A partnership

Charitable trusts and foundations play an important role in supporting ZOA’s life changing work. The team at ZOA build long-term partnerships with trusts and foundations who provide significant funding to help us disrupt the cycle of poverty for orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia.

Our team can provide you with reports, offer you the chance to visit our work and give you an insight into the workings of a small charity that makes a big difference to orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia. 

To find out more about how you can help us changes lives for good please get in touch with Danielle on [email protected] or call on 01233 901 006.

Why work with Zambia Orphans Aid?

Well, the answer isn’t so difficult! At ZOA we do things differently. We work with Zambian grassroots community groups meaning that those most affected by poverty are telling us what needs to be done and how.

Zambians play a leading role in decision making across the organisation, from our founder and Trustees in the UK to the small team of Zambians leading on programmes in Zambia, to the communities we work with and our students who provide us with feedback. They all shape what we do.

Our very small team of part-time, home-based staff in the UK, helps keep our overheads low allowing more donations to go to changing the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia.

Changing lives for good

ZOA focuses on helping orphans and other vulnerable children to achieve their potential though education, raising aspirations and increasing social mobility. We do this using sustainable approaches that strengthen particularly deprived communities in Zambia. 

In 2019 we supported 2,000 orphans and other vulnerable children by supplying uniforms and books, tuition and exam fees, nutritious school meals, developing community schools and helping school leavers acquire work skills through vocational training. 

Check out our impact in more detail.

Get in touch

There are many ways that you can offer your support. A one-off or annual unrestricted gift allows us to use your money for our priority projects. A monthly standing order enables us to plan ahead. Or you might choose to work with us on a specific area of work, often over a number of years.

To find out more about how you can help us changes lives for good please get in touch with Danielle on [email protected] or call on 01233 901 006.

Thank you.

The Mercury Phoenix Trust

The Mercury Pheonix Trust is supporting us to address COVID related disruption of HIV services and rising levels of child abuse in Zambia. This pilot project will build resilience and self-confidence by boosting HIV prevention and knowledge of reproductive health and sexual rights amongst 1,100 at-risk students from two deprived communities in Lusaka through HIV testing, drama workshops and community-based psychosocial counselling.

Fondation Eagle and Jephcott Charitable Trust

A photo showing the new boarding house for girls at Lubushi
Fondation Eagle and Jephcott Charitable Trust have supported us to build a boarding house for 84 girls at Lubushi School, as part of our commitment to keep girls in school. This will help girls who live far from the school to access school. Because many girls travel a long distance from home to get to school they end up lodging in cheap accommodation in the local town. This has resulted in a high number of pregnancies amongst students.

Charles Hayward Foundation

Photo showing the new accessible toilet block at Twavwane

With the support of the Charles Hayward Foundation we’ve upgraded the toilets and wash facilities at Twavwane and Hope and Faith Schools to provide accessible toilets, toilets for girls and a safe and secure water supply. Twavwane’s catchment area was badly affected by the cholera outbreak in 2017/18 so this work is vitally important.

Keeping girls in school

Diana, 18 years old

“I was 12 years old when I started my monthly periods. It was very difficult to cope. I was afraid and didn’t know what to do. I thought there was probably something wrong with me and that made me stop going to school, which made me feel very bad.

The MHM training taught me a lot things: good hygiene practices, to have self-esteem, that I can still go to school  when I’m menstruating, taking care of myself, how to use reusable pads, and how and where menstrual flow starts  from.

The difference is my attendance in class has improved unlike before when I used to stay away from school during my period. The fact that I’m in class when menstruating makes am me feel good because I feel comfortable and free and I can also learn and concentrate.

Before I used to miss classes for a long period of time until I finished my periods because I didn’t have pads and I was using cloths. This made me stay away from school leading  to poor performance in school, but now I’m happy because I have the information on how to take care of myself and I was given reusable pads to be using which can be washed and used again .

What I would say to my fellow girls who are in the same situation is that they shouldn’t fear their periods because it’s normal, to get support and guidance from teachers at school, parents and so on so that they remain in class to learn for a better tomorrow”.

Making sure no child is distracted by hunger

Juliet, 12 years old

I live with my brother and sister. Only my mum is around because we lost our dad when I was eight. My mum buys food for us after doing some piece work like washing clothes for people. My biggest challenge is seeing my mum facing hardships alone to make sure she can buy food for us.

School is a kilometre away and I just walk. School helps me to learn things that I didn’t know and how to take care of myself. I used to have [hunger] stomach pains which affected my academic performance, but I don’t face challenges at school now because I receive a school meal and my uniform and my fees are being paid.

Having received help has helped me to start school, receive uniforms that mum couldn’t afford and I’m able to have the correct meals at school. It can make someone like myself have a better life.”

Supporting tertiary students

Hazel, 21 years old

“I’m grateful to ZOA for coming into my life and helping me pursue my dream. I’m a second year student of Kafue Institute of Health Sciences and Research. Recently I did a number of placements in various departments at the University Teaching Hospital, Zambia’s best hospital. We’ve just returned to our college for examinations which are about to commence.  ZOA, I don’t know what words to use to say ‘thank you’ for the job you are doing. You are really changing our lives. Thank you so much.