Over 20,000 Teachers Using Social Media To Improve Service Delivery

By Paul Shalala

Posing with teachers after an interview

Over 20,000 teachers from all provinces of Zambia are using social media to enhance their teaching skills, learn best practices from each other and interact with colleagues from various areas.

Under the umbrella of the Zambia Teachers Forum, the teachers now run the Zambia Teachers Forum Facebook group with 19,000 members and a fan page with over 1,000 fans.

The Zambia Teachers Forum, also runs two WhatsApp groups with over two hundred members and a LinkedIn profile.

Zambia Teachers Forum Executive Director Richard Malunga says these social platforms have been created to help teachers share experiences, learn about new developments in the sector and pass on announcements.



"Social media has been helpful to our teachers. Those who seek swappings from districts eaisly find their partners here. We also provide a platform for teacher interaction," said Malunga who also serves as the Chief Admin for the Zambia Teachers Forum Facebook group.


Trainee teachers who are using these social platforms says they have received alot of mentorship from veteran teachers.

"I have learnt alot from Facebook. Teachers who have been in the system for a longtime usually help us on how to confront situations in the classroom," said Lawrence Kandondo, a trainee teacher at Northmead Secondary School in Lusaka.

With the membership of the Zambia Teachers Forum being spread across the country, teachers in rural areas are part of this revolution.

"I have benefited alot from career development and professional exchanges. This platform has helped us alot to interact and sharpen our teaching skills," said Penelope Kandutu, a teacher at Nampundwe Secondary School in Shibuyunji District.

"I have seen people benefiting from scholarships whose adverts where posted on our Facebook page. I have also seen the people uniting and interacting with others from far flung areas," said Pumulo Mungoma, a teacher at Kasaka Secondary School in Kafue District.


To further increase the use of Information and Communication Technology among teachers countrywide, the Zambia Teachers Forum has parnered with a local organisation Knowledge Gates to help teachers acquire computers to help them stay online.

So far, in over 1,000 schools countrywide, teachers have been helped to stay online and they receive latest information at their fingertips.

Knowledge Gates has so far supplied 3,000 computers to teachers who are now able to stay online and research for their classwork.

Kafue Retirees Shine At Provincial Agriculture Show

By Paul Shalala in Kafue

Khosa Stadium in Kafue District was yesterday a hive of activity as it hosted this year's Lusaka Province Agriculture and Commercial Show.

All the seven districts in Lusaka Province exhibited their agriculture products at the show including the newly created Chirundu, Shibuyunji and Rufunsa.

The private sector as well as government ministries and departments where also present.

Despite not being in the agricultural sector, the Anti-Corruption Commission exhibited at the show and sensitised show goers on the evils of corruption.

The commission mounted a Public Address system at the show and played various anti-graft messages which ranged from what corruption is to how to report suspicious activities.

Even the recently recapitalised Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia also pitched up at the show, showcasing its fertiliser products which are now being produced in Zambia for the first time in decades.

Kafue District Council Chairman Gibson Sinkala, who was the guest of honor, told show goers that this year, government had made strides in promoting agriculture in the sector.

"This year government has increased the Farmer Input Support allocation for Lusaka Province from 66,964 packs for maize to 77,626 to ensure that more small scale farmers benefit from the program and are freed from hunger," he said.

Several awards were given to deserving private companies, government departments, individuals, cooperatives and clubs which exhibited at the show.

The Kafue Retirees Association was the most awarded as they bagged two awards in the cooperatives category and the overall best stand award.

The newly created Shibuyunji District managed to get third prize in the productivity awards while the first prize was scooped by Lusaka District.

The Ministry of Community Development in Kafue District walked away with the best government ministries award while Kavinra Enterprises scooped the Small scale industries award.

The show was held under the theme: Breaking new grounds