Gender Equality Zambia Project #32035

Build a Youth Community Center to Empower Girls

by The African Impact Foundation

Project Report | Feb 29, 2024
Progress update: Build a Youth Community Center in Livingstone

By Yonela Mhlauli | Impact Support Manager

Thank you for your continued support!

Dear Supporters,

We are thrilled to provide an update on our journey towards building a Youth Community Centre in Livingstone. Your ongoing support has brought us closer to realizing this important project, and we are excited to share our progress with you.

Recent Developments: Just a week ago, we took a significant step forward by submitting our plans to the local council for building permissions. We eagerly await their approval, after which we will proceed with construction. Three months ago, we expressed our excitement about the progress made thus far. Our design for Phase 1 of the Centre was finalized, thanks to the dedication and expertise of our design partner, Urban-Think Tank. Your support has been instrumental in bringing us to this point, and we are immensely grateful.

Design Highlights for Phase 1:

Workshop Space: A versatile area for programs, study sessions, and community gatherings.
Container Integration: Utilizing containers for storage and indoor workshop space, maximizing functionality.
Caretaker's House: Ensuring security and maintenance for the facility.
Shower Facilities: Providing essential amenities for both girls and boys.
Modular Design: The Centre is designed to be easily expandable, allowing for future phases to meet growing needs.

Community Collaboration: At the heart of this project is our commitment to community partnerships. We have worked closely with Urban-Think Tank and local stakeholders to ensure that the Centre meets the diverse needs of the community. Their input and guidance has been invaluable every step of the way.

We extend our sincere thanks to Urban-Think Tank for their creativity and dedication to this project and our supporters, we cannot thank you enough for your unwavering generosity and belief in our mission.

Next Steps: As we eagerly await approval from the local council, we are preparing to hit the ground running once permission is granted. Stay tuned for further updates as we move closer to making the Youth Community Centre a reality for the youth of Livingstone.

Thank you for standing with us on this journey.

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Oct 31, 2023
A step closer to building a Youth Community Centre!

By the African Impact Foundation | Impact Support Manager

The Youth Community Centre - Phase 1 Design

We are so excited to share the progress made since our last update. We are close to our goal of building a Youth community centre in Livingstone.

Our design for Phase 1 is ready, and we are excited to share it with you! As soon as we receive confirmation of planning permission, we will begin construction and aim to have the first phase ready in early 2024. This is all because of you! We can't thank you enough.

What feels like a long-awaited dream for the community of Livingstone, our partners, beneficiaries, and our team is a step closer to becoming a reality. With our decision to take a modular approach to building the Youth Community Center, our design partner, Urban-Think Tank, has presented the first phase designs.

Phase 1 of the Youth Community Centre... As part of the first phase, we will have a workshop space to run our programmes, hold study sessions, and organize community gatherings. Urban-Think Tank put together this design based on some of the key areas we presented as an urgent need to kick start the Youth Community Centre. They have also incorporated our container into the design, which will serve as a storage area for workshop materials and an indoor workshop space when necessary. Phase 1 also includes a caretaker's house for security and maintenance, shower facilities for girls and boys, and an entrance.

Designing the Centre...Urban-Think Tank specialises in designing spaces for social change and are passionate about community partnership. The centre has been designed in a simple and easily expandable way so it's easy to build more phases for youth services and recreation spaces in the future. Collaborating with the community to discuss priorities and getting guidance from our team in Zambia is essential to its success.

A big thank you to Urban -Think Tank for offering their creative services to this project and a big thank you to you for your incredible support and donations.... we could not do it without you!

Click here to see

Top view site plan_Future expansion

Links:

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Jul 3, 2023
A space for Youth and the Community

By Yonela Avene Mhlauli | Impact Support Manager

An Effective Approach:

As part of the second quarter of this year, the African Impact Foundation (AIF) and its partners Urban-Think Tank (U-TT) examined the most effective approach to begin the development of the Youth Community Centre project in Livingstone Zambia.

Once the schematic design for the Youth Community Center was completed, to begin the process we collected soil samples to test the bearing capacity of the soil. We also conducted typographic surveys to obtain accurate land measurements and a clear indication of site arrangements. We reviewed available building resources and evaluated how we could best utilize the funds raised for the first phase of construction. As we prepare to begin the project build, the focus will be on developing the first workshop area, toilets, and a caretaker's cottage. With each phase, we aim to build different sections of the youth community center structure.

The Modular Approach

Urban-Think Tank proposed a modular approach to the Youth Community Centre structure that would allow sections to be built at each stage. This approach will help us avoid any reconstruction and enable us to easily expand into other sections of the community center as we continue to fundraise for Building a Youth Community Center to Empower Girls.

As an organisation, we are committed to sustainable building solutions. Developing the Youth Community Centre as an evolving structure with changing needs in mind is one of the core values of the modular approach, this approach addresses the shortcomings of traditional structures and provides flexibility, adaptability, and personalisation while being sustainable.

Along with our stakeholders, we are excited to start this process. Having a workshop area will enable us to hold workshops at the Youth Community Centre and we will be accessible to youth from the four surrounding communities. Additionally, we will be able to expand our initiatives by offering after-school and weekend activities to our beneficiaries. The Youth Community Centre will also house The Girl Impact sessions and other clubs run by the African Impact Foundation. In addition, this process will create jobs for our local contractor partners. It will also create a permanent job for the caretaker who will reside and maintain the Youth Community Centre site.

Your support is greatly appreciated and we thank you for joining us on this journey!

https://www.africanimpactfoundation.org/our-impact/youth-hub/

Attachments:

The Youth Communty Centre (PDF)

1 Attachment

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