As the current chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), 2023 was Angola’s turn to host the annual meeting of Ministers of Health. Held in the capital, Luanda, from 25–28 November 2023, the meeting was attended by ministers and senior officials from the Ministries of Health, as well as those responsible for HIV&AIDS in the respective Member States, and with the stated aim of noting progress reports and adopting …

David Ramushu Secondary School in Kabwe is situated in one of the most lead-polluted areas in Zambia. The effects of lead poisoning, coupled with other issues, have devastating effects on the health of, not only the learners, but also on members of the community at large. This is naturally of grave concern to FutureLife-Now! with its focus on the health and wellbeing of those in the school communities it serves. …

These days, young people are so often urged to “dream big”, yet for whatever reason—lack of opportunity, lack of the necessary skills, inadequate resources—for many the dreams sour and are left unfulfilled. But here is a story of a boy, a young man, whose talents were nurtured through the FutureLife-Now! Programme and, by grabbing the opportunity presented to him, is making his dreams come to fruition. At the age of …

As one of the FutureLife-Now! Phase 1 pilot schools, Fobane High School bears witness to the positive impact the programme is having on its learners. This is true for climate change, with many learners demonstrating improved awareness of climate issues, and importantly, now engaging actively to address some of the challenges. There is even evidence of positive behaviour change not directly related to their schooling. Nkuebe Moshoeshoe, the FutureLife-Now! focal …

The effects of climate change are increasingly felt across the globe, not least in southern Africa. Malawi has been particularly badly hit, with, for example, the monstrous Cyclone Freddy having wreaked devastation across the country last year. So FutureLife-Now!’s focus on climate action has resonated in the schools where it has been introduced. This was the backdrop for two exciting virtual interschool climate dialogues that FutureLife-Now! facilitated in October 2023. …