The Founding

The Collaborative Learning Hub is the collective brainchild of Subilo Malema, Terry Chipindi and Sibylle Freiermuth.

Sibylle spent three years working for the Swiss NGO Comundo through a placement at a local community school. While there, Sibylle's assignment was to help build up a literacy program, a project that ended up being expanded to over 50 schools through a collaboration with the Zambia Centre for Community Schools. Sibylle was inspired by the pupil's desire to learn and the ability of teachers to make the most of limited resources. At the same time she saw challenges that limited the positive impact and sustainability of her work.

Subilo spent several years working on programmes related to safeguarding and child protection, often encountering the limitations of the system. She also had experience building up a literacy NGO in the Copperbelt and was eager to invest her time supporting the local community in Lusaka.

Meanwhile Terry was in the trenches of teaching primary school. He was involved in championing a number of initiatives to make learning more practical and promote critical thinking among students. He also developed a special interest in promoting literacy as a key tool for future success. While the school was supportive of some of the initiatives, there are always limitations when working within an established organisation with its own priorities and agendas. Terry offered free literacy classes to the neighbourhood children every day after work, but lacked a support network that would allow him to scale up such projects.

Through long conversations and experience working together, the trio realised that they share the same ambitions and frustrations. Rather than continue to complain about everything that was not working or wishing for change, they decided the only option was to apply their combined resources, know-how and passion into a project that would align with their vision and values.

After several meetings to work out the major aspects of their new organisation, the three met on June 17th to officially sign the paperwork to be submitted to the government.