teach computer studies due to lack of equipment.
“When you came this year in February you found these children sitting on the floor and you promised to that you would buy us desks of which you have fulfilled today,
“The school is still facing a lot of challenges such as infrastructure and sanitation, as you can see the school does not have proper ablution block for girls and that is a great challenge, so we are appealing to you through your office to help us finish the construction of the girl's ablution block,” said Ms Kakeya.
Meanwhile vice-person of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Mr Vincent Kakomoka appealed to Ms Mwanakatwe to construct teachers’ houses because only two teachers were accommodated against 18.