Hope Rebuilt: A Miracle in Ndakala Village, Zambia
Hope Rebuilt: A Miracle in Ndakala Village, Zambia
By Allen J. Roth
There are moments in life that quietly confirm something bigger is at work—moments that remind you that faith, generosity, and human goodness can change the course of entire communities.
In 2018, I met a man named Sam Kalonde, a headmaster serving in the remote regions of northern Zambia. Alongside other dedicated educators like Savior Mwapa, Sam had chosen a path few would willingly take—leaving the relative comfort of town life in Kasama to serve in deeply rural villages, accessible only by rough 4WD trails, often cut off entirely during rainy seasons.
These are not easy places to live or work.
And yet, these are the places where hope is most needed.
What struck me then—and continues to inspire me now—is the unwavering commitment of these teachers. They sacrifice comfort, proximity to family, and basic infrastructure to serve children who otherwise would have little chance at education. In these villages, students face immense barriers: poverty, long travel distances, illness, food insecurity, and cultural realities like early marriage and family responsibilities at a very young age.
Still—they want to learn.
A Return Six Years Later
In 2024, I returned to Zambia with family members and a volunteer group. As we approached Ndakala Primary School, something remarkable happened.
There, standing among a crowd of students and villagers, was Sam.
Six years had passed—but the mission had not changed.
We embraced like no time had passed at all. Around us were hundreds of children—full of energy, hope, and anticipation—despite learning in crumbling classrooms with almost nothing.
In that moment, it became clear: this work matters more than ever.
When Disaster Struck
In 2025, Sam sent word that a storm had blown the roof off one of the school’s main classroom buildings. With no immediate government response after more than six months, the situation became critical.
Students were learning under trees. Classes were overcrowded. Some children stopped attending altogether.
But thanks to donors—people like you—Zambia Scholarship Fund (ZSF) stepped in.
With just $3,000, we were able not only to repair the damaged structure but also to begin rehabilitating another long-neglected classroom block. What may seem like a small amount becomes transformative in places like Ndakala.
And the impact was immediate.
“The dropouts have indicated to us that they are restarting school when we open… The repair and rehab—it is unprecedented.”
— Sam Kalonde
Let that sink in.
Children who had left school—not because they didn’t want to learn, but because life made it impossible—are now returning.
Why This Matters
In Zambia’s most remote regions, “dropping out” doesn’t mean lack of interest. It means:
- Walking miles to school without food
- Caring for siblings or sick family members
- Working fields to survive
- Or being forced into adulthood far too early
Education is the single most powerful tool to break that cycle.
But education requires something simple—and often missing:
Classrooms. Teachers. Basic resources.
Through ZSF, 150 villages now have sponsored teachers. Ndakala is one of them.
But the need is still overwhelming.
Leadership That Changes Everything
None of this happens without leaders like Sam.
Men and women who refuse to give up on their communities.
Who push trucks through mud, carry materials by motorbike when roads disappear, and rally entire villages around the belief that their children deserve better.
Their resilience is summed up in a local saying Sam shared:
“Where there is a will, there is a way.”
The Opportunity Ahead
Right now, Ndakala still faces major needs:
- 739 students
- Only 5 classrooms
- Just 65 desks (with 85 more needed)
- Only 4 teachers
The progress made is incredible—but it’s just the beginning.
A single additional classroom block could dramatically reduce overcrowding and improve learning for hundreds of children.
A Simple Invitation
This is what makes Zambia Scholarship Fund so powerful:
Small contributions create real, measurable change.
- $3,000 rebuilt classrooms
- Donations bring students back to school
- Support empowers entire communities
And perhaps most importantly—it restores hope.
Sam’s full report of the current Ndkala Roof Repair on 1×3 and Rehab of 1×2 are below:
See Full Report PDF by Clicking Here
NDAKALA PRIMARY SCHOOL
REPORT ON REPAIR OF 1×3 AND REHABILITATION OF 1×2 CLASSROOM BLOCKS
OPENED:1968
ZONE: BULOMBWA
DISTANCE:168KILOMETERS (101 MILES) FROM DEBS OFFICE
ENROLLMENT: 739. BOYS:371. GIRLS:368
STAFFING LEVEL:4 MALE TEACHERS
Ndakala Primary School
P.o.box 48
Mungwi.
28th April,2026
RE: REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF REHABILITATION OF 1×2 CLASSROOM BLOCK AND REPAIR THE BLOWN OFF ROOF OF 1×3 CLASSROOM BLOCK
Ndakala Primary School is under Mungwi District in Northern Province of Zambia.Mungwi district has twelve zones namely; Mpanda, Makasa, Iyaya, Chamfubu, Bulombwa, Rosa, Kalungu Ilamfya, Malole ,Chambeshi ,Mbesuma and Chilunga .
Some zones are not accessible during rainy season and are hard to reach due to bad road network. Bulombwa zone is where Ndakala Primary School belong. Ndakala Primary School is under the newly gazetted constituency called Mpanda.Ndakala Primary School was opened in 1968.It is now 58 years from the time it was opened.
The distance from the office of the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) is 168 kilometers (about 101 miles). The current enrollment stands at 739 students, of which 368 are girls and 371are boys. Grade one class has the highest number of students standing at 220.The staffing level is currently very low because we are only 4 teachers . Three(3) teachers are from Government Republic of Zambia and one teacher from our cooperating partner (Zambia Scholarship Fund).
The current issue at hand is the shortage of desks. We do not have enough furnitures for our students. The desks available are only 65 against 5 classrooms now. We need a total number of 150 desks to cater for our classrooms. We have a shortfall of 85 desks. We have pine trees at school which can be processed into timber but we need frames which can help us to have complete desks.
The school is surrounded by seven villages, and these are Nawila,Mupatwa,Mulongele,Chibolya, Ndakala,Mutale-Malamba and Fwangila the home of the sub chief.
The school had only 1×3 classroom block which was fully operational before the roof was blown off.After the disaster we remained with two classrooms against 739 students.So some classes were learning under a tree outside, this was inconveniencing to teachers and students more especially in rain season. The 1×2 classroom block was in a clumsy (dilapidated)state. The 1×2 classroom block was last rehabilitated in 2002, meaning for the past 24 years the classroom block had not been refurbished until AJ came to our aid through Zambia Scholarship Fund.
We wrote to the Government of the Republic of Zambia about the disaster at our school but Government system normally takes time to respond and act.So we explained how urgent and important the repair of 1×3 and rehabilitation of 1×2 was to AJ.By the grace of God he sympathized with us and supported the community by making sure that the number of classrooms are increased to 5 from 2.
The time we chose to undertake our project was the most crucial one because the road became impassable but we decided to brave the season and did the project. We got stuck twice at different points with different trucks and spent nights on the way but we were not shaken by the hardship encountered. Eventually we engaged motorbike riders to help us deliver materials to school.
Although we went through this,we were encouraged by the bemba language idiom which says,Ubulwele wishibe tabwafya kutensha(The sickness you know is very easy to manage or nurse)and another adage which says,Apali umunwe epali ibala(Where there is a will there’s a way).
Ndakala community and the surrounding villages are predominantly remote areas with people living or surviving under $2 per day. Most of students drop out of school due to distances and hardships they face as weekly boarders of carrying mealie meal and relish every week.
We have stalled with the last stage of putting the drainage due to lack of quarry dust (materials which is used for concrete works).The area where we get quarry dust is submerged in water.So we are waiting until second week of the month of May, 2026.By that time the passage will be cleared so that materials can be transported to the site (Ndakala Primary School).
Lastly our report will be incomplete without the input of the following; Zambia Scholarship Fund president Peggy Rodgers, Zambia Scholarship Fund Chief Technology Officer AJ Roth, Zambia Scholarship Fund director Tobias Mangani, Zambia Scholarship Fund Accountant Kelvin Chundu, Zambia Scholarship Fund Board, Headmen surrounding Ndakala Primary School, the Parent-teacher association executive, teachers, pupils and the school administration for the role they played to see that the work is accomplished.
The project was almost impossible according to their(villagers) analysis but they have been taken aback. The members of the community are talking about this project and how beautiful and wonderful it has become. Ubushiku bufwile nsofu nelyashi libapo lya pa nsofu (The day an elephant dies all the people in the community talk about an elephant).
If a 1×2 or 1×3 classroom block is constructed the students can be accommodated in the ratio of 1 classroom to 106 students (1:106) if 1×2 classroom can be added or 1 classroom to 92 students (1:92)If 1×3 classroom block can be added. This is in consideration of the current enrollment which stands at 739 students.
We are praying to be considered for a new 1×2 or 1×3 classroom block if we happen to find favor in the leadership of Zambia Scholarship Fund.
God bless you all !
Written by: Sam Kalonde K. Witnessed by: Fred Makashi
Headmaster. PTA Chairperson
Ndakala Primary School Ndakala Community