LUSAKA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Mirriam Chola, a student in Zambia's Copperbelt Province, had long dreamed of attending a school within walking distance of her home in Kalulushi, a remote town near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"I was learning in a Catholic school where I had a challenge to stay with my family, and I was missing them a lot," Chola recalled. She said she had to sacrifice many family gatherings while pursuing studies in a town far from home.
Chola's dream was finally realized in 2025 when Sino-Metals Leach Zambia Limited (SMLZL), a Chinese mining company, helped build the Minsenga Secondary School in her hometown.
Sitting in a spacious, well-lit classroom equipped with new and modern facilities, Chola felt overjoyed.
"I arrive at school early, giving myself time to relax and refresh my mind so that I can learn more new things," she told Xinhua, adding that she is striving wholeheartedly to gain admission to a university and become an engineer in the future.
In Zambia, many students in rural areas have limited access to education due to a lack of schools, teachers, and learning facilities, leading some to drop out at an early age.
As the Zambian government works to improve rural education, an increasing number of Chinese enterprises operating in Zambia have joined the effort by constructing school infrastructure and donating educational supplies, helping more children gain access to education.
Andrew Mfune, headmaster of Minsenga Secondary School, told Xinhua that SMLZL not only constructed classroom blocks and donated stationery to the students, but also restored their hope for the future.
"Most of them opted to just stop school because they had no way out, and their future was shattered," Mfune said. "But now all the learners nearby can continue their secondary education."
"With the coming of this good infrastructure and education, we are so sure that these people will have a future. They can actually come back here and work maybe as engineers in the mines or in other areas of our economy," he added.
Mfune commended the positive role that Chinese companies have played in boosting Zambia's rural education, saying the gestures also cemented the long-lasting friendship between the peoples of Zambia and China.
According to Sydney Chileya, deputy chief executive officer of SMLZL, the company's consistent support for education in rural areas aligns with the Zambian government's policy to invest in the country's long-term future, with education as one of its pillars.
"The government needs to mobilize resources to build infrastructure, and this is where we came in quickly as a private sector. And we are glad that most of the Chinese companies that are operating around this area are beginning to shift their support policy toward education," he said.
"We have supported several other schools, among them the Chambishi Secondary School, which we renovated and also purchased some desks for children to sit on," said Chileya, adding that the efforts had increased school enrollment among children from disadvantaged backgrounds in nearby communities.
By providing much-needed support to schools facing financial constraints and other challenges, Chileya said, the company aims to create opportunities for students to pursue their dreams.
"Some of them will become teachers, while others will become nurses, doctors or engineers. We want to give them hope," he added. ■