Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust | Zambia

What Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust | Zambia does

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust is a Zambian non-governmental organization established in 1998, headquartered in Mfuwe in Zambia's Eastern Province. Its core mission is to teach children and communities bordering South Luangwa National Park the value of wildlife conservation, operating across 7 chiefdoms. The organization delivers an innovative conservation education programme through school-based conservation clubs, community lessons, field trips into South Luangwa National Park, multi-night school camping experiences, and junior ecologist classes run in partnership with another NGO. It also runs the year-long Aspiring Conservation Leaders (ACL) programme, which prepares school leavers for conservation careers through lectures, field-based camps, work experience placements, and career development trips to Lusaka, with select participants receiving university sponsorship.

The organization's product portfolio centers on the Conservation Education Programme, the ACL programme, the Student Sponsorship Programme, the Conservation Roadshow (a mobile education unit), and a planned Nature Field Centre on the Luangwa River featuring a Discovery Room with natural history exhibits. Chipembele is registered with PACRA as a Zambian charitable trust (reg. no. 41317) and with the Ministry of Community Development as an NGO (no. 101/0046/13). It is supported by Chipembele Trust, a registered UK charity (no. 1107698), and routes US donations through Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (501(c)(3)) and Network for Good. International awards include the European Parliament STOA World Prize for Sustainable Energy (2011), the Energy Globe Awards (2011), the Pan African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education (2009), and a 2025 endorsement from the Scientific Exploration Society for the Nature Field Centre.

The organization is fully donation-funded, with 39 employees and no commercial revenue stream. Revenue derives from individual donations (via PayPal, bank transfer, JustGiving, Global Giving), student sponsorship (school fees and university sponsorship for vulnerable Conservation Club members and ACL participants), corporate and individual programme sponsorship (including the Mobile Education Unit), and legacy gifts or bequests. Visitors to the Conservation Education Centre are requested to make a minimum $20 donation per international adult. The go-to-market motion is community-led: delivery happens through schools and chiefdoms, while donor engagement runs through international giving platforms, a quarterly newsletter called Kalata, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and an annual impact report.

Name

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust | Zambia

Legal name

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust

Website

https://chipembele.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust is a Zambian nonprofit, founded in 1998 in Mfuwe, that delivers conservation education programmes to school children and communities across 7 chiefdoms bordering South Luangwa National Park through clubs, field trips, and the Aspiring Conservation Leaders programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Education

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation education
• Community conservation programmes
• Environmental education outreach
• Student sponsorship programmes
• School conservation clubs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mfuwe

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The trust accepts donations from individuals worldwide via PayPal, bank transfers, and dedicated donation portals. They offer multiple mechanisms including US 501(c)(3) tax deductibility through PVF and UK Gift Aid for British donors.
2. Student Sponsorship: Sponsors support vulnerable conservation club students with school fees and select Aspiring Conservation Leaders with university sponsorship. The Student Support Officer manages these relationships.
3. Programme Sponsorship: Corporate and individual sponsors fund ongoing programmes including the Mobile Education Unit Programme and Education Centre operations. Sponsors receive acknowledgment in communications.
4. Legacy Gifts and Bequests: Donors may leave legacies or bequests in their wills to support generational change and ongoing education work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust delivers conservation education programmes to children in schools through conservation clubs and to community members through conservation-themed lessons, operating in 7 chiefdoms bordering South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. The trust supplements this with field trips into the park, multi-night camping experiences, junior ecologist classes, a student sponsorship programme, and a year-long Aspiring Conservation Leaders (ACL) programme preparing school leavers for conservation careers.

Product overview

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust operates as a conservation education NGO with a portfolio of interconnected programmes focused on teaching Zambian children and communities the value of wildlife. The core offering is the Conservation Education Programme, delivered through school-based Conservation Clubs in 7 chiefdoms bordering South Luangwa National Park. Key programmes include the Aspiring Conservation Leaders (ACL) Programme for school leavers seeking conservation careers, the Student Sponsorship Programme supporting students through school and university, and the planned Nature Field Centre with its Discovery Room for hands-on conservation education. Additional offerings include field trips, camping experiences, Junior Ecologist Classes, the Conservation Roadshow, and annual celebration events like Chikondwelero.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Education Programme An innovative conservation education programme delivered to children in schools through conservation clubs and to community members through conservation-themed lessons, operating in 7 chiefdoms bordering South Luangwa National Park.
• Aspiring Conservation Leaders (ACL) Programme A year-long intensive training programme for students who have finished secondary school, preparing them to become conservation leaders for Zambia through lectures, field-based camps, work experience placements, and a career development trip to Lusaka.
• Student Sponsorship Programme Sponsorship programme supporting vulnerable Conservation Club students with school fees and select Aspiring Conservation Leaders with university sponsorship, managed by the Student Support Officer.
• Nature Field Centre

Quantifiable outcome

• Many programme participants now hold key conservation positions in Zambia including NGO managers, wildlife researchers, biologists, wildlife film makers, eco-safari guides, Conservation Club patrons/matrons and environmental educators

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered significant and supporting.

• Scientific Exploration SocietysignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Scientific Exploration Society has officially endorsed Chipembele's planned Nature Field Centre for students and researchers, providing credibility and support for the centre's development.
• Global GivingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Giving is used as a platform for international donors to contribute to Chipembele's projects, expanding the organization's reach to global donors.
• Partner NGO (Junior Ecologist Programme)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChipembele runs junior ecologist classes in partnership with another NGO, expanding programme delivery through collaborative expertise.
• Network for GoodsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayment partner of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation processing credit card and PayPal donations from US donors, with 3% credit card fee and 2% PVF administrative charge.
• Generosity in ActionsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnother US 501(c)(3) organization working with PVF to process donations to Chipembele from American donors.
• JustGivingsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK fundraising platform enabling credit card donations with Gift Aid claim (JG takes 5% but sends 118% of gift including reclaimed tax to Chipembele), and Just Text Giving for small donations up to £10 with no admin costs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Peace Parks Foundation: Conservation NGO facilitating transboundary protected areas in southern Africa including Zambia-adjacent ecosystems — comparable in mission to protect African wildlife through community and ecosystem-based conservation, at much larger scale.
• Fauna & Flora International: UK-based international conservation NGO working on species and habitat protection across multiple countries including Africa — comparable in operating model (conservation NGO, UK charity base, international donor base) but with substantially broader geographic scope.
• Born Free Foundation: UK-headquartered wildlife conservation and education charity focused on animal welfare and species protection with international programmes — comparable as a conservation education nonprofit with international donor reach, though at significantly larger scale.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Major international wildlife conservation organization operating across dozens of countries with field conservation and education programmes — comparable in mission and education emphasis but vastly larger in scale and resources than Chipembele.
• African Wildlife Foundation: A pan-African conservation NGO operating across multiple countries including wildlife habitat protection, community education, and anti-poaching programmes — comparable in mission but at significantly larger geographic and organizational scale than Chipembele.
• Panthera: Global wild cat conservation organization with field programmes in Africa including education and community components — comparable as a wildlife conservation nonprofit but specializing in wild felids with much broader geographic scope.
• Frankfurt Zoological Society: International conservation organization with active programmes in Zambia including the Luangwa Valley — comparable in mission to protect African wildlife and ecosystems, though operating at significantly broader scale with multi-country scope.

Direct peers

• Conservation Lower Zambezi: A Zambian conservation NGO delivering community environmental education, wildlife protection, and conservation programmes in the Lower Zambezi — directly comparable in mission, geography (Zambia), and education-led delivery model.
• Game Rangers International: A Zambian conservation NGO supporting wildlife rangers and community conservation in the greater Kafue and Luangwa ecosystems — closely comparable as a Zambia-anchored wildlife conservation and education nonprofit with similar donor-supported operating model.
• South Luangwa Conservation Society: A Zambia-based conservation foundation operating in the same South Luangwa ecosystem, focused on community-based wildlife conservation, anti-poaching, and education — the most direct geographic and operational peer to Chipembele.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chipembele
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChipembeleWildlife
• Instagraminstagram.com/chipembelewildlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chipembele-wildlife-education-trust

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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