“At Mukwashi, I see a blossoming of talent, and a desire to excel and make a difference which gives back to the community. I see perseverance and a joy for life which makes obstacles turn into opportunities for developing problem-solvers. Where others see despair, the Mukwashi staff see resilience and training for strength.”
Our mission
Our mission is to work with flair, dedication and expertise, and to provide the most disadvantaged children in our community with a future shaped by high-quality education. We aim to equip them to become ‘catalysts for change’ in their own rural community.
We are also seeking to become a ‘beacon of excellence‘ in sub-Saharan Africa, and to show other rural ‘low-resource schools’, serving similar disadvantaged communities, with similar limited resources, how much they can achieve.
Going forward, with your help, we aim to build friendships with similar schools in remote parts of Zambia and neighbouring Malawi & Zimbabwe to provide them with training, encouragement and support.
‘Mukwashi’ isn’t a place; it’s the word for ‘to help’ in one local language and the word for ‘family’ in another language. Our school is called ‘mukwashi’ because everyone involved — staff, learners, parents, carers, local sponsors, company members and international supporters — works together as equal family members to help the poorest in our community.
Our governance
The school is run by Mukwashi Trust School Ltd — a non-profit making company which is limited by guarantee and registered in Zambia (120190009921).
The company is formally recognised by the Zambian Government as a Public Benefit Organisation.
The company’s twenty members provide the school’s direction, governance and strategy. Ten members live in Zambia; the others live in Angola, Austria, Canada, the UK and Zimbabwe.
Each year, the members elect a small team of unpaid directors to provide the school’s senior managers with support and scrutiny. The current directors are Magrietha Botha, Vivienne Hampala, Leslie Jeffery, Joy Lewanika & Maybin Musonda in Zambia; and Fiona Jelley, Kilian Kroel, Laura Manni, Timothy Pain & Steven Wilber not in Zambia.
The company’s UK-based directors have established Support Mukwashi School as a registered charity (1210538) in the UK. Its sole purpose is raising funds internationally for the school.
Ms Mulemba Sakuwaha is the school’s Head Teacher and Mr Crispin Shamufundo is its Deputy Head. They lead and manage the school, and are supported by twenty three staff and several volunteers.
Academically, the school is advised by one of the company members, Prof Iram Siraj OBE, Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College and Professor of Child Development & Education at Oxford University.
My name is Fredrick Kunda…
My parents were uneducated, peasant farmers in the north of Zambia, but they made sure I attended school and worked hard.
I obtained a scholarship for vulnerable students to study Maths at Rockview University at diploma level. This covered my fees but I had nothing for anything else. When my father became seriously ill, I worked to support my mother instead of attending classes. I had some hard years, but managed to pass my exams.
I started teaching in 2019, and then studied part-time for a degree in Physics & Maths – which I gained in 2021 with a distinction.
At the end of 2023, Mukwashi selected me to teach Science to all secondary grades, and I feel at home here. I produced good results where I worked before and hope to do even better at Mukwashi.
Hi, I’m Agness Phiri
I grew up in Kafue, south of Lusaka and qualified as a primary teacher in 2019 at Makeni College. I started working part-time at Mukwashi in January 2022, and the next year they offered me a full-time position.
I developed a passion for teaching because of my father, a local head teacher: I’ve always admired how he taught and conducted himself.
For me, the best part of my job is seeing children grow and develop, academically and personally. It’s amazing to hear how they approach different problems.
Outside school, I’m a wife and mother who likes cooking, baking and visiting new places – and I’ve a big passion for self-improvement. In 2024, I received the Directors’ Award for the most outstanding staff contribution, and that made my father very proud!
I’m Luckwell Moonga
My name is Luckwell Moonga. I’m 26 years old and am married with two young daughters. I completed my secondary education at Nampundwe Secondary School back in 2014, and I now reside with mu family in Kalundu – that’s about six kilometres from Mukwashi.
I joined the team last September and work as a school drivers, mechanic and maintenance officer. I start work every day at 05:30 am – after cycling to work in the dark. It’s a long day!
In my free time, I enjoy gardening and have a big passion for farming. With seven years’ driving experience, I feel at home here at Mukwashi. The school has quickly become a significant part of my life.
My name is Nelia Nkhoma
I’m a qualified secondary teacher of Maths & PE who graduated from Kwame Nkrumah University in 2021.
After uni, I worked for a month as voluntary teacher at Mukwashi; a few months later, the school contacted me and offered me a job! I’ve been working here now for three years. It’s been a great experience.
I teach across Upper Primary & Lower Secondary, and am the lead teacher for Extra Class – which provides additional tuition for those who want to be stretched. It’s been exciting to develop this new class and experiment with different ways of teaching.
I’m one of the lucky teachers who’s just moved into one of the new studios at Mukwashi. They’re great!
My goal is to make a positive difference in the lives of our learners and to develop future leaders.
