Ecobank Zambia has committed approximately K1.5 million towards the transformation of Bauleni Legacy Academy in Lusaka, over the next three years.
The investment, which was announced during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Family Legacy Missions Zambia, will support the rehabilitation of ICT and science laboratories, improvement of the school dining space, as well as the provision of financial literacy skills to learners at the academy, which serves vulnerable children.
Speaking during the MoU signing in Lusaka, Ecobank Head-Customer Experience, Rejoice Ntini said the partnership represents an investment in education and the future of young people, rather than simply another corporate agreement.
Mr. Ntini, who spoke on behalf of Bank Managing Director Aina Moore, stated that the programme has been carefully designed to deliver both infrastructure development and learner empowerment.
He explained that the first phase of the programme will involve upgrading the academy’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory, while the second phase will focus on improving science laboratory facilities.
Mr. Ntini said the third phase will involve developing a dedicated feeding shelter to provide learners with a safe and dignified environment that supports their well-being and learning. “A child who lacks digital literacy today risks being excluded from the opportunities of tomorrow,” she said.
He added that Ecobank employees will also participate in mentorship programmes, financial literacy training, leadership development, career guidance and public speaking engagements throughout the three-year partnership.
Mr. Ntini stressed that the initiative is part of Ecobank’s broader commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, noting that the bank has invested over K3 million in CSR programmes across Zambia over the past three years, covering education, financial literacy, health, environmental sustainability, community development, youth empowerment and social welfare.
“Ecobank believes that decades from now, the true success of this partnership will not be measured by how much money was invested, but by how many lives were transformed because of that investment,” Mr. Ntini added.
And Family Legacy Mission Zambia Interim Director, Annie Banda said the support will give children greater access to technology, practical science education and financial knowledge that can benefit them beyond school.
“The rehabilitation of the ICT laboratory will give learners greater access to technology and the digital world. The science laboratory will give them an opportunity to do more than read about science. They will be able to experiment, explore and ask questions and discover,” Ms. Banda said.
She noted that the partnership will also help provide a more dignified environment for children to receive meals, noting that Family Legacy provides a hot meal to every child attending its schools daily. “Perhaps equally important, the financial literacy component will equip our young people with skills they will carry along after they leave school,” she said.
Meanwhile, Bauleni Legacy Academy Head Teacher, Isaac Mkandawire said the school’s partnership with Ecobank Zambia will help address critical infrastructure and learning resource gaps affecting its 396 learners.
Mr. Mkandawire stated that the school currently has only six computers serving 396 learners, while the lack of a dedicated feeding shelter and proper science laboratory continues to affect practical learning. “Your support is not simply about computers, buildings or equipment. You are actually investing in the opportunity,” he said.
Family Legacy Missions Zambia currently supports more than 10,000 children through 18 schools and operates in vulnerable urban communities including Bauleni, Kanyama and Chawama.
