Zambia National Education Coalition

🎓 Empowering Student Leaders for Effective Advocacy and Influence.

Yesterday, the Zambia National Education Coalition, in partnership with Yet Trust, successfully conducted a Capacity Building Workshop on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Negotiation Tactics for Student Union Leaders in Kitwe.

The workshop brought together student leaders from universities and colleges across the Copperbelt Province to strengthen their capacity to effectively represent student interests, engage decision-makers, and influence policies and practices affecting higher education.

Through a virtual presentation facilitated by Ms. Chalwe M. Nyirenda, Global Advocacy Advisor at Tearfund, participants explored the fundamentals of advocacy, power dynamics, stakeholder mapping, lobbying tactics, and the importance of evidence-based engagement in influencing change.

During a practical session facilitated by Ms. Rhodah Chibanga, student leaders were challenged to rethink the role of social media beyond entertainment and recognize its potential as a powerful tool for awareness creation, community mobilization, and advocacy. Discussions highlighted key issues requiring greater attention, including unfair room allocation, poor sanitation, and the need for institutions to better align academic programmes with technological advancements and evolving industry demands.

💡 A key takeaway from the workshop was that effective advocacy is not simply about raising concerns it is about strategically influencing decisions, building relationships, mobilizing communities, and proposing solutions that drive meaningful change.

🤝 Together, we are building a generation of informed, strategic, and influential student leaders committed to advancing inclusive and quality education for all.
SAIH Zanasu Copperbelt The Zambia National Students Union-Zanasu Swaziland Youth Empowerment Organization - Luvatsi"

📢📢 HAPPENING NOW Kitwe, Copperbelt Province.

The Zambia National Education Coalition, in partnership with Yet Trust is conducting a Capacity Building Workshop on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Negotiation Tactics for Student Union Leaders.

The workshop has brought together student leaders from universities and colleges across Copperbelt to strengthen their capacity to effectively advocate for student interests, engage key stakeholders, and influence decision-making processes within higher education institutions and beyond.

As Zambia prepares for the 2026 general elections, the training seeks to empower student leaders with practical skills to ensure that student voices and education issues remain at the centre of national conversations.

Together, we are strengthening student leadership and advancing advocacy for positive change.🤝📚

💡Know Our ZANEC Member Organisations✨️

Today we proudly spotlight Sport-Aid Development Trust Zambia. Sport-Aid Development Trust is a Zambian non-profit organisation that harnesses the power of sport to drive social transformation, youth empowerment, education, health promotion, gender equality, and economic development. Through innovative sport-for-development programmes, SADT creates opportunities for children, adolescents, and young people, especially girls and vulnerable populations, to build life skills, leadership capacity, financial literacy, entrepreneurship competencies, and healthy lifestyles.

Working closely with schools, communities, government institutions, civil society organisations, and development partners, SADT is helping to create safe, inclusive, and empowering environments where young people can thrive and realize their full potential.

✅️Vision: A society where all children and young people have equal opportunities to realize their full potential through sport, education, and economic empowerment.

📌Mission: To empower children, adolescents, and young people through innovative sport-for-development programmes that promote education, health, gender equality, leadership, financial inclusion, and sustainable livelihoods.

At ZANEC, we value members like SADT whose work contributes to advancing inclusive education, youth development, and community transformation across Zambia.

📢📢 Today Zambia National Education Coalition, in collaboration with CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education Zambia, successfully convened a stakeholder and partner consultative meeting on enhancing opportunities for Life Skills implementation in Zambian schools.

Partners reflected on the critical role of life skills in equipping learners with competencies such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, decision-making, and emotional intelligence. Partners also shared the various life skills programmes they are implementing, while CAMFED Zambia highlighted achievements and lessons from the Learner Guide Programme.

💡 Discussions highlighted key barriers affecting effective implementation, including changing policy priorities, examination-oriented approaches to learning, and negative social and cultural norms. At the same time, partners identified opportunities presented by the 2023 Competency-Based Curriculum, increased investment in skills development through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), and strengthened collaboration among stakeholders.

The meeting reaffirmed that life skills are not an optional addition to learning but a critical foundation for nurturing confident, resilient, and productive citizens.🤝📚 🇿🇲

📍 Happening now: Zambia National Education Coalition , in collaboration with CAMFED - Campaign for Female Education, is convening education partners for a consultative meeting on enhancing opportunities for Life Skills implementation in Zambian schools.

The meeting provides a platform for sharing best practices, identifying barriers, and developing coordinated strategies to support learner retention, confidence, critical thinking, and improved educational outcomes for learners across the country.🤝✨📚

💡School Spotlight: Katuntulu Primary School, Kabwe

📍Katuntulu Primary School, located about 16km from Kabwe Central Business District, continues to face significant challenges affecting learners' access to quality education. Key concerns raised by learners include a shortage of teachers, inadequate classrooms, limited teaching and learning materials, lack of waterborne and disability-friendly toilets, absence of teachers' houses, and insufficient support for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (LSEND).

Many learners also walk long distances to school, while the nearest secondary school is approximately 5km away, creating barriers to progression and regular attendance.

Despite these challenges, notable progress has been made. The school has improved access to water through the installation of a water tank, while the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Committee has committed to constructing a modern ablution block. The school has also applied for teachers' houses to improve staff retention. In addition, a partnership with The Rise has enabled visual impairment screening for learners, with spectacles expected to be provided soon.
GIZ Zambia

📍Day 4: Advancing Access to Higher Education Opportunities in Samfya District📚

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC), in partnership with the Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB) and CAMFED Zambia, today reached 726 learners through a higher education financing sensitisation programme conducted at Twingi Secondary School, Miloke Secondary School, and Katansya Secondary School in Samfya District, Luapula Province. The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure that learners, particularly those in rural and underserved communities, have access to accurate information on student loans, scholarships, and other educational support opportunities available to help them transition into tertiary education.

Through interactive engagements, learners were provided with guidance on the application processes, eligibility requirements, and benefits of accessing higher education financing through HELSB. The sessions also highlighted the importance of academic commitment and informed decision-making as learners prepare for life after secondary school. ZANEC remains committed to advocating for equitable access to education and empowering learners with the information they need to pursue their educational aspirations, regardless of their socioeconomic background or geographical location.

📍Day 3: Strengthening Learners' Pathways to Higher Education in Samfya District

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC), in partnership with the Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB) and CAMFED Zambia, successfully conducted a learner sensitisation programme in Samfya District, Luapula Province, aimed at increasing awareness of higher education financing opportunities among secondary school learners. Prior to the school engagements, the team paid a courtesy call on Samfya District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), Mr. Elie Shumba, who welcomed the initiative and commended the collaborative efforts to ensure learners are equipped with information that can support their transition from secondary to tertiary education.

The programme reached a total of 1,373 Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners across Chibolya Secondary School (450 learners), Chisokone Secondary School (156 learners), and Samfya Secondary School (767 learners). Through interactive sensitisation sessions, learners received information on student loans, scholarships, and other support mechanisms available through HELSB and its partners. The learners were encouraged to remain focused on their studies, pursue academic excellence, and take advantage of available opportunities that can help them achieve their higher education aspirations.