Kucetekela Foundation

Opening up educational opportunities for disadvantaged children with academic promise.

In 2021, Zambia introduced free schooling for pre-primary, primary and secondary school age children across the nation. Despite these advancements, still only 63% of children transition from primary to secondary school and only 46.8% progress to tertiary education. With 71% of the nation living on less than $3 a day, poverty remains a barrier to education while girls are further impacted by early marriage, teenage pregnancy and limited access to sexual and reproductive health information.

Against this backdrop, Kucetekela Foundation (KF) works in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, to improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged young Zambians with academic promise.

With Egmont’s support, KF is providing secondary school scholarships to 34 AIDS-affected and educationally gifted children.

The programme includes tuition and boarding for each student at a secondary school in Lusaka as well as uniforms, textbooks and a mentoring programme. The project aims that by the end of their schooling, each student will have gained a place to study at university or have volunteering activities or work-placement opportunities in place for their gap year. They will also support 11 young people to study tertiary programmes in Zambia.