WELCOME To Amaboko Yapalwa Foundation, where Charity begins with Love!

Being a child in these cities in the Copperbelt of Zambia such as Ndola, Kitwe, Chingola, and Mufulira presents a combination of various opportunities and problems. This area was once known as the center for mining in Zambia but now has different socio-economic problems that affect children’s lives; for instance, high levels of poverty, inadequate access to ample education and health care services among others. Nevertheless, issues affecting them have been dealt with through government, private sector agencies and charitable organizations. Poverty and Employment. Poverty is rampant in Copperbelt with approximately sixty percent residing below the poverty line. Economic hardships make it worse for many children who go hungry or do not have basic needs at all. The employment rate is low because only 45% of people are employed formally while most adults work outside the formal economy or depend on subsistence agriculture which yields meager earnings. As a result, many children are pushed into child labor in order to help their families due to lack of basic things. Sustainability as well as Education: on the one hand, mining has been closely related to sustainability in Copperbelt; on the other hand, it poses long-term problems sited like environmental degradation and depletion. Due to pollution, various health risks are faced by kids especially those growing up amidst mines sometimes forcing them to drop out from school and work instead. In government schools despite free education, overcrowding and lack of resources are common problems affecting this system. The student/teacher ratio often exceeds fifty per teacher with some materials like books lacking may hinder quality of education more than anything. Health and Transportation. At the heart of urban centers within the Copperbelt health facilities are better than those found in remote towns such as Mpongwe but surrounding locations may have public health care that lacks adequate funding or staff hence students do not access these services. The area’s children suffer from malaria, respiratory tract infections (RTIs) as well as malnutrition. Despite connecting roads between cities much rural areas do not have reliable transport systems at all especially during wet season whenever roads become impassable for several months or even years if they are washed away completely by floods. Most pupils are not safe due to poor road conditions and they take long time when travelling to schools or clinics. Safety and Security: In the Copperbelt, safety and security have become serious problems. Petty thefts and burglaries are commonplace especially in densely populated areas. For children just walking to school, this may be a risky undertaking since they may be involved in accidents or crime cases along the way. Unfortunately, since police in Zambia are poorly resourced, it becomes difficult for them to maintain law and order as well as protect vulnerable groups such as young people. Ease of Doing Business: It is fair to say that doing business in the Copperbelt is moderate; however according to World Bank ease of doing business index, Zambia’s position globally is 85th. For charities however, this ranking has both benefits and drawbacks. Although conditions for most regulations have remained stable over the years, political interference through bureaucracy can pose serious challenges. The need for fast-tracking sometimes necessary project proposals may lead to delays before support arrives for needy children. Struggles Faced by Charitable Organizations. Today, charities go through many challenges, especially now that they are affected by internal and external factors. Governments around the world do not put enough money into social services and several charities depend entirely on foreign donors. Such dependency may make organizations financially unstable any time the donor changes their priorities. Additionally, there tends to be little collaboration between the government and private sectors leading to both overlapping activities and gaps in service provision. Furthermore, the perception that people have about their role is also another challenge facing charities; some community members think of charity as a handout rather than a partnership for sustainable development. On top of that, there are always issues regarding logistics such as moving goods to distant places helping staff stay safe with sufficient resources supply being maintained over time. Local bureaucracy can be seen at times as an obstacle because obtaining permits and approvals might delay the delivery of assistance. In all likelihood, being a child in Zambia’s Copperbelt cities is full of difficulties impacted by poverty, lack of adequate education and healthcare, as well as economic crises. But there’s hope for change as charitable organizations, the government and private sector continue working on it. To close these gaps requires partnerships among every interested party so as to ensure a healthy atmosphere where children can flourish and have an improved tomorrow. By enabling these initiatives, we are aiding in a more equalized and sustainable derive for Copperbelt region within next generations terms.