Hello again Tribal Textile’s followers. This week for our blog entry we will be taking a little more of a serious route. Although, do not fear for this blog will spread cheer. Within our core ethos and missions, community lies at the very centre. 

From supporting our youth to aiding human wildlife conflict, our community is what drives us forward. 

One of these important initiatives Tribal sustains is the Malimba School Foundation. This blog will take you on a journey as we follow the brilliant assistant head teacher Noah Banda. So sit down to your desks, with pens at the ready, for this favourite lesson will become one of many.

In 2001 the community decided it was time to build and start a school. Without funding or assistance the foundations of an amazing school were built in a mud and thatch classroom. For most children and generations this was their first opportunity to attend classes and learn basic literacy. These amazing teachers were not qualified, but were volunteers, and quickly the popular school became over run. With nearly 100 children attending regularly the community knew it was time for an expansion.

This is where Tribal Textiles come in. After the expanding initiative, the community sought assistance from Tribal Textiles, and this led to the current Malimba Community School Fund. We are very proud and honoured to have supported and created with the Malimba school from the beginning of their journey. Today, we continue our on-going support through raising fundings via sales for extracurricular activities such as creative art and sport. From our beginning head Jo Harris Tribal Textiles supplied funding to open new buildings and support teaching staff.

Today we sponsor seven  teachers and two watch men helping to create a smooth educational transition from  young children to young adults.

To start off the tour we arrive at Malimba to be greeted by the wonderful Noah Banda, assistant head teacher. After meeting Noah, within the first few minutes you can easily grapple with the pride and passion he has for driving this school forward and for the amazing work it does. This rings true for all the other amazing teachers there.

The love for this school is so tangible that you can practically see it flowing through each and every classroom. Within the school there are 8 grades beginning with basic literacy and ending with specialised classes such as technology, bringing the children of Mfuwe into the opportunities for further education.

At the start of Malimba school there were only a few lessons and subjects that were taught due to lack of staff and housing for students. However, now the school boasts a wide range of subjects which expand as each year grows. With the beginning grades starting with basic literacy and mathematics to the eldest grades having technology and social science lessons.  The list of their subjects in a routine day of grade 8 includes; mathematics, home economics, technology studies, english, expressive arts and international science. The school has also helped a number of students to go onto being able to receive secondary education and university degrees. We cannot miscommunicate their importance.

Currently at Malimba there are an enormous 599 students of which 286 are female and 313 male. This incredible figure shows Malimba’s strive towards equality and equal opportunities for women in education. 

However, as the school continues to expand the need for facilities that accommodate such growth is ever growing. During our tour we were shown one of the new buildings still in progress however, with the funding and  support from Tribal Textiles more help is still needed. 

In the near future it is our hope to help with growing and sustaining the school's facilities. Such plans include repainting school rooms and signs, sourcing chairs, facilitating the set up of Zesco and other maintenance issues. In order to continue the needed education of the school change is still needed.

The way you as a sustainable shopper can help this community school foundation is through purchasing our Tribal Textiles products. Especially through purchasing our Malimba tea towels where 100% of the profit is donated to the schools foundation. These tea towels were made in direct collaboration with the Children at Malimba who drew the animals featured on the tea towels. Moreover, throughout our season 5% of all profit is reinvested into community initiatives.

To end today's blog we cannot stress enough the importance of each and every single purchase at Tribal Textiles. Your support is so vital to continuing and expanding the essential work of Tribal Textiles within our community. To make more dreams come true visit: www.tribaltextiles.co.zm Thank You From Tribal Textiles and The Malimba School.