Final Completion in Chinika

After 80 tonnes of asphalt, over 2700 man hours and a few finishing touches, the court in Chinika was finally ready to be opened. Although sadly the Bath Team couldn’t be there themelves, Sport In Action certainly made this ceremony a momentous day, with over 100 people present from the school, local community and SIA. After some celebrations, dancing and speeches the ribbon was ready to be cut by the deputy head teacher, and with that the brand new court was finally open! Shortly after, some friendly games commenced with hub site rivals Fountain of Hope and Kabwata facing each other to win the first match on the new court.

Now the court has been officially opened, Team Bath have the chance to reflect on why they set out to refurbish this court at Chinika, and the benefits it will provide to the local community. Just a few months before they embarked to Zambia, girls at this hub site had no court to train on, and instead had to train outside of the school compound, where occasionally they attracted unwanted attention. Furthermore, due to the degraded concrete surface, children were suffering injuries, and often made the decision between training and getting injured.

With a new expanded court area and asphalt surface accommodating both basketball and netball courts, over 600 children can now fully enjoy the benefits of this vibrant hub site. This is a place where they will make friends, improve their physical fitness and learn about key life skills. With the expansion of the court, it is also now one of SIA’s largest sites, becoming a centre for SIA’s community tournaments.

The benefits don’t stop there though, by engaging 6 engineering students from the University of Zambia we have provided them with valuable site experience. Furthermore, our project has put almost £12,000 into the local economy, boosting local skills and employment.

Team Bath have said “From the team of 2024, we would like to give our most sincere thanks for supporting the ACE2Zambia project this year. This wouldn’t have been possible without your support. Thanks to your donation, the children of Chinika will enjoy a safe and happy space, where they can grow and thrive for years to come.”