OUR MOON EDUCATION
Our Moon Education is a UK-registered charity that runs residential university-preparation programmes for financially-disadvantaged Zambian youth at a 5-hectare campus in Chibombo District, funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and UK trusts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersChibombo, Central, Zambia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What OUR MOON EDUCATION does
Our Moon Education is a UK-registered charity (No. 1165083) and Zambia-registered NGO (No. 101/0688/17) founded in 2015 by Helen Leale-Green to support academically gifted but financially-disadvantaged Zambian youth in accessing university education and global career opportunities. The organization operates a five-programme pathway — Young Leaders Programme (flagship 18-month residential university preparation), Identity & Expression, Value Added Volunteering, Postgraduate Programme, and Alumni Programme — delivered primarily through a 5-hectare self-sufficient residential campus in Mbulo-Chipansha, Chibombo District, Zambia, with governance and fundraising functions based in Tunbridge Wells, UK. Its technology stack is built on third-party consumer platforms: Khan Academy for SAT preparation, Duolingo for English testing, and Starlink for internet connectivity, with a proprietary critical pedagogy curriculum ('Identity and Expression') developed by Country Director Justin Mushitu drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Paolo Freire.
The business model is entirely donation-driven, with no fees charged to students. Revenue streams include individual donations (suggested £25/month via the 'Gift of Choice' programme), corporate partnerships (PwC Zambia, KPMG for internships and CSR support), trust and foundation grants (more than ten named UK trusts including John Collings, Souter, Gilchrist, and Mageni), and tax-deductible giving processed through Enthuse (UK), Friends of Our Moon Inc (US 501c3), Maecenata (Eurozone), and GlobalGiving. Student acquisition is community-led and event-driven, leveraging school partnerships, alumni networks, and outreach to identify candidates selected on academic merit and financial need.
OUR MOON EDUCATION firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OUR MOON EDUCATION
- Legal name
- Our Moon Education
- Website
- https://ourmoon.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Our Moon Education is a UK-registered charity that runs residential university-preparation programmes for financially-disadvantaged Zambian youth at a 5-hectare campus in Chibombo District, funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and UK trusts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OUR MOON EDUCATION industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Education Programmes
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Academic Tutoring Services (Subject-Specific & General) (EDAJALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)
Keywords
Where OUR MOON EDUCATION is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chibombo, Central
- HQ country
- Zambia
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
OUR MOON EDUCATION business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting Zambian youth education. Regular gifts suggested at £25/month through their 'Gift of Choice' programme which funds specific aspects of a student's journey.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations for fundraising, internships, volunteering, and CSR programmes. Companies like PwC and KPMG offer internship opportunities to students.
- Trust and Foundation Grants: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations including John Collings Charitable Trust, The Alan Goodwin and Aimee Reynolds Foundation, The Mageni Trust, The Souter Trust, Didymus CIO, The Coles-Medlock Foundation, SMOAT, Chalk Cliff Trust, and Gilchrist Charitable Trust.
- Third-Party Donation Platforms: Donations processed through Enthuse (UK), Friends of Our Moon Inc (US 501c3), Maecenata (Eurozone), and GlobalGiving for tax-deductible giving options.
- Gift Aid: UK taxpayers can complete Gift Aid declarations to allow Our Moon to claim an additional 25% on eligible donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Gift of Choice regular giving programme |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
OUR MOON EDUCATION product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Our Moon Education delivers a free, comprehensive educational pathway for academically gifted but financially-disadvantaged Zambian youth, running from gap year through university and into postgraduate study and careers. Its flagship Young Leaders Programme is an 18-month intensive residential programme based at its Zambia campus, covering A-Level equivalent curriculum, SAT and Duolingo test preparation, university applications, leadership development, internships with corporate partners, and community projects. Supplementary programmes (Identity & Expression, Value Added Volunteering, Postgraduate, Alumni) extend support across the student lifecycle.
Product overview
Our Moon Education offers five interconnected educational programmes forming a complete pathway from gap year through to career: the Young Leaders Programme (flagship 18-month university preparation), Identity & Expression Programme (critical thinking development), Value Added Volunteering (skills training for local youth), Postgraduate Programme (scholarship and application support), and Alumni Programme (ongoing community and mentorship). The organisation operates a learning centre in Mbulo-Chipansha, Chibombo District, Zambia, and provides residential education, mentorship, university application guidance, and internship facilitation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Young Leaders Programme Flagship 18-month intensive residential university and life-preparation programme that transforms brilliant but financially-disadvantaged Zambian youth into confident, courageous, curious critical thinkers through five stages: reflection, alignment, balance, self-management, and continuity. Includes SAT/Duolingo preparation, university applications, internship opportunities, community projects, and a 4000-word research essay. Delivered free of charge to selected students.
- Identity & Expression Programme A university preparation programme drawing on the core principles of the Young Leaders Programme, designed to disrupt mindsets by questioning traditional Zambian education systems and culture. Helps high school students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, employability skills and confidence for university success using a proprietary curriculum drawing on ancient philosophers, religious texts, Pierre Bourdieu and Paolo Freire.
- Value Added Volunteering A programme offering local Zambian youth volunteering opportunities with Our Moon, providing a living stipend, help obtaining personal documents (birth certificate, national ID), and transferable skills training for community engagement.
- Postgraduate Programme A programme providing postgraduate application support to Our Moon alumni and other students, including a database of fully-funded scholarships and one-to-one support with applications and admission interviews.
- Alumni Programme A global alumni community connecting former Our Moon students across cohorts, offering mentorship opportunities, career guidance, and continued support including access to the MyAlumniSpace portal.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% graduation rate from programmes
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use OUR MOON EDUCATION
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
OUR MOON EDUCATION technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
OUR MOON EDUCATION partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PwC ZambiacorePwC Zambia provides internship opportunities to Our Moon students and alumni. The partnership includes corporate social responsibility support and ongoing engagement with the organisation's work. PwC Zambia Country Partner Andrew Chibuye has publicly endorsed the programme.
- KPMGcoreKPMG offers internship opportunities to Our Moon students. Alumni have completed three-month internships at KPMG working with clients and participating in audits.
- Copper Rose ZambiaminorLocal Zambian NGO partner. Our Moon founder Helen met volunteers through CopperRose when John was volunteering there. Partnership for community engagement and student opportunities.
- Ecolint (International School of Geneva)coreEcolint students write 4000-word research essays about world issues through a Zambian lens under mentorship of chemistry and biology teacher Keith Browne. Students learn about plagiarism, citations, academic writing and research skills. Ecolint also donates Chromebooks annually.
- Menking TutoringcoreSteven Menking, founder of Menking Tutoring, offers Our Moon students free online SAT tutoring service to help students achieve best possible SAT scores for university applications.
- Duke UniversitycoreAlumni Cathy studies Environmental Science at Duke. The university awards Kenan Institute Summer Fellows Awards ($5000) to deserving students for research projects.
- University of EdinburghcoreMultiple alumni study at Edinburgh including Quincy (MA Economics), Janet (Civil Engineering, now Rhodes Scholar at Oxford), and others supported by MasterCard Foundation scholarships.
- NYU Abu DhabiminorCEO Helen visited NYUAD campus and met with four former Our Moon students studying there. Admissions officer confirmed university will not accept students from Zambia without A-Level equivalent.
- Swarthmore CollegeminorAlumni John will attend Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania to study engineering combined with economics.
- Lafayette CollegeminorSenior Associate of Admissions Eugene Gabay visited Our Moon campus and praised the calibre of students and quality of the programme.
- Oxford UniversitycoreAlumni Janet is a Rhodes Scholar studying Civil Engineering PhD at Oxford after completing undergraduate at University of Edinburgh.
- BlackRockminorAlumni Quincy now works as an investment management analyst at BlackRock in London after graduating from University of Edinburgh.
- HALI Access NetworkminorAlumni Quincy co-hosted a series of podcasts for HALI Access Network. Partnership for alumni engagement and visibility.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OUR MOON EDUCATION competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- African Leadership Academy: South Africa-based, two-year pre-university college preparatory program for high-achieving African youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. Closest comparable in mission (academic talent from poor communities, university placement focus) and residential pedagogy, but operates at significantly larger scale.
- Akilah Institute: Rwanda-based women's college that prepares disadvantaged East African women for employment and university. Comparable in being a small, donor-funded residential program with strong outcomes focus and gap-year style foundation.
- Questscope: International nonprofit working with marginalized youth (refugees, street children, out-of-school youth) on education access in the Middle East and Africa. Comparable in missionary focus on the most disadvantaged youth for education and mentorship pathways.
- African Schools Foundation: UK-registered charity supporting disadvantaged African students to access quality secondary and tertiary education. Comparable in charity-led model, donor base and university access mission, though lacking a residential bridge-year model.
- LEAP Science and Maths Schools: South African network of intensive, residential secondary schools serving high-potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Comparable in focus on bridging the gap for under-resourced African students through intensive residential education.
Others
- MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program: Pan-African scholarship and leadership program by the MasterCard Foundation supporting disadvantaged African students at partner universities. Comparable as both an upstream funder of Our Moon alumni and as the dominant player in the same university-access niche.
Emerging players
- ALX (African Leadership Experience): Pan-African tech-skills training program by African Leadership Group targeting young African professionals. Comparable as an emerging donor-funded training pathway for disadvantaged African youth, but focused on short-duration tech credentialing rather than university placement.
Broad incumbents
- Ashesi University: Ghana-based private liberal arts university focused on African leadership, ethics and entrepreneurship. Comparable in mission to develop ethical African leaders and in being donor-funded, though it operates at the degree-granting stage rather than pre-university bridge.
- African Leadership University (ALU): Mauritius-headquartered pan-African university with a mission to develop African leaders. Comparable in mission of identifying and cultivating high-potential African students, but operates at university rather than preparatory stage and at much larger scale.
Regional players
- Wellspring College: Nigerian private secondary and A-Level program serving high-achieving West African students. Comparable in delivering intensive academic preparation targeting university entry, though operating as fee-paying rather than donor-funded.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OUR MOON EDUCATION social profiles
Digital presenceOUR MOON EDUCATION financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OUR MOON EDUCATION leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
OUR MOON EDUCATION funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OUR MOON EDUCATION M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OUR MOON EDUCATION
What does OUR MOON EDUCATION do?
Our Moon Education delivers a free, comprehensive educational pathway for academically gifted but financially-disadvantaged Zambian youth, running from gap year through university and into postgraduate study and careers. Its flagship Young Leaders Programme is an 18-month intensive residential programme based at its Zambia campus, covering A-Level equivalent curriculum, SAT and Duolingo test preparation, university applications, leadership development, internships with corporate partners, and community projects. Supplementary programmes (Identity & Expression, Value Added Volunteering, Postgraduate, Alumni) extend support across the student lifecycle.
Is OUR MOON EDUCATION a public or private company?
OUR MOON EDUCATION is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was OUR MOON EDUCATION founded?
OUR MOON EDUCATION was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is OUR MOON EDUCATION based?
OUR MOON EDUCATION is headquartered in Chibombo, Central, Zambia, in the Africa region.
How does OUR MOON EDUCATION make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, trust and Foundation Grants, third-Party Donation Platforms and gift Aid.
Who are OUR MOON EDUCATION's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are African Leadership Academy, Akilah Institute, Questscope, African Schools Foundation and LEAP Science and Maths Schools. MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program is listed as an others. ALX (African Leadership Experience) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Ashesi University and African Leadership University (ALU). Wellspring College is listed as a regional player.
Does OUR MOON EDUCATION have an API?
No public API is recorded for OUR MOON EDUCATION.
What industry is OUR MOON EDUCATION in?
OUR MOON EDUCATION's product category is Charitable Education Programmes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJALAA, Academic Tutoring Services (Subject-Specific & General), with a secondary code of EDAJALAL, Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.