🇿🇲 Happy Independence Day, Zambia! Today, we celebrate 62 years of independence and the people whose creativity, leadership and community spirit are shaping #Zambia’s future. For more than 20 years, the African Education Program has been honored to work alongside Zambian changemakers. At our flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, the Amos Youth Centre, we see that leadership every day—in educators nurturing young minds, women building businesses, and young people putting their skills to work for their communities. Join us in celebrating our Zambian colleagues, students, families and partners, and the country they call home. One Zambia, One Nation. ❤️🇿🇲 #ZambiaIndependenceDay #OneZambiaOneNation #AfricanEducationProgram #WhereYouthRiseCommunitiesThrive

Nearly a year after his training ended, Mapalo’s backyard is showing what lasting impact looks like. 🌱 A high school alumnus and graduate of the Urban Farming & Permaculture Learning Space at AEP’s flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, #Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre (AYC), Mapalo is putting his skills to work at home. When our team recently caught up with him, they found a thriving vegetable garden, one that helps his family put fresh food on the table and spend less at the market. Gardening has also become a hobby he loves, and he credits his training with giving him the skills to keep growing. This is the purpose behind our Urban Farming & Permaculture Learning Space, also known as The Kia Garden: practical lessons in sustainable agriculture that participants can apply in their own backyards. From composting to growing food in limited spaces, the training helps young people turn available resources into opportunities for greater food security. Created in partnership with @Kia_MEA and The Waste Lab, the learning space is helping extend the benefits of growing food beyond AYC and into family homes. For Mapalo, the results are tangible: fresh vegetables, lower household food costs, and skills he continues to use nearly a year later. That is an impact worth growing. #GrassrootsClimateSolutions #FoodSecurity #SustainableAgriculture #CommunityLedChange #AfricanEducationProgram #ImpactMatters

A strong start in life can shape a child’s entire learning journey. Yet in #Zambia, fewer than 35% of children entering Grade 1 have experienced formal pre-primary education, according to @UnicefZambia—highlighting the importance of supporting children’s development before school and throughout the early primary years. Play-based learning helps build that foundation. Through art, native games and hands-on exploration, children develop language, creativity, social skills and confidence. These opportunities remain valuable as children move into primary school, helping them participate actively and find joy in learning. At the African Education Program’s flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, Zambia, that approach comes to life under the shade of a mango tree. Here, Chanda, Amos Youth Centre’s Young Learners Program Coordinator and teacher, leads Grade 3 and 4 students in an outdoor art activity, encouraging them to explore ideas and express themselves. Through the Young Learners Program, more than 400 girls and boys have a nurturing space to strengthen foundational skills, build friendships and grow as confident learners. Investing in these early years helps children build the skills they will carry into every classroom—and throughout their lives. #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #LearningThroughPlay #YoungLearners #AfricanEducationProgram

Growing food. Nourishing children. Changing lives. 🌱 Thanks to @Kia_MEA and The Waste Lab for helping bring our Urban Farming & Permaculture Learning Space to life at our flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, #Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre. Your partnership has helped turn a shared vision into a thriving space where children and young people learn to grow food, care for the environment, and build skills they can share with their families and communities. The impact reaches straight to the table. Vegetables harvested from the garden support our Nutrition Program, which serves more than 350 meals every day—helping children get the nourishment they need to learn, grow, and thrive. On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we celebrate the partnerships that make community-led solutions possible. To Kia Middle East & Africa and The Waste Lab: thank you for helping grow lasting opportunities, one harvest and one meal at a time. #AfricanEducationProgram #Kia #TheWasteLab #CommunityLedChange #InternationalDayForTheEradicationOfPoverty

Partnerships help turn a shared commitment to inclusion into practical support for children and young people with disabilities. AEP’s flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, #Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre, in partnership with Kyaro Assistive Tech from Tanzania, hosted a one-day workshop on appropriate wheelchair use, bringing together stakeholders from Lusaka and Kafue to strengthen understanding of wheelchair fitting, safety and user comfort. The workshop brought together representatives from Kafue General Hospital, Dica Care, Apters Zambia, Beit Cure Childrens Hospital Zambia, the District Education Board and Social Welfare, creating an opportunity for organizations working with persons with disabilities to share knowledge and explore ways to work together. #AssistiveTechnology #DisabilityInclusion #Wheelchair #Partnerships #InclusiveCommunities

A partnership with @StreetBizSchool helped lay the foundation for the Women’s Business Training at AEP’s flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, #Zambia, locally known as the Amos Youth Centre. Launched in 2021 in response to the economic challenges of COVID-19, the program helps women build the skills and confidence to strengthen their livelihoods and support their families. Today, we are celebrating 39 graduates from the 13th cohort bringing our total to 362 women graduates! 🎉 Through four months of training and coaching, women learn practical skills in money management, record-keeping, marketing and business planning. Delivered in the local language and adapted to different literacy levels, the program supports women in growing an existing business or turning a new idea into reality. A special thanks to @RubisZambia, whose generous partnership has supported three cohorts, including this latest group. For AEP, supporting women’s economic independence is part of helping children, families and communities thrive. Each graduate carries forward new knowledge, greater confidence and tools to shape her own future. Congratulations to all 39 women! We are proud to celebrate this milestone with you and excited to see what you build next. #WomenInBusiness #WomensEmpowerment #AfricanEducationProgram #CommunityLedChange

How does becoming a mother change the way you lead? For AEP Co-Founder and Executive Director Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza, returning from #maternityleave means carrying a new perspective into a mission she has devoted her life to. In her latest blog, Julie-Anne shares a personal reflection on #motherhood, #leadership, and coming back to work—with the same mission and a bigger tomorrow. 💛 Read her story on our latest Medium blog → bit.ly/4hVQjQ1

Every girl deserves the freedom to learn, grow, and shape her own future. 💛 The African Education Program joins the global community in marking International Day of the Girl under this year’s theme: “End child marriage and invest in girls’ rights.” At our flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, #Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre (AYC), the Peer-to-Peer Education & Mentoring Program takes the lead in delivering lessons on girls’ rights and the importance of ending child marriage. The need is urgent. @UNICEF's 2024 Zambia report states that 29% of women ages 20–24 were married before their 18th birthday, including 5% who were married before age 15. Through these lessons, peer educators explored how child marriage can interrupt education, increase the risk of early and unintended pregnancy, limit girls’ ability to make decisions about their lives, and perpetuate poverty and gender inequality. By equipping young people with knowledge and the confidence to speak up, we help them become advocates for their own rights and for one another. When we invest in girls’ education, health, and leadership, the benefits reach entire communities. #InternationalDayOfTheGirl #EndChildMarriage #GirlsRights #AfricanEducationProgram #AmosYouthCentre

Supporting mental health means caring for everyone who makes learning and growth possible—children, youth, families, and the staff who walk alongside them. This #WorldMentalHealth Day, October 10, the African Education Program recognizes mental well-being as an essential part of our holistic approach at our flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, #Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre (AYC). Each week, AYC’s Programme Team facilitates mental health classes tailored to children’s ages and needs. Our work also extends to mothers and guardians, creating spaces to share experiences and explore ways to care for their own well-being while supporting their children. The mental health of our staff matters, too. Their work requires patience, compassion, and energy. Recognizing their needs and supporting their well-being helps sustain both our team and the care they provide. We are grateful to partners such as @SuperBetter and Foundation for Family and Community Healing for helping us continue to make mental health a priority. When we care for the people who learn, the families who nurture them, and the educators who guide them, we strengthen the whole community. #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealthMatters #AfricanEducationProgram #AmosYouthCentre

Great learning experiences begin with educators who are supported to keep learning, too. Three team members from AEP’s flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, #Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre (AYC), recently participated in the American International School of Lusaka - AISL JUMP! Impact Fund Facilitator Training: Clement Mwanza, Academics & Scholarships Manager; Chanda Kashina, Young Learners Coordinator; and Annie Nyambe, Special Education Assistant Teacher. The full-day workshop explored practical ways to make learning more engaging and meaningful, from thoughtful planning and clear communication to strategies for managing large classes. Participants also explored play-based learning and how internal and external motivation shape young people’s participation. For educators supporting learners with diverse needs, opportunities to learn, reflect, and exchange ideas help strengthen what happens in the classroom every day. At the African Education Program, investing in local educators is part of investing in young people’s futures. We are grateful for opportunities that help the AYC team grow their skills, spark curiosity, and support every learner’s potential. Thank you, AISL!! #AfricanEducationProgram #AmosYouthCentre #EducatorDevelopment #YouthEmpowerment