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Hi Friends! I am thrilled to introduce Isaac, another resilient student I worked with in Zambia.

My name is Isaac Lungu, and I am 20 years old. I was born in Choma district in the Southern Province of Zambia. My two siblings and I were raised by my aunt after we lost our parents in an automobile accident when I was nine years old. My desire to attend Northern Technical College to study Heavy Equipment Engineering is not only for me but my family. With this sponsorship, I hope to gain skills to help me earn income to pull my family out of poverty and send my siblings to college.

My family has faced many challenges because of finances. My aunt has been my rock, despite her challenges. She provides for our family through her hair salon business, but the income is insufficient for a household of eight people. We have struggled to pay school fees, utilities, rent, and buy food.  It is by the grace of God that I passed grade 12. When I lost my mom and dad, I felt lonely and struggled to concentrate in school. The pain was unbearable at times. I felt unloved and worthless without my parents in my life. Because of this experience, I would like to invest in the generation coming after me by establishing a Youth Development Center. This is important because I don’t want the generation coming after me to go through what I experienced without sufficient support.

Without financial sponsorship to attend college, I don’t have many options. Even now, I spend my time idly sitting at home or roaming the neighborhood because of limited employment options.  This reality is true for many Zambian youth. Without employment or an opportunity to pursue post-secondary education, many find themselves in less than ideal situations. For example, prostitution, teen parents, contracting sexually transmitted infections, drugs and criminal activity. 

The day two Peace Corps Volunteers selected me to become a BRO Camp Mentor; I was joyful because I was given an opportunity to embrace my leadership skills. I also had another opportunity to mentor and facilitate sessions with Youth Alive Zambia (YAZ), an organization that focuses on the rights of children and gender-based violence. I facilitated sessions at schools that focused on teen pregnancy, early marriage and substance use.

I am confident that this sponsorship will transform my life and empower me to make a positive impact in my community.

-Isaac Lungu

Learn more about my fundraiser here.