The EAA’s EAC programme has been active in Zambia since 2017 and has provided primary education to over 175,000 children.

The “Empowering Vulnerable Children with Education” Project, a joint initiative by Education Above All (EAA) and World Vision, has been launched in the Namwala District of Zambia, to help keep 7,000 Zambian children in quality primary education.

The project is a testament to the importance of education and the role it plays in improving the lives of individuals and communities.

Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of General Education and the Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia, the joint project seeks to improve the retention, access and learning outcomes for thousands of at-risk children in quality primary education.

The initiative focuses on the Namwale district, which is known to be one of the most marginalised districts in the African country.

The project will focus on providing quality education by ensuring that there are enough qualified teachers, adequate infrastructure, and learning materials.

EAA and its partners will also work with the local communities to create awareness about the importance of education and encourage parents to enrol their children in school.

The project is expected to have a positive impact on the lives of the children in Zambia and the community as a whole. It highlights the importance of education in improving the lives of individuals and communities, and the power of partnerships in achieving common goals.

It further aims to increase retention rates among primary-level children who are at risk of dropping out of school by connecting existing child protection and education systems to develop an Early Warning System to identify at-risk children and take action to mitigate the risk factors.

The Stay in School Committees will collaborate with the school administration to monitor and identify students who are at risk of dropping out and offer tailored retention responses through action-oriented work plans.

The EAA’s EAC programme has been active in Zambia since 2017, and has been successful in providing quality primary education to over 175,000 out-of-school children in 29 districts.

“Some children face challenges that reduce their chances of staying in school. These include; living in poverty, exposure to conflict-affected environments, suffering chronic illness, having work responsibilities (child labour) and disability,” Leena Al Derham, Education Above All Foundation.

“We are happy to support another joint partnership project in Zambia, together with our partner, and other supporters, we are helping children stay in school and providing them with the opportunity to learn and develop the skills they need to access a better future.”

Urgent help ‘needed’ for Zambia’s education

According to the United Nations, Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world with over 58% of the population living below the poverty line. This poverty is reflected in the country’s education system, with many children unable to access quality education.

UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report states that Zambia has one of the highest rates of out-of-school children in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, an estimated 1.4 million children were out of school, representing 22% of primary school-aged children. The situation is worse for girls, with over 700,000 girls out of school, compared to 600,000 boys.

According to the World Bank, only 30% of students in grade 5 can read a simple sentence whilst 13% can do basic arithmetic, indicating a significant gap in the quality of education being provided in Zambia.

The country also faces a shortage of skilled workers, which limits its economic potential.