Lydia Maonde, a teacher at Namwala Secondary School from 1966 to 1975 and widow of Namwala Secondary School’s first principal, took responsibility for planting the school grounds even back then as a teacher. She now lives in Lilayi, a suburb of Lusaka, where she founded the Twitti Primary School with her husband. Gardening is still her passion at the age of 85.
In late November, Joseph Chipindi and Brian Chilala picked up 140 young trees that Lydia had raised for the school. Back in Namwala, the students then helped with the unloading.
On Tuesday December 2, the first trees were planted during a ceremony. The beginning included a prayer by a student, as it is usual in Zambia. Afterwards, there were speeches by the deputy principal Mr. Mulope, the deputy vice principal Mr. Muzyamba and the head boy. Before the first trees were planted, the school’s Traditional Dance Group performed a few dances with song.
Project supervisor and parent council member Joseph Chipindi (yellow t-shirt) also lent a hand. Over the next few days, under the direction of teacher Fred Chikwana, the plants were planted all over the school grounds. The protective fences, which were used for the first time two years ago, were now needed for a second time. In order to be able to protect all the trees, 60 additional trellises were ordered from Brian Chilala. We hope to use these trellises in Namwala village in two years, when the young trees are strong enough, to plant trees there as well.
