Zambia is one of the most deprived, AIDS-affected countries in the world. It has approximately 1.2 million orphans and vulnerable children in a population of just 17 million. Education is prohibitive for many due to the cost of fees and compulsory uniforms, books and stationery.

Zambia Orphans Aid UK (ZOA-UK) commits to take supported children through their entire schooling and on through College or University, if they have the ability. We also fund school feeding and building programmes.

ZOA-UK reaches vulnerable children by working in partnership with eight grassroots community groups and schools. We also seed-fund these partners’ income generating activities to help them move away from reliance on foreign aid.

Their Story 

Dr. Shimwaayi Muntemba, a Zambian national, was working as a gender advisor on the World Bank Africa Region’s HIV/AIDS programmes when she became increasingly concerned by the rising numbers of requests from schools for support for orphaned pupils.

Tragically, during this period, Shimwaayi lost three younger sisters to the AIDS pandemic; leaving  behind 11 young children. This motivated her to work towards establishing ZOA-US in Washington D.C. in 2000, to supply food and educational support to impoverished orphans and other vulnerable Zambian children.

Shimwaayi moved to the UK in 2005 and it seemed natural, given the UK’s historical links to Zambia, to set up ZOA-UK with other people who had lived in Zambia