Founded in 1992, the Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) has championed social justice for out of school children (OOSC)/orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) through delivering education services, building the capacity of thousands of volunteer teachers, empowering communities to provide education locally and collaborating with the government to establish policies and legislation that formalise technical, material, human and financial support to community schools. ZOCS was created from a unique need to address the socioeconomic impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the economic structural adjustment programme (SAP) and poverty which combined to produce a generation of Zambian children without a support system. For ZOCS, the idea of an ‘open community school’ represented an education opportunity without barriers to entry and participation. The ‘open community school’ embraced OVC of all ages to provide them with a quality learning experience of basic skills (reading, writing and life skills).

32 years on, ZOCS’ mission remains resolute in supporting OOSC/OVC. ZOCS’ quest is: “To secure education opportunities for learners outside the government school system by empowering communities, building partnerships, influencing policy and legislation, supporting learners and creating conducive learning environments in community schools.” For much of its existence, ZOCS has used a three-pillar approach and structured its work around three pillars:

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ZOCS has become a brand upholding the right to education for vulnerable children in Zambia. ZOCS’ efforts to support OOSC/OVC education now includes the promotion of Early Childhood Education (ECE), primary, secondary and vocational education. ZOCS also focuses on improving the quality of primary education through strengthening pedagogical skills of volunteer teachers, providing financial assistance through bursary to OOSC/OVC to enable them to access secondary and tertiary education, inclusion of children with disabilities and improving education governance and accountability through building the capacity of community representatives. ZOCS complements these areas of programming with advocacy, awareness creation on issues that affect young people and economic strengthening initiatives for youths, communities and women’s groups.

Over the years, ZOCS’ work has produced a theory of change for social justice for OOSC/OVC through education that revolves around six steps: STEP 1 - Identify unique OOSC/OVC needs and circumstances; STEP 2 – Build capacity for community driven response; STEP 3 – Provide OVC with uniquely tailored support services; STEP 4 – Undertake research to evidence work done and inform policy change; STEP 5 – Advocate for policy and legislative change; and STEP 6 – Organisational strengthening and institutionalisation of mandate by working with government.