The Reformed Open Community Schools

15/10/2026

Clean Hands. Healthy Children. Stronger Communities! 💧🙌🏽

Something as simple as washing hands with soap can make a big difference in protecting our health.

This Global Handwashing Day, we are reminded that good hygiene is more than a daily routine. It is an important part of keeping children healthy, preventing illness and creating safer environments for learning and growth.

At Reformed Open Community Schools (ROCS), we believe that healthy children are better able to learn, thrive and reach their full potential. Promoting good hygiene practices in schools, homes and communities is an important part of building healthier futures.

Before eating, after using the toilet and whenever hands are dirty, remember to wash with soap and clean water.

Clean hands today. Healthier communities tomorrow! 💙

14/10/2026

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS ARE EVERYONE’S BUSINESS!

From mining and farming to retail stores and salons, businesses make decisions every day that can impact the lives and wellbeing of children.

Through the European Union-funded SAFE CHILD Project, ROCS and RCZ Diaconia Response brought together local businesses, traditional leaders, government departments and local authorities in Chama, Lundazi and Vubwi for engements on the Children’s Rights and Business Principles (CRBPs).

Representatives from Education, Labour and the Councils, alongside traditional leaders and businesses, explored the role of the private sector in preventing child labour and exploitation, strengthening safeguarding, promoting responsible workplace and supply-chain practices, and ensuring that business contributes positively to communities where children live and grow.

The engagements ended with a powerful shared commitment: protecting children requires all sectors to play their part. Stakeholders agreed to strengthen collaboration and promote business practices that uphold the best interests of the child.

When government, communities, traditional leadership and businesses work together, we create safer environments for every child to thrive.

13/10/2026

ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE, INVESTING IN GIRLS’ FUTURES! 💜

Every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and achieve her dreams, free from child marriage and other forms of violence.

ROCS, through the European Union-funded SAFE CHILD Project, joined learners, educators and other stakeholders at Lundazi Boarding Secondary School for the provincial commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, held under the theme “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”

The commemoration brought stakeholders together to raise awareness, strengthen collective commitment to ending child marriage and champion girls’ rights to education, protection and a brighter future.

Four SAFE CHILD Project-supported schools participated:

📍 Lundazi Boarding Secondary School
📍 Lundazi Day Secondary School
📍 Lundazi Primary School
📍 Mphamba Primary School

Through the SAFE CHILD Project, implemented in partnership with RCZ Diaconia Response, ROCS continues to work with schools, communities and other stakeholders to strengthen child protection and create safer, more supportive environments where girls can thrive.

Ending child marriage is a shared responsibility. When we protect girls’ rights and invest in their futures, we strengthen families, communities and generations to come. 💜

12/10/2026

🌱 Growing Food, Nourishing Minds

Good nutrition goes beyond physical growth. It plays an important role in children’s brain development, supporting attention, concentration, memory, emotional wellbeing and learning.

At Muzande School in Chama District, Eastern Province, ROCS, through the BECOME and WANU projects, works with learners and teachers to promote better nutrition and environmental sustainability through the establishment and maintenance of edible orchards and school gardens, also known as food forests.

Through these activities, learners gain practical experience in growing food while developing an understanding of healthy eating, environmental care and sustainable food production.

By creating opportunities for learners to grow food and learn about its importance, we are contributing to healthier learning environments and more sustainable communities. 🌿

10/10/2026

💚 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2026

“Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.”

Mental health is part of our everyday lives, including our working lives. Behind every role, responsibility and task is a person whose experiences, challenges and wellbeing matter.

At the workplace, creating a supportive environment starts with listening without judgment, showing understanding and making space for colleagues to speak openly about their experiences. For those who have lived through mental health challenges, being heard and taken seriously can make a meaningful difference.

As ROCS, we are reminded that a healthy workplace is not only about getting work done; it is also about valuing the people who make that work possible. Let us continue to build a culture where people feel safe to speak, comfortable to seek support, and assured that their experiences matter.

This World Mental Health Day, let us listen with empathy, support one another and turn real voices into meaningful change. 💚

05/10/2026

29/09/2026

💧 Keeping the Water Flowing Beyond the Project

What does lasting impact look like? Sometimes, it looks like a child spending less time fetching water and more time in school. Sometimes, it looks like a trained Area Pump Mender restoring a community water point. And sometimes, it looks like a community confidently taking ownership of the resources that support their wellbeing.

From 2019 to 2026, ROCS, through the Carbon Balance Project, worked alongside communities in Lundazi, Lumezi, and Chasefu to strengthen access to safe water and build local capacity for sustainable water management.

📊 The journey in numbers: 💧 160 boreholes rehabilitated
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 77,326 people reached with improved access to safe water across three implementation phases
⏱️ Up to 64% reduction in water collection time
🌍 48,325 tCO₂e emissions avoided
🔧 30 Area Pump Menders trained in installation, repair, and maintenance of hand pumps
🤝 100 community closure meetings conducted, engaging 2,137 participants
💧 160 boreholes successfully transitioned to community and district ownership

But beyond the numbers is a story of stronger communities, local leadership, and sustainable systems. By strengthening existing Water Point Committees, training local technicians, and working closely with district stakeholders, ROCS, through the Carbon Balance Project, invested in solutions designed to last long after project closure.

As the Carbon Balance Project comes to an end, its legacy lives on through the people, skills, and structures that continue to keep water flowing where it matters most.

💙 Because true sustainability is not measured by the lifespan of a project, but by the capacity communities have to continue the work long after the project ends.

23/09/2026

📻 SAFE CHILD Radio Shows: Bringing Child Rights Conversations to Communities

Through the SAFE CHILD Project, ROCS is engaging communities and businesses across Lundazi, Chama and Vubwi on the importance of Child Rights and Business Principles (CRBPs).

This week's discussion brought together representatives from Labour, Education, Social Welfare, Health, and the Zambia Police Victim Support Unit (VSU) to share practical information on child protection, safeguarding, education, and health, while answering questions from listeners.

Tune in to the SAFE CHILD Radio Shows every Friday:

📍 Radio Kanele 97.7 FM – Lundazi — 3:00 PM
📍 Radio Kwenje 89.3 FM – Chama — 4:00 PM
📍 Radio Kwathu 94.9 FM – Vubwi

💙 Every child deserves to grow up safe, protected, and supported. Together, let's create communities and businesses that champion children's rights and contribute to safer communities for all.

🎥 Watch the discussion here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1D62dqRpfZ/

22/09/2026

When the message matters, we take it where people are! 📢🎭

Across Western Province, the ROCS TME Project is taking malaria prevention messages into communities through PA systems, drama performances, community meetings, and engagements with CCAs and traditional leaders.

🎭 From bringing messages to life through drama, to reaching wider audiences through PA systems and engaging community leaders — every conversation is an opportunity to promote the right behaviours and protect families from malaria.

We are also raising awareness about the upcoming ITN Mass Distribution Campaign, including eligibility, registration, addressing misconceptions, and the correct and consistent use of ITNs.

Informed communities. Right information. Collective action. Together, we can prevent malaria. 🦟🚫

18/09/2026