Project Luangwa Annual Report 2023

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ANNUAL REPORT 2023
Ufulu Message from our CEO Who and Where We Are Meet the Team Sponsorship Case Studies Gender Our Impact in 2023 Digital Learning JK Centre for Learning and Sport Construction Supporting Schools Foundation Programme Eco-Stoves 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 Reading Programme Supporting Artisans 30 32 Sport Events and News 34 36 Monitoring and Evaluation 38 Table of Contents Luangwa Conservation and Community Fund 40 Financial Report 42 Supporters Page 44

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•PROJECT LUANGWA• • WWW.PROJECTLUANGWA.ORG • • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT •
huge thank you to Priya Shah and Mjose Mtalika for their help in creating this report
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Who we are

Project Luangwa is a charitable organisation based in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia. We have two major focuses - Education and Gender Equality, which we work to support throughanumberofinitiatives.

Our work includes building schools and infrastructure, educational maths and IT programmes,menstrualhygieneinitiatives,safe space and confidence building programmes, fuel-efficient cooking stoves and sponsoring childrentoallowthemtoattendschool.

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Where we are

Mission Statement

“Project Luangwa is a charitable organisation based in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia. We have two major focuses - Education and Gender Equality, which we work to support through a number of initiatives.”

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Our Impact in 202

Paid for 147 children to attend Boarding school, including provision of uniform, equipment, school shoes and transport

Delivered 7,600 washable sanitary pads to 1,520 girls

Paid contributions for 10 volunteer teachers, 1 librarian, 1 cleaner, 4 watchmen, and training for 70 teachers

Built a new ICT learning centre, a toilet block, and renovated 4 classroom blocks and 1 library

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Provided over 5 tonnes of mealie meal, 3.5 tonnes of porridge, 5,000 litres of cooking oil and sugar, salt and soya pieces to 3 schools and around 1,200 children

Carried out reading programmes across 5 libraries, seeing up to 5,000 kids per month

Provided digital learning programmes to 1,509 children

Provided 107 new school desks to 3 different schools

Built 1,840 EcoStoves and planted 1,568 trees

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Meet the Team

Since the covid pandemic, Project Luangwa has gone through something of a reinvention. Over this time, the team has expanded from 18 full time employees in 2020, to 53 at the close of 2023. Our team now covers 5 Chiefdoms and over 7,000 sq. kilometres. From our Eco-Stove project, bringing fuel efficient cooking stoves to rural communities, to our Digilearn and Reading teams improving literacy and digital learning for thousands of children. Our local craft team also continue to be right at the heart of the project, making thousands of washable menstrual hygienes pads for distribution to girls in need.

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In addition we are indebted to the hard work and commitment of our senior managers, Fwilane, who continues to personally oversee 20 Youth Clubs across 15 schools, Mwila who manages all of our Education Programmes, and Deborah and Dawie who support our Monitoring and Evaluation programme and EcoStove project. We also have an active board of trustees - Jo Pope, the Foundar and Chair, Adrian Coley of Flatdogs, Jules Shenton of Shenton Safaris, Anke Cowan from Kafunta, Prof. Hellicy Ngambi, Vice-Chancellor at Kabwe University and Mr Jack Shuma, former MP.

It is this team of truly dedicated individuals that has allowed us to achieve all we have done this year and beyond.

Sponsorship

Project Luangwa has been sponsoring children to attend school since 2010. For the vast majority of that time, school ceased to be free after Grade 7, meaning that children from disadvantaged backgrounds could not attend school after primary. This issue also disproportionately affected girls, as limited income households would usually choose to send the eldest boy to school, if they could afford to send any.

From 2022 the new Zambian government ceased the charging of school fees for all grades. Whilst this has made school more accessible for low income families, children from vulnerable communities still struggle to attend. Despite school fees being free, they still cannot afford boarding fees, meaning that many need to walk vast distances, and often have to complete chores or remain at home to support parents in labouring in the field. They also cannot afford the basics such as school uniforms, pens, pencils or shoes

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This year Project Luangwa sponsored 147 children to secondary school and 55 students to tertiary, providing them and their families with the financial support they sorely need. Education is shown to be the best way to improve not only the student's economic prospects, but also their wider community.

2023 Stats

147 children sponsored to boarding school

53 students sponsored to University

$280,000 spent on sponsorship in 2023

99% learner retention

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Case Studies

Alice came from a very disadvantaged background. Her mother brews and sells local spirits as a means of supporting her family and her father is no longer with them. Alice initially struggled with school, but after support from our Youth Clubs, she became the first in her family to graduate from secondary school.

Alice excelled in our Foundation Programme, taking on the role of class leader in the final months. Her sponsor could not afford to take her to University, but Alice’s hard working ethos and motivation secured her a place as a hostess at a local lodge, where she has been working since 2023. With her salary she is now paying for two of her siblings to also attend boarding school.

Alice Zulu
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Project Luangwa Sponsored Graduates

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Happy Manda

Happy was an extremely nervous boy who was sponsored through school by Project Luangwa in 2018. On graduating from Grade 12, Happy joined our Foundation Programme, despite being so nervous in his interview that his entire face shook when speaking to us.

Happy worked extremely hard in 2023 to improve his confidence and public speaking, always throwing himself into difficult tasks that would stretch his comfort zone. The first in his family to finish school, Happy also has a deep commitment to improving his family’s circumstances. He has a love of finance and numbers and will be starting University in 2024 to study economics.

High School Graduates from 2012-2023

43 Grade 12 Graduates in 2023

9 Tertiary Graduates in 2023

54% in work or University based on survey of school graduates

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Gender Equality

Our Gender Clubs are a huge part of what we do. Not only do we run 20 intimate clubs across four chiefdoms, seeing average participants of 300 students, we also run two major events, and a number of smaller get togethers throughout the year.

The clubs aim to provide a safe space for both girls and boys to discuss topics that may be culturally sensitive or often have a stigma attached, such as early marriage and consent. Our Clubs were one of the first to recognise the need to have boys directly involved in the process too, and they have provided a much needed source of respite and guidance.

Throughout their time at the Clubs, our students gain important life skills, such as improved confidence and critical thinking. They also learn about gender equality, understanding the challenges faced by members of the opposite sex, and the breaking down of harmful taboos.

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2023 Stats

Alumna

Maureen Banda

Maureen Banda has been on our sponsorship programme since 2018. She was Head Girl at Mfuwe Day school and has been an active member of our Girls Clubs, working as a volunteer to support girls in our safe space meetings.

Maureen did extremely well at school and her family expected her to go on to study medicine. However after working with communities she has a real passion to go into social work, helping other disadvantaged children and adults.

She hopes to follow in the footsteps of our Gender Manager Fwilane, and continue to support women and girls to achieve a more equal platform.

300 girls and boys attended

20 clubs across 15 schools

98% of girls report increased confidence

97% of girls report better prepared for life after school

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Ufulu Pads

Our menstrual hygiene, or “Ufulu” project, has now been successfully running for a number of years.

Access to sanitary products is extremely challenging for young girls in Mfuwe, leaving most to rely on rags or similar methods every month. The reality is that most girls miss up to a week of school every month due to this, further widening the gender inequality gap, and feeding into negative stereotypes.

With the support of donors and supporters we have delivered a total of 7,600 pads this year!

*Lost school days based on 10 months of school, and one week lost per month, per student

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7,600 pads distributed to 1,520 girls

Up to 60,800 saved school days

52% more pads donated compared to 2022

10 sewers employed full time Pads designed to last at least 2 years

12 schools across 5 chiefdoms supported

2023 Stats
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Digital Learning

We launched the new Digilearn project (initially named Digitruck) in January 2022, after carrying out preparations and training at the close of 2021. With generous funding from the Patel Family, and support and expertise from Close the Gap, we brought their custom built container classroom to Chiwawatala School in rural Mfuwe, in the Eastern Province of Zambia.

This year we expanded to included Grade 6 at Uyoba Primary School, providing over 120 children with access to tablets for all of their subjects. Uyoba saw an average 14% improvement from Term 1 to Term 3 scores, with particular boosts in English and Maths of 20% and 35% respectively.

In 2023 we also saw our first cohort of students graduate from Chiwawatala school, after 2 years on the programme. We saw an improved pass rate of 31% between 2022 and 2023, a huge increase in results between students who had undertaken Digilearn and those that did not.

Edulution

Project Luangwa’s partnership with Edulution has been running since 2017. 1,200 children have benefitted from our support of 4 learning centres, improving mathematics and other subjects through Edulution’s innovative system and quality coaching.

Through Digilearn we are looking to build on this success, moving to improve learning in not just maths, but the whole of the Zambian curriculum.

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2023 Stats

Expanded to include Grade 6 at Uyoba School

Over 120 children now have access to tablets for all of their subjects

14% overall Improvement from Term 1 to Term 3 scores

35% improvement in Maths scores from Term 1 to Term 3

20% improvement in English scores from Term 1 to Term 3

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JK Centre for Learn

In order to provide children and young adults with a genuine improvement to their educational opportunities, Project Luangwa has begun development of a Centre of Learning and Sport within the heart of Mfuwe, the small town centre of South Luangwa.

2023 saw us break ground on the project and by mid-2024 we hope to be ready to to launch our Foundation Programme from the site. We have had amazing support, both from international donors such as Julie and Mark Mills and the Livingstone Foundation, as well as supporters in Zambia such as Mfuwe Lodge. There is also huge excitement from the local community with support from government, the council, HRH Chief Kakumbi and the Football Association of Zambia.

The site is designed to include teaching and library spaces, a Boarding House, a professional grass 11-a-side football pitch, 5-a-side pitch, netball courts, volley ball court, running tracks and volunteer teacher housing

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c7 tonnes of firewood saved through sustainable building techniques Campus to support 4 different projects Up to 5000 residents to benefit 50 new trees planted

$110,000 spent in 2023

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Julie and Mark Mills
2023 Stats

Construction

We continue to support local schools with building and construction projects. Funding for large scale development and improvements in schools is severely limited, but we have been fortunate to continue improving learningspacesforchildren andteachersacrossseveral schools.

With generous funding from the Livingstone Foundation we were able to repair roofs and renovate classrooms at Nsefu Primary, Chiutika Primary and Kapita Primary schoolsthisyear

With the support of Africa Hope Fund we were able to renovate one school library and build a new toilet for Uyobalibrarythisyear

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Sustainable Building

Designed by the Natural Building Collective, the bricks are made from sand and red soil, mixed with straw to bind them. The bricks are pressed by foot and do not require ‘firing’, thus reducing the drain onwoodforfuel.

Half of the work force were made up of parents from the school, and we are now using the same methods in the construction of our Learning Centre.

The fantastic new ICT Learning Centre at Chiwawatala School, kindlyfundedbythePatelFamily,is madefromsustainableandrecycled materials, the centre is not only an environmentally friendly construction, it has also been instrumentalinteachinglocalpeople new sustainable building methods and created a building unlike any otherinEasternZambia

New ICT Learning Centre constructed

4 classroom blocks and 1 library renovated

Over 3,000 children and 40 teachers benefitted from construction projects

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School Support

With schools receiving limited support in terms of school supplies, sports equipment, furniture and infrastructure, we try our best to give extra attention to improve the learning environment for as many children as possible.

Many schools have over 60 students per class, with some as high as 90. Children frequently cram 3 to a 2 person desk, or have to sit on the floor.

With the incredible support of visitors and donors, we have continued to work with over 25 schools to support with providing pens, pencils, chalk, writing paper, maths and sports equipment. We have also provided new desks to three schools this year, helped with feeding three very remote schools in Malama and trained 70 teachers.

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Over 200 kilos of donated supplies from visitors c 12,500 kids benefitted 2023 Stats

107 new desks for 3 schools enhanced training for 70 teachers

Malama Feeding Programme

In 2023, with the generosity of Meerbusch Rotary Club, we provided mealie meal (Zambian staple), cooking oil, salt, sugar and soya pieces for three schools in Term One. To transfer to a long term sustainable programme however, we were keen to work with Mary's Meals, who run the largest school feeding project in Eastern Zambia.

Mary’s Meals, began working in Zambia in 2014, feeding over 480,000 children last year. They provide high nutritional porridge during school to not only support malnutrition, but also to encourage school attendance.

Unfortunately they did not cover Malama, which is one of the poorest regions in the area.

With RC Meerbusch’s generous funding, and after 3 years of trying, in 2023 we were delighted to secure the step by step takeover of Mary’s Meal’s feeding programme, ensuring that schools in Malama now have a long term solution to their nutrition.

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Foundation

The course is led by volunteers from around the world, helping the students to feel comfortable engaging with English speakers from different backgrounds. We are extremely grateful for their hard work and dedication this year, and the incredible impact they had on the students.

Progra

Our innovative project empowers school leavers by improving confidence, skills in ICT, English and critical thinking, as well as life skills such as budgeting and organisational planning. The improvements we've seen in

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amme

Long standing partners, Livingstone Foundation, volunteered their time this year to teach the students about budgeting, finance and spreadsheets, culminating in the creation of their own business proposals

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Eco Stoves

Our Eco-Stove project builds fuel efficient cooking stoves with community support, reducing drudgery, smoke related illnesses and deforestation.

The Eco-Stove is designed to still use wood (fire being an important cultural and symbolic part of daily rural life), but only in the form of small twigs. These can be gathered locally around the home, reducing drudgery and reducing the impact on the forests. In addition the smoke released is considerably less, reducing the household CO2 emissions by 2-4 tonnes each year, and lessening pulmonary illnesses for predominantly women.

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671,600 hours saved c2,760 tonnes less of CO2 released c4,600 residents supported

1,568 trees planted

8,064 kilometres covered c1,679 tonnes of firewood saved

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2023 Stats

Reading Programm

On average, the reading programme sees 5,000 children per week

Literacy is one of the key elements to educational success, and a substantial driver in lifting rural communities out of poverty.

Up until Grade 4, students learn at school in their local language. In Grade 5 this then switches to English, causing many children to struggle and some to drop out of school entirely. A core level of reading and understanding English is therefore crucial if they are to continue their school journey.

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For many years another local NGO, Raise a Smile, with generous funding from Africa Hope Fund, supported early years reading through 5 school libraries. The project followed the ‘Happy Reader’ programme and employs 18 reading assistants and 1 IT teacher.

In 2023, the founder of Raise a Smile and the trustees of Africa Hope Fund, asked if Project Luangwa could take over the running of this project, something we were very happy and honoured to do.

This has not only substantially increased our team, it also means that we are now supporting children from early years, all the way to tertiary education, providing a truly holistic overview of the educational challenges in our area.

Volunteers frequently come to the libraries and support the reading assistants. Africa Hope Fund carries out at least one trip per year, and volunteers not only get to experience safaris in one of the most beautiful places in Africa, they also help children to grow more confident in speaking and reading English

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me

Supporting Artisan

2023 has seen us continue to work alongside the incredibly talented craftspeople and artisans that sit at the heart of Project Luangwa.

As well as making Ufulu Pads, our sewing team also make a beautiful array of arts and crafts, which are then sold in our shop - 100% of the proceeds going back into our projects.

We also partner with exceptionally talented makers such as Misael Banda, Hubly Mbewe, and Frederick Phiri, providing them with a platform to sell their innovative designs.

With tourism once again picking up, we wanted to really invest in training and development this year.

We were thrilled to welcome Chilumba to the team in order to help Lazarus in the cafe, and we have been indebted to Priya Shah who has been helping to develop the team

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We hope to see even more of you next year and Lazarus promises that he's ready to welcome you with an iced coffee or a mango smoothie on your next visit!

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Sport

Since the pandemic, Project Luangwa slowed down on its support of sporting initiatives This is something we really wanted to rectify in 2023 and with the support of the amazing Crispin Mason Jones, we really ramped up our efforts to invest in local sports teams.

In particular, we wanted to continue helping girls in sport, as well as providing young people a more positive outlet. Sport is a key element in promoting good health, providing strong role models and offering a healthy alternatives that reduces teenage pregnancies and early marriages.

With the support of Crispin and other partners such as the National Police Aid Charity, Lomond School and Eton and Monmouth Haberdasher Schools this year we have:

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Sport is a universal language that transcends barriers and provides numerous benefits for youth, including:

Physical Well-being: Engaging in sports enhances physical fitness, reducing the risk of health-related issues.

Personal Development: Sports instill discipline, teamwork, and resilience, crucial life skills that extend beyond the playing field.

Empowerment of Girls: Offering sports opportunities to girls promotes gender equality, empowers them to challenge stereotypes, and builds self-esteem.

Community Engagement: Sporting activities foster a sense of community, encouraging teamwork and mutual respect among participants.

2023 Stats

Delivered 42 kits to 530 kids

Sports equipment to 8 schools

Funded local girls football team

Part-funded boys top football team

Started new sports centre build

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Events and News

International Women’s Day

Celebrating the critical role women and girls hold in our society. This year the event our very own Fwilane Banda acted as MC at the event

International Day of the Girl

A big event in the PL calendar, this year we saw around 400 girls and boys attend the event at our Clubhouse

New Board Members

This year we expanded the knoweldge and expertise of the board by inviting Prof. Hellicy Ngambi and Mr Jack Shuma to Project Luangwa

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Campaign Against Gender Based Violence

Part of our active commitment to supporting women and girls and helping to raise awareness ofGBV

Menstrual Hygiene Management Day

Another big event in our calendar, this year we linked with other organisations such as Chipembele to celebrate this importantday

New Website

This year we launched our new website! With generous funding from Hermione Holmes, we’re really pleased to be able to showcase our work in the best possibleway

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Monitoring and Ev

In order to track the impact of our organisation we implement a wide variety of monitoring and evaluation techniques. Here is a snap shot of some of that work.

Digilearn Impact Survey

An independent study* from Asikana Network showed that: 100% of students reported improved enjoyment and engagement in school

100% of students reported increased exposure to English, and teachers also indicated increased literacy

100% of students saw increased access and confidence in using IT devices

100% of teachers reported increased efficiency and access to resources in the classroom

Digilearn Impact in Grade 7

Chiwawatala saw a whopping improvement in Grade 7 scores between 2022 and 2023. An increased pass rate of 31%! While we can’t say that all of this improvement is purely down to Digilearn, the class that sat these G7 exams were the cohort who began with Digitruck in 2022. In addition, we also measured two other schools in the region - one that benefited from another of our projects, Edulution, the same as Chiwawatala, and one that receives no additional support. While 2021 and 2022 results closely paralelled Chiwawatala, 2023sawChiwawatalashootup.

Chiwawatala Chilongozi Nsefu 202320222021 0 20 40 60 80 100
*Project Luangwa Digilearn Project – Asikana Network 2023
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valuation

Stove Project - Since 2021

2,568

Statistics are based on an average of 3 tonnes of CO2 saved every year, 2 hours cooking time saved every day per household, and 5kg of firewood saved on average per household, per day. This estimate of daily wood consumption for traditional rural households in Zambia is based on observed patterns of energy use in similar contexts, as informed by reports from international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme and academic research on household energy practices in sub-Saharan Africa

Reading Centre Average Weekly Attendance

Ufulu Project

Number of Stoves Built Total Number of Households Total Tonnes of CO2 saved Trees Planted Total
5,034 2,517 7,551
Mfuwe 6034 Chiutika 5969 Mnkhanya 3480 Kapita 2896 Uyoba 2333
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Luangwa Community a

The Luangwa Conservation and Community Fund (LCCF) was set up by a group of tour operators in South Luangwa in order to give back to communities and conservation through the proceeds of tourism. Without the wildlife and habitat in Luangwa, tourism would cease, destroying a wonderful and unique environment. Also, without involving local communities there would be no hope of protectingtheLuangwa’sbeautyforthefuture.

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and Conservation Fund

Members of LCCF commit to donating the following levies per guest, per night: $10-$20 on rates over $300, $7.50-$5 on rates under $299, $2 for room only and $1 for camping.

Through this fund, Project Luangwa is able to ensure that 100% of other donations go directly into our projects, reserving our funding for the children and communities who need it most.

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Financial Report

Project Luangwa’s accounts are managed by local accounting manager, Cosam Phiri, and are independently audited by Acuitas Associates in Lusaka.

Since 2020, Project Luangwa has worked hard to increase its annual revenue allowing us to expand into 4 new projects while staying true to our core values of improving Education and Gender Equality.

In 2023 Project Luangwa received $896,256 in funding from the Luangwa Conservation and Community Fund, Grants, Foundations and individual donors. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us this year and for the incredible difference you are making in disadvantaged communities in South Luangwa.

Income: $896,256 USD

Expense: $876,239 USD

Sponsorship 31.7% Education Projects 24.2% Construction 16.1% Administration 9% Artisan and Craft 7.4% Other 4.1% Gender Equality 3.2% Eco Stove 2.9% Sponsors 31.2% Foundations & Trusts 20.1% Private Donors 18.6% Grants 10% LCCF 9.8% Shop and Cafe 7.4% Other 1%
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2023 Support

Member Lodges

Grants and Trusts

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Donors and Supporters

Individual Sponsors

Ruth Cooper

The Patel Family

Julie and Mark Mills

Hermione Holmes

Stella and Tony Pirie

Ree Gillet and Neil Collen

Leanne Bell

Terry Ashton

Julianne Stall

Joanne Culf

Agnes Winkelmann

Gayle and Bruce Gledhill

Adrian Coley and Jessica Salmon

Beth Rossman

Mabel Lis

Melanie Paton

Granger and Mimi Tripp

Mike and Sue Stone

Nancy Tuck

Helga Bintner

Maria Zarza

Ethan, Steve and Pura Lewis

Anne and Mark Heappey

Tim Gillet

Anthony Thompson

Paula Deitz

Joanna Martin

Sandy Keth

Rebecca Connolly

Darryl Evans and Jo Western

Jude Galea and Doris Caruana

Martha and Frank Holmes

Jo and Bob Benson

Crispin and Ellie

Ria Blom

Arthur Carlson & Jeri Waite

Stacy Whiffen

Claire and Simon Marinker

Tessie Orr

Susan Hooper

Tatijana Prentice

Michael and Victoria Smith

Maria Galea

Philipp Unternährer

Isabel Montero

Lorna and Jerry Shafir

Eric Berman

Jenny Hall

Chiqui Busutil

Amaara Dudhia

Dr George Galea

Zelda Mackenzie

Kirsty Keown

Alyssa Giltner

Alice Bridges and Family

Max Menzies

Rebecca Wright

Heidi Caltabiano

Alaina and Amaara Dudhia

Lesley Cameron

David Sherman and Ed Hurley

Angela and Norbert Freisenbuch

Maxou Mazoudier

Radha Dudhia

Darge and Kristin Gillet

Hazel Curtis

Nancy Walker

Elisa Murran

Carla Martínez

Charles and Mary Egerton

June O’toole

John & Mary Handel

Kirsten Black

Kathy Haller

Rod Callison

Caroline and Fergus Lyons

Judith Cope

Anthony & Lisa White

Mike Rush, Chuck Hill and Geno

Skowronski

Lisa Thompson and Parkie Boley

Joanne Thompson & Terry Cuttshall

Cindy Depoy

Dr Jeanne Wald

Kaori Takasi

Florence Aboulker

Inge and Andy Krainhoefner

Alan Williamson

Sylvia Buckland

Amanda Meyer

Sandra Shaw

Leora Urness

Annie Smith

Bridget Wrangham

Kathleen Walker

Jacquie Swaine

James Wholey

Jo Pope

Kim & Dale Brabham

Marissa Miller

Susan Stall

Deirdre Mcguinness

Michael Smith

Jane Eddy

Silvia Phillips

Jared Dunn

Valeria and Ian Dunn

Andy Hogg

Joanna Western

Kay Cooke

Peter & Irene Casey

Laurie Hamlin

Caroline Leslie

Phillip Lelie

Angela Woolrich

Sarah Garwood

Peter Lemmon

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www.projectluangwa.org info@projectluangwa.org Project Luangwa UK Charity Commission № 1119335, Zambia Reg. Trust № CI 1027

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