Abana Afrika Foundation which translates to “Children of Afrika ” in Bemba was founded by Bupe Lughano Kabaghe. In 2018 while at the African Leadership Academy Lughano realised the challenges of lack of skills and mentorship that hinders African youth from creating positive change in society. For this reason, Lughano alongside three colleagues: Shelley Massinga (Mozambique), Isata Dem (Sierra Leone) and Gugulethu Khumalo (Zimbabwe) found a solution to the challenges of African youth through the Abana Africa Initiative.
After much research and brainstorming, Entrepreneurial Leadership training proved a sustainable solution to tackle the biggest challenge that African youth face which is lack of education and skills. Therefore, between 2019 and 2020, Abana partnered with the Bezos Scholars and African Leadership Academy, to facilitate Entrepreneurial Leadership sessions at the renowned South African Ideas Festival 2020. This particular festival brought together over 50 young Africans from across the continent. The success of the Abana Afrika initiative prompted Lughano to implement the same solution in her home country, Zambia with Co-Founder, Thawanda Malambo.
Since its inception in Zambia, Abana Afrika Foundation has worked with over 150 Zambian youth directly and indirectly in Mentorship, Personal Development and Entrepreneurial Leadership training. As the Abana Afrika community, we believe that every Afrikan youth should be empowered enough to provide solutions to their communities and contribute to the success and transformation of a liberated Afrika.
Through an Entrepreneurial Leadership focus, our mission is to educate, empower and mentor the next generation of purpose-driven Zambian youth who are equipped with skills and knowledge to create positive change in their personal lives and communities.
Our 2040 vision is to build a network of over 10000 young Zambians who are self-driven, entrepreneurial and equipped with the necessary skills and tools to lead positive change in communities.
founder
Bupe Lughano Kabaghe is a passionate gender and political activist from Kitwe Zambia. Her interests lie in African politics, community development, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship. She is an alumnus of the African Leadership Academy where she was trained in Entrepreneurial Leadership and awarded the Leadership award. Lughano has worked with various institutions and groups in Africa and abroad such as the National Assembly of Zambia, Anzisha Prize, 25 May Movement, Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG), Women’s Economic Empowerment Project (WEEP), University of Denver, Kellogg Institute for International Development and African Leadership for Governance. Currently, Lughano is a Hesburgh Yusko Scholar at the University of Notre Dame pursuing an undergraduate degree.
co-founder
Thawanda Malambo is a motivated, up and coming finance professional with strong academic credentials gained from undergraduate studies in Economics and Finance at Turfs University. He is passionate about community development through his innate curiosity in investment management and business development. During his high school days, Thawanda served as Deputy Head Boy of Kalulushi Trust School and Junior Mayor for Kalulushi.
Projects Coordinator
Twasanta Mulayantanda is a graduate of Ndola Girls’ National Technical High School where she served in various clubs such as the Anti Corruption Commission and the United Nations School club. She is currently pursuing a Law Degree at the University of Zambia, UNZA where she is an active peer educator under the UNZA HIV response team. One of Twasanta’s greatest aspirations is to be among the hands that will work to live in an Africa that is self-sustainable. She hopes to live in a society where youth and marginalized groups of people have equal opportunities and platforms for cultural, social and economic expression.
COLLEGE MENTORSHIP DIRECTOR
Happyson Kaunda is a robotics enthusiast passionate about education and transforming the world through technological innovations. He is a McClurg Scholar at Florida Southern college pursuing his undergraduate degree in Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. As a result of his passion for robotics, in 2019 Happyson was part of the 2019 Zambia robotics team that built a prototype pollutant cleaning robot that participated in the 2019 first global challenge. In the same year, he tutored the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) to Zambian high scholars therefore, enabling them a chance to study in the United States of America.
COMMUNICATIONS INTERN
Nelly is a recent graduate of the African Leadership Academy where she pursued a diploma course in Entrepreneurial Leadership and African Studies as well as A level electives: Business Studies and Economics. Nelly has interned for Modzi Arts, an art space that focusses on strengthening the Zambian art scene by providing a platform for amateur and professional artists to acquire professional skills. She has also worked for KUTOWA designs, a fashion and design firm that emphasizes discovery of authentic African identity through clothing. Most recently, she was working as the Head of Logistics for Currisex, an NGO fighting against child pregnancies in Sub-saharan Africa through peer sex education.
Abana Afrika is a youth-led non-profit organisation operating in Zambia. The organisation aims to provide youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds aged 13 to 25 years with mentorship, professional development and Entrepreneurial Leadership training to build a generation of empowered Zambian youth.
