The Zambezi Environmental Education Centre was founded in 1997 by two international educators John and Alison Curtis.

ZEEC, (Zambezi Environmental Education Centre) is a Zambianand Swiss registered NGO with two specific humanitarian goals: to educate international students about life in rural Africa and to support education in the host community schools. At the heart of the project is the belief that our young people have much to give and much to learn – students help students, long term relationships develop and progress is sustained.

How is this done?

students teach in local schools delivering lessons carefully prepared with their own teachers ahead of their departure.
visiting students have daily lessons in sustainable farming, health, history and culture from local people.
pre-trip fundraising takes place to realise projects designed to develop education and health care for the host community.

This well established, sustainable programme has grown since 1997 and students have successfully completed many projects, including:

Providing local schools with teaching materials
Donating much needed equipment to the health post
Funding the building of teachers’ houses, class rooms, a basic health post and a medical officer’s house
Collaborating with ‘Empowered by Light’ to construct a small solar energy plant which provides electricity for a boarding school for 600 students
Equipping student dormitories with mattresses and bed nets
Guaranteeing the provision of clean water to schools through two boreholes, vacuum pumps and solar pumps

There is still lots to do!