Why do we persevere? Because we have a mission and purpose that we must fulfill. This is the case for us at Funzeleo. Our mission is to inspire and prepare African youth for high-demand science and math-based professions. At no time was this mission more important for Africa than in 2020.

The effects of COVID-19 pushed many families, schools, and individual educators into unprecedented hardship. Sadly, some succumbed to the ravages of this disease, but many others persevered and will continue to endure and thrive. Yes, there will be harrowing stories to share, but there will be many more of survival, determination, and hope. 

Read our 2020 Annual Report

Charity Malama is a 17-year-old, grade 10 pupil in Zambia’s Kalulushi District. She is the only girl in a family of seven children. From a young age, Charity accounts that she felt like she had fewer choices over her quality of life compared to her brothers.  “My parents always told me not to join school clubs like math clubs, and they didn’t want me to participate in school quizzes even if I was good at them,” she lamented, “They claimed that technical subjects are meant for boys.”  When Charity passed her grade nine national exams, she was selected to a local high school where she was placed in a “pure class,” which means a class oriented toward math and science. Here, Charity’s love for science grew even more.  “It’s like I was thirsty for a long time and I was finally given water. I began to learn all the endless possibilities of how science could change the way we live,”  said Charity. However, the school laboratory was not equipped with the necessary tools to help Charity and her class to conduct experiments. According to Abraham Chansa, Charity’s teacher and a Funzeleo-trained teacher:  “It was difficult to teach science concepts without experimentation materials, but when Funzeleo came, they helped me with materials that I could use to demonstrate and conduct classroom experiments with my pupils.” With the use of Funzeleo teaching techniques and the science materials that Funzeleo provided, Charity is able to learn through a more hands-on way.   “I always look forward to the experiments. It is easy for me to remember certain concepts easily when I can see and touch. Sometimes when materials are enough, all my classmates get their own materials to experiment with, unlike just  watching the teacher,” said Charity. Charity thanks her teacher, Mr. Chansa, for giving her an environment through which she is able to become more than what her parents told her, and she believes in her potential to succeed.

With over 1.2 billion people, Africa is poised to become the world’s largest market for business, industry, and consumers. It follows, then, that Funzeleo’s mission is to inspire and prepare African youth for high-demand careers in the sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Our annual report details our hard work in Tanzania and Zambia and the impact we have been able to have in Africa thus far.

Read our 2019 Annual Report

The first cohort of 25 science and math teachers from fifteen schools in the Copperbelt Province in Zambia graduated from two weeks of Funzeleo training on February 2019. With their new credentials, these teachers are now equipped to serve 5,000 students in 2019 as part of Funzeleo’s Engineering and Technology Program. Highlights from the training included:

• Administration of DISC – a personality assessment tool to help the teachers identify their unique behavior patterns around four well-researched characteristics: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Consciousness. None of the teachers had had prior exposure to personality-assessment tools.
• A presentation of science projects, for which winning teams received awards and prizes, was evaluated by a panel of judges handpicked for their expertise in business and education. The winning teams were distinguished by their ability to involve students in developing and delivering the results, the use of locally available materials to create the products, and the utility of the invention in the local market.
• Unprecedented appreciation for STEM education and opportunities it offers in the community, schools, and the overall economic wellbeing of the country. A comment from one of the teachers best captured the impact of the experience:  The Funzeleo experiences serve as a “reminder of the importance of science and mathematics as tools to impart engineering skills in learners so that Africa can have as many engineers as possible in future.”

The next cohort of teachers in Zambia will begin their training in early September 2019. Meanwhile, we will maintain an ongoing relationship with the recent graduates through alumni reunions, continued learning opportunities, and engagement in the future as mentors and instructors of others.

As part of a three-year partnership with Funzeleo, Orica invested in the expansion of the Funzeleo mission in Zambia. Orica is a global provider of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems to the mining industry.

A southern central African country, Zambia has a population of 17 million, 67 percent of whom are under the age of 25. Recently, the Government of Zambia revamped its curriculum to put greater emphasis on experiential learning and vocational training built around math, science, computer skills, and entrepreneurship. With Orica’s support, our programs will enable Zambian youth to pursue high-demand science, engineering and other technical professions.

In September 2018, 28 Zambian teachers attended a week-long training on Funzeleo’s Engineering Program and the hands-on experiences that are the hallmarks of Funzeleo’s mission. Combined, these 28 teachers are serving more than 6,000 secondary students in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province. As one teacher remarked, “Hands-on activities and application of science and math in ‘real-life situations’ have added value to the way I will be teaching.”

In preparation for the follow-up training in 2019, these teachers are working on team projects to solve relevant community challenges. As one team observed, the purpose of these projects is “to help the teachers understand fully why practical experiences are important when teaching a science lesson. It promotes critical thinking as well as problem solving.”

In addition to our Zambian program, we will continue our work in Tanzania, where more than 23,800 students have benefited from our STEM programs in the past three years.

Funzeleo Inc., a U.S.-based nonprofit with the mission to inspire and prepare African youth for science careers and other math-based professions, today announced a partnership with Orica, a global provider of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems to the mining industry.

As part of the three-year partnership, Orica’s financial support enables Funzeleo to expand its STEM programs in 2018 and beyond.

“Funzeleo has reached more than 23,000 students in Tanzania in the past three years,” said Lamech Mbise, President of Funzeleo. “With Orica’s generous support, we will now be able to expand our mission to Zambia to continue inspiring Africa youth to graduate from school and pursue high-demand, high-income science, engineering and other technical professions.”

Orica employees will also have the opportunity to support teachers by volunteering in Funzeleo classes while helping students connect classroom learning with opportunities in the job market.

“Preparing today’s students for science and math-based careers is especially important to the future of companies like Orica,” said Orica’s Group Executive Corporate Services and Company Secretary Kirsten Gray. “We are thrilled to be part of Funzeleo’s mission in Africa both in the classroom and as a future employer.”

ABOUT FUNZELEO
Funzeleo, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Colorado, USA. Its mission is to inspire and prepare African youth for high-demand jobs in science, math, engineering, healthcare and technology. By developing experiential science, engineering and math programs and training teachers to implement the curriculum, Funzeleo awakens students to a world beyond the classroom, engages them in learning and enables them to see the impact of their education and future success. To learn more, visit www.funzeleo.org.

ABOUT ORICA
Orica is the world’s largest provider of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems to the mining, quarrying, construction and oil and gas markets, a leading supplier of sodium cyanide for gold extraction and expert ground support services.

In May, Lamech visited the Funzeleo program in Tanzania. He participated in a science fair hosted by the students receiving Funzeleo’s Energy Program at Heradali Primary School.  He hosted meetings with business and education leaders who wanted to see continued impact of the program. Funzeleo has a goal of 10,000 students by the end of 2017. With corporate support that number could be even higher and the impact on youth employment and national economic growth would be immense.

Fifteen private-sector leaders joined Funzeleo board members for an informational breakfast on  May 24, 2016. Lamech Mbise, President, updated the guests about Funzeleo’s impact in Tanzania. The attendees got a taste of the health-career program that will be launched in Tanzania later this year; thanks to Dr. Jennifer Hellier, a board member and the program trainer. This event was sponsored by Scot Anderson, Funzeleo board chair.

Funzeleo Tanzania had its first science fair in December 2015. Before exposure to Funzeleo’s experience, students presented drawings as part of their science fair.

For the first time, students applied their experience in Funzeleo’s Energy Program to showcase their projects on solar, hydro-electric, and wind power. Thanks to mentorship from Funzeleo-trained teachers, the students pulled of a unique exhibit that attracted teachers and students from neighboring schools, as well as over 300 parents and government representatives.

The Arusha Region Education Officer, who was the guest of honor, commended the students and underscored the importance of teaching math and science in a way that empowers and engages the students as the Energy Program seeks to do.