AEP's New Brand is Coming in Two Days!!

Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza is one of the co-founders and the Executive Director of the African Education Program.

She is a recognized community leader by the M. Night Shyamalan Foundation and an alumni of the Gratitude Network Fellowship. Today, she shares an exciting announcement on the future of the organization.

I’m so excited to share that on Friday, the African Education Program will be launching a new “look” complete with our new logo, website and messaging. We believe that this revamped branding truly represents the organization that the African Education Program is today. It also more clearly communicates our commitment to working with our supporters to create sustainable and transformational change in the communities that we currently serve in Zambia and how we plan to grow our impact across the country and region. 

To introduce our new branding, we are excited to share a series of three blogs, this being the first. On Friday, we will officially launch our new “look”. 

Today is all about celebrating how far the African Education Program has come since its founding in 2004. And to thank our supporters for making this journey possible!

One of the silver linings of COVID-19 is that my co-founder, Hillary Bridges, and I reconnected as the close friends that we were back in high school. Over the years, we never lost touch, but usually only connected every year or two. Somehow in the craziness of the pandemic, we have been able to see each other in-person every couple of months and have made sure to talk on the phone regularly.

Of course when we are together, the founding of the African Education Program ultimately comes up. We reflect on how fearless we were at the time. Not only did we start a project with the aim to serve peers a continent away, we did all the paperwork to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (with the help of our friend Nick’s dad, Mr. Lincoln). I only learned during a recent lunch with Hillary how complicated obtaining nonprofit status can be.

It’s hard to believe how far the African Education Program has come since the early days when volunteers, along with Founders Sarah Hayes, Christian Mark, Hillary and myself, collected, sorted and shipped school supplies, books, computers and clothes to Zambia. Today, 3-5 times per week, over 700 promising youth take advantage of programs at our flagship Learning & Leadership Center (named Amos Youth Centre) in Kafue, Zambia.

The Amos Youth Centre employs 18 full-time Zambians, 15 of whom are alumni (not to mention an equal number of part-time workers who are all alumni). The African Education Program employs 1 full-time Zambian and 2 full-time Americans (including myself).

Together, with our supporters, our impact has been impressive — and continues to grow. Over 500 young women and men from the Learning & Leadership Center have completed high school and 110 graduated from college. 89% of these college graduates say they would not have completed their education without the African Education Program.

Bottom row, left to right: Co-founders Sarah Hayes & Hillary Bridges, Volunteers Kevin Todorow, Kevin Malloy, Sean Black & Neil Malloy. Top row, left to right: Volunteer Scott deLone and Co-Founder Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza.

We currently have 39 students attending college or university (including 2 at SUNY Schenectady County Community College in New York State and 2 at the African Leadership Academy in South Africa).

Today, over 250 meals are served each day through the Nutrition Program, five days per week, and on some days this number approaches 300.

In the special education program, Read for Rose, 21 students with disabilities, the community’s most marginalized group, have individualized learning plans so that they can acquire the language, academic, and life skills they specifically need to lead fulfilled lives.

Right to left: Alumni and Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy Program Manager, Benard Milanzi, hands a certificate to mother who recently graduated from the Adult Entrepreneurship Workshop.

The latest cohort of mothers to graduate from the Adult Entrepreneurship Training saw a 264% increase in their income. When the current cohort graduates in November, we will have over 100 graduates to date.

To me, the most noteworthy, is the confidence and spirit of leadership that now thrives at the Learning & Leadership Center. Recent University of Zambia graduate Anita, explains it well, “I am removed from the percentage of uneducated girls in Africa, I am placed among girls and women who have a voice and a stand in the world. I do not only see myself as a girl, but as a person who is able to change her community.”

And the spirit of volunteerism and desire to create community change is embodied by the 73 high school graduates who volunteer as part of the College Prep Program to earn their college or university scholarship. They work alongside the local team leading clubs and activities and tutoring their younger peers in all major subjects. This allows us to greatly expand our reach while the youth develop invaluable leadership skills.

The local team and other alumni have been donating food to help with the increased demand of the Nutrition Program. In addition, 2 team members have offered their backyards where food is grown and the girls and boys at Read for Rose have transformed their small patch of yard into a garden as well.

All of these accomplishments have been made possible by each and every supporter who has loved and cared about the organization and the people who are a part of it. So today, I want to celebrate our supporters!