Students attend class on July 14 at the Minsenga Secondary School built by Sino-Metals Leach Zambia Limited in Kalulushi, Copperbelt Province, Zambia. MARTIN MBANGWETA/XINHUA
LUSAKA — 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 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, or 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.
