Our Approach
The Need in Zambia
Life is tough for children in Zambia. At Zambia Orphans Aid UK (ZOA-UK), we believe a world is possible where every child grows up healthy, safe and educated – playing, learning and looking to the future filled with curiosity.
But, right now, poverty levels are rising. Zambian children are struggling in our increasingly unequal world, with 72% living on less than USD3 a day, denied their fundamental right to life’s most basic building blocks – education, safety, healthcare and nutrition.
Holistic approach
ZOA-UK is a UK charity working with and for children and young people in Zambia, in partnership with our sister charities – ZOA-Zambia and ZOA-US. We focus on education, but recognise that, for a child to participate effectively, they must have access to good nutrition, child protection, good health and wellbeing, clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
With almost 20 years’ experience we continue to adapt, do what is right and meet the evolving needs of children and their communities.
Our Values
Respecting – treating everyone with dignity and respect, championing the rights and contribution of all to achieve a fairer world. Inspiring – inspiring in our actions. Uncompromising in our determination to pursue our mission. Creative and agile, we test different approaches to accelerate change. Enabling – collaborating with grassroots groups to enable children and their communities to develop their skills and create sustainable solutions to the challenges they face. Integrity – acting with honesty and conviction. Our actions are accountable to those we work with and those who support us.
2023/24 in numbers
Our Work
Sustainability
We engage with communities to achieve long-term change, empowering orphans, vulnerable children and youths through education to contribute to Zambia’s development.
Although we have sent £2 million in grants to Zambia since 2006, we ultimately want to take ourselves out of the equation. We don’t want to create donor-dependency, which is why we partner with grassroots, community-based organisations who are our valuable partners.
We work with our local partners to develop their capacity and, when appropriate, encourage them to develop other income streams to help them move towards financial sustainability.
For example, we supported our local parter, Chibolya Community School (CEHOZ) start a fish farm to provide an income to help become more self-sufficient. Surplus fish are cooked as part of the free school lunch provided for vulnerable children at Chibolya School in Southern Province, an area that often experiences food insecurity.
How we work
