Strategic Planning

It is imperative that our project is economically sustainable. We anticipate that by 2013 we will be self sufficient and self sustaining.

We plan to accomplish this aim by utilising renewable energies (thus totally eradicating water and electricity bills!) and through the agricultural projects that will generate more than enough food to feed our own community. In fact we are optimistic that through the efficient generation of power from the waters of the Zambezi we will be able to generate a surplus of energy and not just provide electricity for our school but also for many surrounding villages. Furthermore, by running our agricultural projects effectively we will produce a surplus of food and thus generate further income for our core project. 

We have secured a 10 hectare site on the shores of the Zambezi on which to build our school. The land has been secured following liaison with Chief Sekute and several other prominent figures in the district. The Chief wholeheartedly embraces our project and welcomes the development that it will bring to his region. As ZIGS grows we have guarenteed access to another 20 hectares of land meaning that our future is sustainable.

The Zambezi International Green School will more than just another school. It will be a hub of learning, of development, of empowerment and will play a part of the reduction of poverty in Zambia. The core focus of ZIGS will be the education of the children in our school. Our unique educational programme will focus on the need of every student and we will seek to empower the next generation of Zambian leaders.

The Outreach projects will be central to all that the school does. It is through our outreach projects that we will be at the heart of the community we serve. Our teaching staff will be employed not just as teachers at our school but also to provide INSET for teachers in community schools. This will be provided by in house courses and opportunities for collaborative work and through a programme of outreach whereby our teachers will go out into the community and work with teachers in our partner community schools.

ZIGS will also focus on adult education. This will primarily focus on providing local people with tangible skills for their own development. We will be a focal point for modern sustainable agricultural methods and we will work with smallholders to improve farming across our district. At a later stage in our programme we hope to move into the sphere of micro finance in order to economically empower farmers and smallholders to develop their business plans.

Priorities and Estimated Costing

Secure a site for the building of ZIGS on the banks of the Zambezi - achieved.

Estimated Cost: No cost to our charity as costs met by Trustees.

£100 for registration of land with District Council.

Survey of Land

Estimated Cost: £250 - first survey carried oout in Sept 2009

Architect to design school (based upon the principles of sustainability that underpin our project)

Estimated Cost: Between £35 and £75 per hour

Provision of electricity utilising hydro electric power

Estimated Cost: £2500 (once completed the school will sustainable in its generation of power)

Building Reservoirs for the storage of water

Estimated Cost: £500 per reservoir. (small covered reservoirs are necessary in order to enable us to harvest water. These reservoirs will be built adjacent to all buildings with corrugated iron roofs.)

Multi Purpose Hall  (Assembly Hall/Dining Hall)

The multi purpose hall will be built by local craftsmen using local timer and thatched using local grass. This will ensure that we adhere to the principles of sustainable development.

Estimated Cost: £3000

Classrooms:

All classrooms will be built from local materials and by local builders. We will keep to an absolute minimum any use of any product that is not available locally. (e.g. timber from local forest, rocks/stones which are freely available on site) It is anticipated that labour will be the primary cost in building. Other costs in building will be windows and corrugated iron sheets for roofing.*

Estimated Cost:

Nursery                   £25 per sq metre

Year 1/2                  £25 per sq metre

Year 3/4                  £25 per sq metre

Year 7                     £25 per sq metre

We do not believe that it is necesary for the whole school to be built before we open our doors to our first students. We intend to build our classrooms as needs require. This means that:

a. It is feasible to open our school to its first cohort of studnents without being dependent upon the whole school being built.

b. Our environmental impact can be assessed as an ongoing process

c. Our students can be involved in the design on the 2nd phase of school buildings

Teacher Houses

All teacher houses will be built from local materials and by local builders. We will keep to an absolute minimum any use of any product that is not available locally. (e.g. timber from local forest, rocks/stones which are freely available on site) It is anticipated that labour will be the primary cost in building. Other costs in building will be windows and corrugated iron sheets for roofing.*

Estimated Cost: £25 per square metre

Boarding Houses

All boarding houses will be built from local materials and by local builders. We will keep to an absolute minimum any use of any product that is not available locally. (e.g. timber from local forest, rocks/stones which are freely available on site) It is anticipated that labour will be the primary cost in building. Other costs in building will be windows and corrugated iron sheets for roofing.*

Estimated Cost: £25 per square metre

Kitchen

The kitchen will only be partly covered. This is the norm in the local area. This will keep the cost of building a kitchen to the minimum. The kitchen will be designed to utilise sustainable methods of cooking using bio-fuel technology.

Admin Block

The Admin will be built from local materials and by local builders. We will keep to an absolute minimum any use of any product that is not available locally. (e.g. timber from local forest, rocks/stones which are freely available on site) It is anticipated that labour will be the primary cost in building. Other costs in building will be windows and corrugated iron sheets for roofing.*

Estimated Cost: £25 per square metre

Toilet Blocks

All toilet blocks will be built from local materials and by local builders. We will keep to an absolute minimum any use of any product that is not available locally. (e.g. timber from local forest, rocks/stones which are freely available on site) It is anticipated that labour will be the primary cost in building. Other costs in building will be windows and corrugated iron sheets for roofing.*

Estimated Cost: £50 per square metre

Sports Fields

Some land will be cleared in order to provide sports facilitates. Local labourers will be employed to clear and develop this land.

Estimated Cost: Local rates for labour

Classroom Equipment

All desks and chairs will be made using local wood by local carpenters. Therefore the cost of raw materials will be kept to an absolute minimum.

TNF is seeking second hand laptop computers, projectors, AV equipment from UK schools and businesses. Therefore the only cost incurred will be that of shipping.

Raising Awareness

We are utilising Social Networking sites on the internet as a primary method of raising awareness of our project. We current have over 1900 members of our 'Cause' Help us to build and sustain a school in Zambia and over 500 members of our 'Group' Build a School in Africa on Social Networking site Facebook.

We are in the process of negotiating with newspapers/radio stations across Greater Merseyside in order to raise awareness of the scope of our venture. 

Administration

All admin costs to be met by the Trustees of TNF – in the short term whilst TNF establishes itself all admin costs are being met by the Trustees. Furthermore, the costs of flights to and from Zambia are being met by the Trustees themselves. In this sense the Thembinkosi Foundation is very different to most charities working in Africa. Normally, so much money is wasted on administration, monitoring, report writing, inefficient systems, etc., that very little money actually finds its way to the people who the donors wish to help. In Zambia we are based at an office at Njinji Lodge and as such we have no local overheads.

Food – initially there will be some costs associated with the feeding of students and staff but our agricultural projects will ensure that we are self sufficient within the first three years of opening. In the long run ZIGS will seek to develop a surplus of food.

*We will use corrugated iron sheets for roofing classrooms as corrugated iron sheets are a practical way of harvesting rain water and thus ensure the sustainability of the project.

Income

The Thembinkosi Foundation will generate income from the following sources:

Fundraising ventures in the UK - A range of fundraisers are in the pipeline. It is anticipated that these will generate a significant proportion of the funds needed. These ventures include a Charity Ball, Sponsored Events, Band Nights, Grand Raffle etc)

Donations from the business community - an eco friendly, environmentally sustainable, centre of educational excellence which works with and for vulnerable people in one of the poorest countries in the world should proof popular among aspects of the business community.

Individual Donations –  from supporters of TNF.

Employees - All teachers recruited from the UK will be challenged to raise funds to support the cost of building the 'teacher house' that they will occupy whilst working at ZIGS.

Fees paid per student  - Fees will be paid by the majority of students at ZIGS based upon their families ability to pay. The first students at ZIGS will be admitted at discounted rates in order to assist with recruitment. Fees will be gradually adjusted to come into line with other similar schools. Within 3 years this will mean that fees will be approximately £1000 per term. By this stage ZIGS will be economically sustainable.

Grants – TNF will seek grants from environmental groups, church groups, NGO's, Trusts etc.

Matched Funding - we will seek matched funding from charitable organisations, financial institutions and other agencies

Angel Investors - TNF will seek out Angel Investors to support our project

Summer School - once building is complete ZIGS will boost its income by providing a range of International Summer Schools. The Summer School programme will be aimed at students between the ages of 17 and 25 from across Africa, Europe and North America.