Bridging the attendance gap between girls and boys at Mukopola Primary School in Mpanshya.

Zambia has achieved near-universal primary school completion levels – national statistics indicate a completion rate of 91.8 per cent at Grade 7. However, Overall, girls continue to be at a disadvantage with a large number of them dropping out in the upper primary and secondary grades, and poorer levels of transition to junior secondary and senior secondary levels.

Mpanshya Community Forests Management Group (CFMG) invested in a one-by-two (1X2) classroom block and twin ventilated pit latrines for Mukopola Primary School in 2022 to help change that in its community!

“In line with the UN’s SDG 4, Quality Education, we are committed to investing in education. To ensure that the next generation is educated. During the rainy season, we see a significant drop in attendance for without adequate shelter is it very difficult to learn. The building of Classrooms has increased attendance, and specifically, the building of toilets has increased attendance of girls, which currently stands at 108 compared to boys which are at 105!”

Mr. Arnold Tembo, School manager for Mukopola Primary School.

Creating conditions, such as adequate toilets and hygiene facilities is especially important in maintaining attendance for the girl child as she becomes older. This investment is going to encourage female learners to remain in school throughout the month, giving them the same opportunities as boys. According to UNICEF, when girls remain in education it drastically reduces the chances of early marriages or teen pregnancies – both of which hinder a girl’s access to education and promote gender inequalities from an early age.

Mpanshya CFMG is one of the 12 Chiefdoms partnered with the Zambian Government and BCP under the Luangwa Community Forests Projects (LCFP).

Benefiting over 217,000 people, and protecting over 1.2 million hectares of forests and vital ecosystems in the Luangwa to Lower Zambezi valleys, find out more about this award-winning REDD+ project by visiting our website – https://biocarbonpartners.com/impacts/luangwa-community-forests-project/

To date revenue from Forest Carbon Fees has contributed to the investment in 56 education-related projects across both of BCP’s REDD+ Projects.

Background information and national figures are courtesy of UNICEF Zambia.