“Through AYC I found more than academic support, I found purpose, mentorship, and a platform to lead.” - This is Chimango’s story
By Annabel Mumba
Annabel Mumba is AYC’s Donor Relations Coordinator in Zambia. She is a Scholarship Fund recipient, high school graduate and current college student, and also one of our Success Stories.
Co-written by Pamela O’Brien, African Education Program’s Development Director, who is mentoring Annabel as she pursues a journalism degree.
Mechanical engineering is a demanding field, one that calls for a strong foundation of sharp math skills and critical thinking. Chimango credits his success to his time spent at the Amos Youth Centre (AYC), where he first found the support to sharpen his academic strengths. Today, as a recent graduate from the University of Zambia (UNZA) and an active member of the AYC Alumni Network, Chimango returns to AYC to give back and lift others as he climbs.
His journey with AYC began in 2015. Then a Grade 8 student at Shikoswe Basic School, Chimango was introduced to the Learning & Leadership Centre by a friend, an AYC alumnus who saw his potential and told him about AYC’s Nutrition Program, which provides students with a free hot and nutritious meal each day. What brought him through the doors was simple: a hot meal. What kept him coming back was the community.
Chimango says that the AYC library became his “second home” where he fed his love for books and learning. The Centre became a place where he could be himself, connect with peers who shared his drive, and grow through consistent academic and personal support.
“I always felt AYC had my best interests at heart.”
Chimango graduated from the UNZA in 2025 with a credit in Mechanical Engineering.
Chimango says that he learned to listen, reflect, and lead with empathy at AYC. At AYC’s Annual Lifeskill and Leadership Camp, Chimango was exposed to skills-building sessions focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, and team building. As a result of the camp, Chimango took on more leadership roles at AYC. Chimango served as President of the Leadership Club and also led the Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists (JETS) Club, which aims to inspire future scientists, engineers, and doctors. These opportunities pushed him to keep growing, eventually leading to his role as Vice Head Boy at Naboye Secondary School where he was responsible for representing the school at public events and acting as a role model for his peers.
Chimango returns to AYC during his school breaks to mentor boys and girls.
Chimango provided tutoring in math to young learners ages 5-10 in 2018 during his gap year before going to University.
After finishing secondary school, Chimango spent a year volunteering at the Centre as part of AYC’s College Prep Program, which provides AYC high school graduates with scholarships for college after one year of service at the Centre. Chimango spent the year tutoring AYC students in math and science and says that this is where he honed his public speaking skills.
In 2019, thanks to AYC’s College Scholarship Fund, he enrolled at the University of Zambia. His academic journey wasn’t always smooth. Although he initially set his sights on medicine, he missed the university cut-off by a single point. It was a hard hit, but not a dead end. With the encouragement of his parents and younger brother, he pivoted toward engineering. After weighing his options, Chimango chose mechanical engineering and hasn’t looked back.
Today, Chimango still donates his time to the Centre, and he is interning with an engineering consultancy in Chilanga District, where he is gaining real-world experience in design and project management.
Recently, Chimango co-founded a startup called JSELK, aimed at solving local infrastructure and maintenance problems. The startup is officially registered as a business in Zambia and Chimango is already planning how to scale its impact across the country.
Chimango’s journey with AYC has also had an impact on his family — four of his siblings attend AYC’s Learning & Leadership Centre. His younger brother is studying civil engineering at the University of Zambia through an AYC scholarship, another brother is currently in the College Prep Program and volunteering at AYC before heading to college through an AYC scholarship in 2026, and his youngest sister and brother actively participate in Centre activities weekly. Chimango’s mother is a graduate of AYC’s Women’s Business Training and now runs a tailoring business from home.
“Through AYC, I found more than academic support, I found purpose, mentorship, and a platform to lead,” says Chimango.
