Under the Mastercard Foundation Phase II Project, the FAWEZA team spent a powerful day engaging with key partners and stakeholders to deepen our shared mission: making Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) truly inclusive for all learners — especially girls, young people with disabilities, and marginalized groups.

The day began with meaningful conversations. Alongside the Ministry of Education, the Zambia Association for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD), and local selection committees, we reviewed the TVET bursary recruitment process — not to tick boxes, but to ask the hard questions: Are we reaching the right students? Are our systems fair, accessible, and inclusive enough?

Next came the heart of the visit — Northern Technical College (NORTEC). There, among students, staff, mentors, and focal persons, we didn’t just observe. We listened. We heard from young women navigating STEM courses, from mentors offering guidance in and out of classrooms, and from administrators working to make learning safer and more supportive.
What stood out was not just what’s been achieved, but the willingness to go further.

Mr. Sefulo Nyambe, the Provincial Education Officer (PEO), did more than applaud FAWEZA’s work; he offered office space to support field operations in the region, anchoring our work in local presence and trust.

Mr. Martin Kasonso, Principal of NORTEC, acknowledged challenges around private hostel safety and affordability — and committed to finding real solutions, because learning should never come at the cost of personal security.

Selection committee members brought critical voices to the table, especially around the difficulties of identifying eligible youth with disabilities and refugee status — a clear call for deeper, more localized outreach.

These are not small gestures. They are signs of a system waking up to its responsibility — not just to deliver education, but to ensure no one is left out of it.