By Annette Chiluba, community development practitioner, Zambia
I have always believed that education can change the direction of a person’s life. Growing up in Mansa, Zambia, I saw how unequal access to opportunities can shape what children believe is possible for them.
That is why the Study Buddy project, organized by the Rotary Club of Luanshya, Zambia, stayed with me.
When I took part in the project, I visited schools, interacted with learners, and worked alongside Rotary volunteers and partners. I was warmly welcomed by Professor Coleman and the Rotary Club of Luanshya team, and that welcome made the experience especially meaningful to me.
What moved me most was not only seeing children receive educational materials. It was seeing their excitement as they explored them, asked questions, and proudly showed what they had received.
I had the opportunity to sit with learners myself and help them explore the materials.
It reminded me of something from my own childhood. In those moments, I was reminded that community service is not simply about giving something to someone. It is also about showing up, listening, and making people feel seen.
The experience connected strongly with the work I have been doing through the Howard Legacy Project, where I have supported young people through school visits, mentorship, and education-focused community activities. It also reminded me of something personal.
My mother did not have the opportunity to receive formal education. When my siblings and I came home from school, we would sometimes share what we had learned with her. For me, learning was never something that belonged only inside a classroom. Knowledge could travel from one person to another and become something a whole family could benefit from.
The Study Buddy project brought that idea back to me in a different way. A learning resource placed in the hands of a child can become a source of curiosity and confidence. A volunteer who takes time to sit with a learner can make that child feel valued. And when communities invest in education together, they can help children imagine futures beyond the circumstances around them.
I also learned from the Rotary team that meaningful service is built through partnership. Communities, volunteers, schools, and organisations can each bring something different, but the impact becomes stronger when they work together.
One small moment that I will always remember was being given a Rotary pin and hearing the words, “You are already doing that.”
Those words stayed with me because they reminded me that service does not always begin with a title or position. Sometimes it begins with simply seeing a need and deciding to do something about it.
The Study Buddy project strengthened my commitment to education, youth empowerment, and community development. It also reminded me that there is always something to learn when we serve alongside others.
I am grateful to the Rotary Club of Luanshya, Professor Coleman, the Rotary team, and everyone involved in the Study Buddy project for allowing me to be part of that experience.
For me, the greatest lesson was simple: When we invest in a child, we are investing in a family, a community, and the future.
https://blog.rotary.org/2026/10/06/what-a-school-visit-taught-me-about-the-power-of-service/