Zambia Girls Education Projct in Zambia: Fully Funded

Regenerative 2030 is the World Expeditions Travel Group’s long term commitment to ensuring travel creates positive and lasting change. It is guided by a simple idea. Travel can be a force for regeneration. We donate five dollars for every booking to the World Expeditions Foundation to support community led initiatives that restore ecosystems, strengthen communities and improve access to education.

One of the fully funded projects under this initiative has now reached completion. The Menstrual Packs for Equal Rights Project in Zambia has achieved its fundraising goal of three thousand six hundred dollars. This support has provided one hundred and fifty reusable menstrual packs for school girls in rural communities, delivered in partnership with the Luangwa Conservation and Community Fund. The project is known locally as Ufulu, which means freedom. This name reflects the purpose of the program. To give girls the confidence and freedom to attend school every day of the month without interruption.

In many rural areas of Zambia, a lack of proper menstrual hygiene products results in girls missing up to one week of school each month. The consequences are long term. Reduced attendance leads to reduced learning outcomes and fewer opportunities. Early marriage is more common and confidence levels often drop. For low income families, boys are still more likely to be sent to school than girls. These barriers are compounded by stigma, limited education about menstrual health and the financial strain of purchasing safe sanitary products.

The Ufulu project addresses these challenges by providing high quality, washable and reusable menstrual pads made from breathable cotton and bamboo materials. They are sewn by local women employed through the initiative, creating fair income and valuable skills within the community. Each kit can be used for up to two years. Each one also reduces waste by replacing single use products with a sustainable alternative.

The project goes beyond the distribution of pads. It delivers education sessions that increase knowledge about menstrual health and hygiene. Girls learn how to care for their pads, how to understand their cycle and how to manage menstruation with confidence. This helps reduce stigma, improves comfort and supports dignity. Teachers and community members are also engaged to build a supportive environment within the school.

The impact is significant. Each menstrual pack saves approximately five school days every month that would otherwise be lost. Improved attendance means greater continuity in learning and improved academic outcomes. Girls report feeling more confident, more comfortable and better able to participate fully in classroom activities. The project is contributing to a shift in attitudes around gender equality and menstrual health in rural Zambia.

This initiative supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These include good health and wellbeing, gender equality, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production and quality education. By meeting these goals in a practical and community led way, the project reflects the core purpose of Regenerative 2030.

For fourteen years, Project Luangwa and its partner organisations have worked to improve education and gender equality across the region. Through this long standing partnership, communities have seen steady improvements in girls attendance rates, confidence levels and the breaking down of harmful stereotypes. The Ufulu menstrual pack project builds on this foundation by addressing one of the most persistent barriers to girls education.

Regenerative 2030 is about choosing regeneration over impact neutrality. It is about supporting local leadership and investing in the wellbeing of future generations. The successful delivery of this project in Zambia shows what is possible when travellers, community partners and local leaders work together. Every booking contributes to this work. Every project strengthens the resilience of people and places. Together, we are helping create a more equitable and sustainable future for girls in rural Zambia.