Beyond Education…
Promoting gender equity by providing obtainable education, nutrition, health services, and empowerment programs to Zambia’s rising generation…
Zambia is currently experiencing the worst drought in the country’s history. Due to lack of rain, the crops have failed and food prices have quadrupled. Many families can no longer afford food for their children. Donate today to combat malnutrition by providing families in need with food!
In Zambia…
28%
of students finish grade 12
30%
of girls become pregnant before they turn 18
87%
of children don’t receive a minimum acceptable diet
60%
of people live below the poverty line of $1 per day
“Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy, and sustainable human development.”
— Kofi Annan
Our Projects
Education
Unlike most places in the developed world, education is not free to the public in Zambia. Students are required to pay school fees, as well as purchase a school uniform, shoes, and other supplies which many families cannot afford. We believe that every person should have the right to access education; therefore, we created FHCI’s Sponsorship Program. This program provides education to 130 students in preschool through University and Trade School. In addition, we financially support Chibule Preschool, in order to provide education to thirty village children who would otherwise be unable to attend school.
Nutrition & Health
To thrive in school, students need to have their basic nutritional and health needs met. In January 2021, we launched our Lunch Program and began providing our students in Livingstone with lunch during the school terms. In addition to this, we provide breakfast Monday - Friday to 60 students in Delevu Pre & Primary School. Every December, we also have a Christmas Celebration/End of the Year Party where we feed all of the students a special Christmas meal. With the ongoing drought situation affecting the country, we have started supplying vulnerable families with essential food supplies every month. On top of nutrition, we provide medical assistance to students and families who are HIV positive or have other medical issues.
Empowerment
In order to combat gender inequality in Zambia and foster an inclusive, respectful, non-discriminative environment, we host Impact Programs to empower the students and educate them about gender equality, gender-based violence, sexual/reproductive health, and a variety of other topics. We also host community workshops to provide the community with information about topics that are important to them. In addition, we partner with local organizations to hold regular distributions of reusable menstrual hygiene products for adolescent girls in Livingstone so that they have the resources they need to stay in school.
Our Impact…
We facilitate several different education, nutrition, health, and empowerment programs. Since our inception in 2018, over 800 students and community members have received support through these initiatives. We currently provide:
130
preschool, primary, secondary, university, and trade school students with sponsorship
200
grade 6 - 8 students with access to Empowerment Programs
60
rural village students with breakfast every Monday through Friday
220
families with essential food supplies every month to alleviate drought-induced food insecurity
30
preschoolers with access to education and educational supplies
Land Development
After years of planning, we have purchased a 4 hectare (9.8 acre) plot of land in Livingstone. The next step in this project is to start construction of a holistic community center so that can better serve the needs of our community. You can help us achieve this dream by donating today!
Read Our Latest Newsletters!
Find out how we wrapped up 2024 in our 2024 Term 3 Newsletter and learn about everything we have planned for 2025 in our 2025 Kickoff Newsletter. You won’t want to miss these looks into the great work happening here at FHCI!
Click here to read the 2024 Term 3 Newsletter!
Click here to read the 2025 Kickoff Newsletter!
Check out our 2024 Stakeholder Presentation!
On November 26th, 2024, we hosted our second annual stakeholder meeting! You can check out the presentation by clicking the link below.
Read Our 2024 Annual Report
2024 Report Overview:
Introductory letter from Executive Director and President
Get to know Staff Members and Board Members
Education, Nutrition, Health, and Empowerment overview
FHCI’s 2024 Achievements in Numbers
Success Stories of Visco, Robson, and Patrick
2024 Financial Breakdown
Click here to read our 2024 Annual Report and find out more about what we accomplished!
Follow Our Story
To keep everyone updated with current events happening in our organization, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
@freehavencommunityinitiative
@Free Haven Community Initiative
Ready to Create Impact?
Whether you donate, become a sponsor, start a campaign, use your influence, or become an advocate, we would love for you to get involved! Every step provides an opportunity and future for a well-deserving student in Zambia.