Pictured Below: Eagles of Change volunteers distributing books and educational materials, financed by JMA, to students of Osawala Trust School. 

We’re extremely proud to work with Eagles of Change, our partners in Zambia, on our joint drug abuse and child marriage prevention initiatives. We have identified a lack of ability to continue education (due to inability to buy books/educational materials) as a root cause for why students abuse drugs and/or look to child marriages to support their family. 

By funding the books and educational materials of the bright students of the Osawala Trust School in Lusaka, Zambia, we hope to work toward a future where we can eliminate these root causes and support students in their educational journey. 

Need scoping by our partners at Eagles of Change have found that there is generally widespread use of drugs and illicit substances among young people in sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2014, the rates of teenagers (13 to 15 years old) abusing alcohol ranged 10% to 60% (WHO, 2014. Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health. Geneva), whereas 2% to 35% where hooked on marijuana (United Nations on drugs and Crime, 2012. World Drug Report. Vienna). 

In Zambia, specifically, drug and substance abuse has been reported to be highest among school going children (Zambia Daily Mail, 2017. Drug abuse taking toll on school going children).  About 50% of young people aged 15 to 22 years are reported to be using illicit drugs and substances, with Lusaka reporting the most cases (Drug Enforcement Commission, 2014). Illicit drug and substance abuse among adolescents are risky behaviors that can have long term negative impacts on their health, education and participation in productive activities. Moreover, abuse of these substances is also associated with poor mental health, reckless sexual behaviors that expose young people to higher risk of contracting HIV and other STIs and unwanted pregnancies. The overwhelming negative consequences of drug and alcohol abuse on adolescents highlight the urgency and the need for effective prevention and mitigation interventions. 

Child marriages are also seen prolifically in Zambia, with World Vision Zambia finding that “Zambia has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world with 42% of women married by the age of 18”. Aside from social stigma, this is in large part because struggling families see marrying their daughters as a way to sustain themselves financially, when the cost of their educational materials grows too high. By financing the educational materials for some of these young students, we hope to incentivise these young students (and their families) to continue their educational journey without resorting to child marriages. 

Pictured Below: Donald Musonda, Founder of Eagles of Change, lecturing students of Osawala Trust School on the dangers of drug abuse.