DaySpring Academy Update 2026 Term 1
What your generosity is building in Kitwe, Zambia
We've just received the latest update from Dayspring Academy in Kitwe, Zambia, and we wanted to share it with you. Because what's happening there is remarkable, and you are part of the reason it's happening at all.
Dayspring Academy was established in 2018 with a clear vision: to give children in Kitwe, especially orphaned and vulnerable young people who had been written off by the system, access to quality education. A full 30% of every class is reserved for children identified through the Streetlife project, picked from disadvantaged compounds across the city. Today, 145 of those children are in school who otherwise simply wouldn't be.
For four years in a row, every single Grade 7 pupil at Dayspring has passed their national exams. Some have been selected by the government to attend top national technical schools. Four years. 100% pass rate. Every time.
What your support has made possible
- A brand new borehole now supplies clean water to every section of the school, from preschool right through to secondary. Previously, the school was sharing a borehole with a nearby boys' centre that simply couldn't keep up with demand.
- Solar power has been installed in the preschool and primary admin block. Zambia experiences heavy loadshedding, and the youngest children were regularly learning in the dark. That's now a thing of the past.
- Starlink internet now covers the whole school. Teachers can access online resources, plan lessons with digital tools, and bring the wider world into their classrooms.
- Every teacher now has their own laptop to take home. No more staying late at school just to plan tomorrow's lessons.
- Interactive whiteboards are transforming how children learn, especially those from compounds who may never have encountered certain concepts before. Teachers can now show, not just tell.
- UK teachers have been partnering with Dayspring staff to blend British and Zambian curricula in phonics and maths. Most children are now leaving preschool already reading three-letter words.
Where help is still needed
The school's minibus has been unreliable, forcing them to hire alternative transport at significant cost. For many families, the school bus isn't a convenience, it's the only safe way to get their children to school.
Right now, over 50 children at Dayspring have no sponsor. They are in the classrooms, doing the work, full of potential, but without anyone standing in their corner. Streetlife and the school are carrying that pressure, and it's growing.
Could you sponsor a child at Dayspring Academy?
Over 50 children are in school right now with no sponsor. For just a small monthly contribution, you can make a way for one of them.
