About Vuka Africa

The problem we address: In Zimbabwe and Zambia, millions of young people are locked out of safety, skills and sustainable livelihoods. Youth unemployment, an under-resourced education system, limited access to primary health care, the digital divide and few safe spaces for early childhood development mean that thousands of young people have no entry point into formal support.

How the model responds: Our integrated community Hubs bring together digital skills laboratories, sports-for-development and life-skills programmes, youth employment and entrepreneurship services, primary health and wellbeing support, and early childhood development, all under one roof, community-rooted, and led in partnership with local leaders.

The problem we address: South Africa declared Gender-Based Violence a national disaster in 2025. Young people, particularly women, LGBTQI youth and survivors of GBV, face a double exclusion: first from safety, and then from the employment, education and training pipelines that would give them economic independence.

How the model responds: We act as the bridge. Working office-based, with trauma-informed case management, we place young people who are survivors of or affected by GBV into Employment, Education, Training, learnerships, bursaries and entrepreneurship, using a network of community mobilisers, NGO referral partners, private-sector employers and recruitment partners.