Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) is an organisation of community schools in Zambia that, since 1992, empowers communities to provide quality basic education to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), especially girls and children with disabilities. Premised on the principle that every child has a “right to education”, ZOCS delivers its programme through three strategic pillars to ensure that OVCs have access to quality, equitable and inclusive education in order to brighten their prospects of reaching their fullest potential and significantly contribute to national development.
ZOCS supports over 1000 community schools in 76 districts with an estimated population of 172,680 learners (46, 800 boys and 70,200 girls). The learners are taught by over 2,340 volunteer teachers (936 male and 1, 404 female) who have dedicated their time to ensuring access to education for all children in their communities. The organization in its work is directed by an Annual Work Plan derived from the ZOCS 2011-2015 Strategic Plan and from communities through Annual General Meetings. The strategic plan reflects the three pillars on which ZOCS builds its approach.
Advocacy
Approaches aimed at influencing governement and legislation to Benefit OVC’s access tp quality education
Capacity Building
Increasing Teacher and community capacity to provide quality eduction to OVC
Service Delivery
Supporting the development of schools, providing teaching and learning materials, bursaries, school feeding and communities to create an enabling environment for enhanced environment for enhanced educational opportunities for OVC
MISSION
ZOCS exists to brighten prospects of Community School Learners by empowering Community Schools, building partnerships, influencing policy, supporting learners and creating conducive learning environments.
VISION
“A Zambia where all Community School Learners, especially Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), girls and Learners with special education needs, obtain quality and equitable education that enables them to realize their fullest potential”.
CORE VALUES
- Accountability
- Collective excellence
- Commitment
- Professionalism
- Respect for Human Rights Integrity
ZOCS celebrate 30 years of existenceexistence
Last year 2022 marked 30 years of ZOCS’ existence and still keeping true to the vision of pursuing more educational opportunities for OVC in Zambia.Since 1992, Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) has been supporting community schools in different parts of the country. A lot has happened over the past 30 years. What started with 48 out-of-school girls learning under a tree in Misisi compound in Lusaka has grown into a professional NGO (registered since 1996).
