Empowerment Through Education: A UniAthena Initiative with Zambia’s Poverty Eradication Programme

Zambia is home to awe-inspiring waterfalls, mesmerizing wildlife, and gorgeous sunsets. But it is also home to some of the poorest populations in the world. The 2023 UNDP report states that 61.4% of the Zambian population lives below the poverty line, with 21% in severe poverty and 23.9% in danger of experiencing poverty. But when adversity strikes, the best of humanity also rises to the challenge.

Meet the Poverty Eradication Programme Zambia, or PEPZ. PEPZ aims to empower the poorest of the poor Zambians in a few different ways. They campaign online for donations to build schools for Zambian children in need. They promote self-sufficiency in food production among people by encouraging them to engage in backyard gardening, farming, poultry production, and more. They also accept food and clothing donations from generous donors, which are then given to those who need them most. 
 
Currently, PEPZ is committed to building a community centre, which they intend to use for a variety of purposes. The facility can be used to teach valuable skills to adults and sew uniforms for poor school children. It is also intended to be used to offer temporary shelter to elderly people, abused women, and children in need. Donations to build this community centre can be made by clicking the link on their LinkedIn bio. 

Education is a powerful tool to help eradicate poverty. The 2023 UNDP report highlights that poor education contributes to the overall poverty of Zambians by a concerning 25%. With limited resources, there is a need for an innovative educational solution to uplift Zambians and empower them to reach their full potential. 
 
That is why UniAthena is excited to announce our partnership with PEPZ. Our Free-Learning Online Short Courses can help Zambians develop professional skills and knowledge to empower themselves. In line with our mission to make education accessible and affordable to the masses, we are delighted to offer free certifications from reputed educational bodies like Acacia University Professional Development (AUPD), US, and Cambridge International Qualifications (CIQ), UK. We sincerely hope that this partnership will benefit learners and help them take charge of their futures.