Healthy Learners

Starting in Zambia, Healthy Learners is building a model for how to improve the health of school children throughout low and middle-income countries.  We make schools an access point for children’s health by training select teachers as community health workers and linking schools with the healthcare system to create better health and brighter futures! #school #education #health #healthcare #healthylearners #Zambia #subsaharanafrica #africa #philanthropy #giveback #makeadifference

🎄 Season’s Greetings from Healthy Learners! 🎄 As the year comes to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported our mission to improve the health and well-being of learners. Your contributions, encouragement, and partnership have made 2024 a truly impactful year! From all of us at Healthy Learners, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May your holidays be filled with love, joy, and cherished moments with loved ones. Please note that our offices will be closed from December 20th, 2024, to January 6th, 2025. We look forward to reconnecting with you in the new year as we continue to work together toward healthier futures for all learners. Stay safe and enjoy the festive season! Warm regards, The Healthy Learners Team

Delighted to have had a fruitful engagement with the Healthy Learners team on the progress of their expansion into Western Province. Particularly in Nalolo where we are privileged to serve as area member of Parliament. We remain optimistic of the transformative nature of this program to our learners particularly the girl child. Through our continued partnership under Zambia Parliamentary Caucus on School Health we would like to commend Healthy Learners for its commendable work and collaboration with the government.

I spent last week at my first ever Global Digital Health Forum! I hosted a panel where we discussed the opportunities for syndromic surveillance using data from a comprehensive school health program that Healthy Learners is implementing with the Zambian government. I also had the opportunity to learn from organizations doing amazing work in the digital health space, the future is indeed digital! The application of AI to improve efficiency of health care workers and find new solutions to both old health system challenges and emerging issues like climate change is exciting!! As Healthy Learners we will continue seeking out new ways to use digital health and AI to better serve the millions of learners who access health through the School Health Program!

This week, our team — Lonnie Hackett (CEO and Co-Founder), Brian Kayongo (Vice President, Strategic Partnerships), and Praise Phiri (Strategic Partnerships Manager) — had the privilege of meeting Tim Hanstad, Vice-Chair of the Chandler Foundation's Board of Directors. Tim, a visionary leader in social impact and global development, shared invaluable advice on leveraging strategic partnerships to scale our efforts and amplify our mission of improving child health and education outcomes across Zambia. Tim’s experience, from co-founding Landesa and scaling it into a Global Top Ten NGO to driving impact through networks like Catalyst 2030, offers critical insights for organizations like ours working to bridge healthcare gaps. Thank you, Tim, for the guidance and inspiration! Partnerships are at the heart of driving sustainable change, and conversations like these remind us of the power of collaboration. Chandler Institute of Governance Chandler Institute of Justice Just Systems Ltd Landesa Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Open Government Partnership Co-Impact Skoll Foundation World Economic Forum The ELMA Philanthropies Chandler Foundation Rakesh Rajani #HealthyLearners #ChandlerFoundation #StrategicPartnerships #Landesa #Catalyst2030 #GlobalHealth #Education #Collaboration #Leadership #ChildHealth #TonyBlairInstitute #WorldBank #JustSystems

Community Strength, Multiplied At Healthy Learners, we believe that even a small amount of support can empower communities to turn their ideas into meaningful initiatives that create lasting positive change. Luyaba School in Monze district is a shining example of what happens when determination meets opportunity. On Teachers’ Day, October 4th, 2024, Luyaba School received a K1000 performance-based incentive from Healthy Learners. Instead of keeping the reward for themselves, the school administration and health teachers chose to reinvest it into the learners’ wellbeing by strengthening their feeding program, a cornerstone of school health services. With this incentive, they constructed a cooking shelter, and the community came together to bring the vision to life by volunteering their labor. Today, the shelter is complete, and learners at Luyaba School now benefit from both health and nutritional services in designated spaces, the health room and the cooking shelter. This inspiring story shows how collaboration and knowledge can multiply impact. Together, we can build healthier communities, one initiative at a time. A huge thank you to Luyaba School and the Monze community for showing us the power of unity and action. #healthylearners #SchoolHealth #CommunityImpact #healthandeducation #CommunityCollaboration #schoolhealthprogram

As we wrap up the year, we’re excited to share a glimpse of the amazing team that makes it all happen! Every smile you see represents the passion, dedication, and heart that goes into creating healthier futures for learners across our communities. This festive season, we’re reminded of the power of teamwork, the joy of giving, and the importance of shared goals. Together, we’ve achieved so much in 2024, and we can’t wait to do even more in the coming year! Here’s to spreading cheer, love, and health this Christmas and beyond. From our Healthy Learners family to yours, we wish you a holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and good health. 🎄🎁 #HealthyLearners #FestiveSeason

Sustainable development begins with our children. By ensuring high-quality health interventions in school health and nutrition programs, we are laying the foundation for better educational outcomes and well-being. Let's invest in the future of our nation. #HealthyLearners #SchoolHealth #HealthAndEducation #Zambia #SustainableDevelopment

Healthy Learners is excited to continue celebrating the amazing School Health Teachers who are making a difference every day! Their dedication to improving student health and creating brighter futures is truly inspiring. 💚 📸 Meet this week’s featured hero: 1️⃣ Prosper Simwanda – Kasama 💬 "What I love about this program is gaining knowledge on various conditions and treatments, and being motivated by seeing learners in good health." - Prosper Simwanda Join us in recognizing these incredible individuals for their hard work and impact. #HealthyLearners #EducationAndHealth #MakingADifference #SchoolHealthProgram #SchoolHealthHeroes

Last week, we were honoured to host Hon. Kapelwa Mbangweta, Minister of Western Province, at the Healthy Learners headquarters in Lusaka. His visit focused on following up on the expansion of the School Health Program into Western Province and understanding any challenges the team might be facing. The Minister had an opportunity to meet with our leadership team, including CEO Lonnie Hackett, VP Strategic Partnerships Dr. Brian Kayongo, COO Angel Chelwa and VP Programs Ignicious Bulongo, to discuss progress and align on the next steps for strengthening the program’s impact in the province. We are grateful for his commitment to improving child health in Zambia. #HealthyLearners #SchoolHealthProgram #WesternProvince