St. Mulumba Special School

P. O. BOX 630822

CHOMA

TELEFAX   : +260 213 220 493

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Brief Profile

St. Mulumba School started in 1984 to answer a big need, in Monze Diocese of the Catholic Church and Choma Parish in particular, for the education of the mentally retarded children (currently categorized in the group of children with Learning Disabilities). The initiative was started by Sr. Phillipa O’Sullivan, an Irish, of the Catholic sisters of the sacred Heart of Mary congregation. The school was named after the Ugandan martyr St. Mathias Mulumba who died as a physically handicapped person.

The school currently has 210 total numbers of pupils and is grant-aided. It caters for three kinds of different disabilities namely, the mentally retarded, the blind, and the deaf. The school has boarding facilities and has pupils from across the nation. The school offers basic education from grade 1 to 7 and is currently doing some expansion program so as to accommodate grade 8 and 9 pupils with a vision to reaching high school.

Subjects Offered

Mathematics, English, Community Studies, Integrated Science, Creative Technology Studies, Literacy, Social Development Studies, Activities for Daily Living, Chitonga (Zambian Language), Home Economics.

Extracurricular Activities

Sports, Gardening, Cultural Arts, Anti AIDS Club, Choral Music and Carpentry.

Achievements

Since 1993, the school has a record of 98% - 100% pass to grade 8 by the hearing and visually impaired pupils. Ever since, the hearing impaired pupils have been offered grade 8 places at Munali High school, others at Kalomo Secondary school, Maamba Mine Special School  and Rusangu High school. From 1993 to 2002, 95 hearing impaired and 26 visually impaired pupils qualified and were selected to pursue secondary school education. So far, most of those selected have completed their high school (grade 12) education course. One hearing impaired young man even completed his Zambia Teacher Education Course (ZATEC) at Kitwe Teachers Training College and graduated in December, 2003.

Between1993 and 2002, 19 mentally retarded were offered places at Livingstone Trades Institute to do vocational skills in leather work, weaving, gardening and home economics.

Out-Door Activities

The pupils are involved in sporting and cultural activities at District, Provincial, and National levels. Four times, the St. Mulumba pupils have emerged winners in the integration for all tournaments in Choma area. The school has been the national champions from 1995 – 2001 in traditional dances and choral musical organized by the National Arts Theatre of Zambia (NAATAZ).

In 2002, one visually impaired boy, Lazarus Hakalebula, won a ‘Ngoma’ Award.

In July 1991, Zambia for the first time participated in the Special Olympics for mentally handicapped which took place in Minneapolis in United States of America, an event in which 90 nations competed. Three pupils from St. Mulumba School won Silver medals. In the same year a painting by one of the pupils was exhibited in London at Mencap (an international art competition for mentally impaired).