Bwanji from Zambia

Bwanji!

I’m writing to you from Zambia, where I’m joined by some of our PEAS colleagues, board members, and friends to visit primary and secondary schools. This week has been truly inspiring—we started in the Eastern Province, visiting primary schools, and today, we travelled north to explore PEAS' secondary schools. Last Friday, we officially announced our partnership with PEAS, and what better way to follow that milestone than by visiting schools together to see the impact of this work firsthand?

Key Takeaways from This Week

Incredible Growth:

The Impact Network Primary program is expanding rapidly! Last year we were reaching 6,000 students across 40 schools. Today, thanks to our project with AIR and our system-strengthening work with Waterloo, we are working in 88 schools and reaching over 30,000 students. In just one year, we’ve grown from 6,000 to 30,000+ children. With our PEAS partnership, together we’re reaching 250,000 children across three countries every year—an extraordinary leap!

The Difference is Tangible:

To start the week, we visited two schools that are not part of the Impact Network program. Then, we arrived at our first Impact Network school, and the contrast was immediate. As soon as we got back in the car, two colleagues said, “Wow, that was really different. You can just feel it and see it. The teachers were more engaged. The students were actively participating and the classrooms were filled with joy and energy.” Even in just 20 minutes in an Impact Network classroom, the difference was unmistakable. It’s a powerful reminder of the transformative work we’re doing.

This Work Matters:

Seeing the contrast and hearing those observations reinforced how impactful this work is. While there’s still much to do around Zambia, the progress we’ve made is making a real difference for so many children. We need to continue this work to ensure that all children can learn from teachers who are present, engaged, and effective. We want to see more joy and curiosity in every classroom. Ultimately, with PEAS, we aim to create a pathway that supports children from their first day of school all the way to graduation from secondary school.

Thank you to our team in Zambia for arranging the visits and taking us around. Now, I’m off to visit more schools and see more of this inspiring work.