During the last week of March, the mobile school project was officially launched during a successful 10-day training led by StreetSmart master trainers Andrei Craciun and Robert Cieslar. The mobile school is now operated by our local partner Unisport Academy, which will take it into the community of Makululu in the city of Kabwe.

Makululu is one of Zambia’s largest informal settlements. Many children here face poverty, family instability, and health risks from lead pollution. Dropping out of school - or never entering at all - is common. For these children, the mobile school provides a vital link back to learning, structure, and trust. Moreover, children in Makululu are among the most heavily lead-exposed populations in the world, caused by pollution from the former, nearby lead mine. Most have dangerously high blood lead levels— sometimes above 45 µg/dL, far exceeding the safe limit of 5 µg/dL. The effects on children are severe and often irreversible, including cognitive damage such as reduced IQ, learning difficulties, and memory loss.

Unisport Academy will use its experience in sports and youth engagement to build connections with these children. The academy was founded by Geoffrey Msiska, a former professional footballer. Geoffrey created the academy to uplift vulnerable children in Makululu through free football training, giving them a sense of purpose and self-worth. The mobile school will complement their outreach work by making learning accessible and fun, right where children live and gather.

The new mobile school project is also actively supported by the Belgian organisation Steunwielekes4Zambia. The organisation, founded in 2018, chose to invest long-term after seeing Geoffrey's commitment firsthand during a visit to Zambia in 2017. They now help expand school infrastructure—classrooms, sanitation, and protective fencing—so the academy meets government standards. Moreover, they will also support the work of the mobile school, to ensure the team can reach out to as many children as possible.