Project Luangwa
Project Luangwa is a Zambia-based non-profit that channels tourism proceeds from eight safari lodges into education, gender equality, and environmental programs for rural communities in the Luangwa Valley, including child sponsorship, digital learning, and reusable sanitary pads.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMfuwe, Zambia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Project Luangwa does
Project Luangwa is a registered charitable trust established in 2010 and headquartered in Mfuwe, Eastern Province, Zambia, that operates community empowerment programs in the Luangwa Valley. The organization's mission is to channel tourism-derived revenue into education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability outcomes for marginalized rural communities. It runs a portfolio of interconnected programs including child sponsorship, Digilearn digital learning sites, Ufulu reusable sanitary pads, fuel-efficient eco-stoves, youth clubs, a craft shop supporting local women artisans, school construction, and youth football and netball sponsorship. Beneficiary segments include children and youth in rural Luangwa, girls and young women facing menstrual hygiene barriers, local women artisans, and rural households reliant on subsistence farming.
The organization manufactures reusable sanitary pads (Ufulu Pads MHM Kit: 5 reusable pads, 2-year guarantee) and fuel-efficient eco-stoves in its Mfuwe craft workshop, while the Digilearn programme deploys digital learning infrastructure to schools at $18,500 per site serving up to 300 children. Project Luangwa is registered as a charity in three jurisdictions—UK Charity Commission No. 1119335, Zambia Reg. Trust No. CI 1027, and Netherlands ANBI 827473199—enabling global donor reach. Its 34 staff operate with a community-led GTM, working through eight founding member safari lodges (Flatdog's Camp, Kafunta Safaris, Shenton Safaris, Robin Pope Safaris, Pelican Lagoon Bushcamp, Green Safaris/Shawa Luangwa, Chiawa/Puku Ridge, and Njobvu Safari) that contribute a portion of each visitor's stay.
The business model is donation-based with three primary revenue streams: per-visitor contributions from member safari lodges, individual donations through JustGiving and direct channels, and tiered child sponsorship at $600/year plus program-level donations ($15 pads, $3,000 football season, $500 gender session, $100 for 10 eco-stoves, $4,000 volunteer teachers). Pack for a Purpose provides in-kind donations from tourists. The 2024 key statistics on the website appear as "0" placeholders, indicating incomplete impact reporting. Documented outcomes include an 85% increase in girl child school attendance at schools where Ufulu Pads were distributed.
Project Luangwa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Luangwa
- Legal name
- Project Luangwa Trust
- Website
- https://projectluangwa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Project Luangwa is a Zambia-based non-profit that channels tourism proceeds from eight safari lodges into education, gender equality, and environmental programs for rural communities in the Luangwa Valley, including child sponsorship, digital learning, and reusable sanitary pads.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project Luangwa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development Non-Profit Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- SIC
- Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Menstrual Pads (Reusable/Cloth) (CRABAIAB), Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG), Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK)
Keywords
Where Project Luangwa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mfuwe
- HQ country
- Zambia
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Project Luangwa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Tourism-Derived Donations: Safari operators and member lodges contribute a portion of proceeds from each visitor to fund Project Luangwa's programs. This represents the core funding mechanism connecting tourism revenue to community empowerment.
- Individual Sponsorships and Donations: Direct donations through JustGiving platform, email contact, and per-program funding (child sponsorship at $600/year, pad donations at $15, football team sponsorship at $3,000/season).
- Pack for a Purpose: Tourists bring donated goods (school supplies, hygiene pads, books, sewing equipment) with them, reducing procurement costs while engaging visitors in giving.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Youth Football Team Sponsorship |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ufulu Pads Donation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gender Outreach Session |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Conservation Stoves for Village |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Volunteer Teachers |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Digilearn School Site |
| Subscription | Annual | Child Sponsorship |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Project Luangwa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Luangwa is a non-profit charitable trust that channels a portion of tourism proceeds from safari operators and individual donors into community empowerment programmes in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley. Its core offerings span three pillars: education (child sponsorship, Digilearn digital learning sites, school construction, Foundation Programme with volunteer teachers), gender equality (Youth Clubs, Ufulu reusable menstrual hygiene pad kits, craft shop supporting women artisans), and environmental sustainability (fuel-efficient eco-stoves). Each Ufulu Menstrual Hygiene Management Kit contains 5 reusable pads guaranteed for 2 years and a discreet washing line.
Product overview
Project Luangwa operates as a charitable organization focused on community empowerment through tourism benefits in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. The organization runs multiple interconnected community programmes including child sponsorship, digital learning (Digilearn), menstrual hygiene management (Ufulu Pads), eco-stove construction, youth clubs, craft shop and artisan support, and school construction projects. Rather than a unified tech product, the organization offers a portfolio of social impact programmes that address education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability in partnership with local tourism operators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Child Sponsorship Programme Provides sponsored children with school fees, educational supplies, and letters three times a year, covering secondary (grades 8-12), tertiary/university, and special-needs students in rural Luangwa Valley communities.
- Youth Clubs (Gender Equality Programme) Gender-focused clubs empowering young adults through outreach sessions and support, helping rural children believe in themselves regardless of gender or background; each Gender Outreach Session for Youth Clubs costs $500 to sponsor.
- Digilearn (Digital Learning Programme) Digital learning infrastructure deployed in rural schools, with each Digilearn School Site capable of serving up to 300 children with technology-enabled educational access.
- Craft Shop and Supporting Artisans Craft workshop in Mfuwe providing skills training, a safe working environment, and sales opportunities for local women artisans and entrepreneurs to produce craft items, bags, and souvenirs, supported with a living wage.
- Ufulu Pads (Menstrual Hygiene Programme) Manufactures and distributes washable, reusable sanitary pads (Ufulu Pads) made in the Mfuwe craft workshop; each Menstrual Hygiene Management Kit contains 5 reusable pads guaranteed for 2 years, a unique secret washing line for discreet drying, and menstrual health guidance leaflets, distributed to school girls to improve attendance.
- Foundation Programme For Young Achievers Educational programme providing additional support to young people requiring it, utilizing volunteer teachers ($4,000 per year at Katapila Community School) to enhance learning outcomes for marginalised children.
- Construction Projects (School and Infrastructure) School construction and infrastructure development projects to improve educational facilities in rural communities throughout the Luangwa Valley.
- Eco-Stoves Programme Constructs fuel-efficient conservation stoves with rural communities to reduce deforestation and respiratory health problems caused by open fires, with $100 providing 10 eco-stoves for a village.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% increase in girl child school attendance at schools where menstrual hygiene pads were distributed
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Project Luangwa
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Project Luangwa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Project Luangwa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Flatdog's CampcoreSafari lodge and member operator of Project Luangwa that contributes a portion of visitor proceeds to fund community programs. Flatdog's Camp is part of the core group of tour operators that established Project Luangwa in 2010.
- Kafunta SafariscoreSafari operator and founding member lodge supporting Project Luangwa. Contributes tourism proceeds to fund education and gender equality programs in the Luangwa Valley.
- Shenton SafariscoreMember lodge and founding supporter of Project Luangwa, providing financial contributions from wildlife safari operations to community empowerment initiatives.
- Robin Pope SafariscorePremier safari operator and member of Project Luangwa's lodge network, channeling tourism revenue to support local communities.
- Pelican Lagoon BushcampcoreMember lodge contributing to Project Luangwa's funding through tourism proceeds, supporting education and gender equality programs.
- Green Safaris / Shawa LuangwacoreSustainable safari operator under the Green Safaris brand, member lodge supporting Project Luangwa's community programs through tourism funding.
- Chiawa Safari Lodge and Puku RidgecoreLuxury safari lodges operating in South Luangwa, member partners channeling tourism revenue to support Project Luangwa community initiatives.
- Njobvu SafaricoreSafari operator and member lodge supporting Project Luangwa through tourism-derived funding for community programs.
- Pack for a PurposeminorInternational initiative that allows travelers to bring donated supplies (school materials, hygiene products, books, sewing equipment) to communities in need. Project Luangwa participates as a destination, reducing program supply costs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Project Luangwa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Conservation South Luangwa: Operates in the same South Luangwa / Eastern Province ecosystem with overlapping wildlife-conservation and community-development objectives, and competes for the same donor and lodge networks in Zambia.
- Tusk Trust: UK-registered charity that channels proceeds from African safari tourism into community and conservation projects — the closest functional analogue to Project Luangwa's tourism-linked donation model.
- Painted Dog Conservation: Zimbabwe-registered conservation NGO that delivers community education, school infrastructure, and livelihood programmes alongside wildlife protection — directly comparable in programme mix.
- South Luangwa Conservation Foundation: Funds and delivers conservation and community programmes in the South Luangwa landscape — the most direct geographic and functional peer to Project Luangwa.
- COMACO (Community Markets for Conservation): Zambia-registered social enterprise that links rural community livelihoods (including women-led artisan production) to wildlife conservation outcomes — directly comparable operating geography and economic-development model.
- African People & Wildlife Fund: Runs integrated community + conservation + environmental programmes across rural Tanzania with similar interlinked programme design to Project Luangwa.
Others
- Pack for a Purpose: Project Luangwa's existing partner that channels tourist-carried supplies to community organisations globally; relevant as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Peace Parks Foundation: Funds large-scale transfrontier conservation areas across southern Africa with adjacent community-development components, operating at a significantly larger scale than Project Luangwa.
- African Wildlife Foundation: Pan-African conservation and community development NGO with a much larger footprint and budget; overlaps with Project Luangwa's land-use, education, and gender-equality work but at continental scale.
Emerging players
- Wild Tomorrow Fund: US-based wildlife and community conservation NGO operating in southern Africa with a tourism-supported funding model that overlaps with Project Luangwa's lodge-tied donation structure.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Project Luangwa social profiles
Digital presenceProject Luangwa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Luangwa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Project Luangwa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Luangwa 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 Project Luangwa
What does Project Luangwa do?
Project Luangwa is a non-profit charitable trust that channels a portion of tourism proceeds from safari operators and individual donors into community empowerment programmes in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley. Its core offerings span three pillars: education (child sponsorship, Digilearn digital learning sites, school construction, Foundation Programme with volunteer teachers), gender equality (Youth Clubs, Ufulu reusable menstrual hygiene pad kits, craft shop supporting women artisans), and environmental sustainability (fuel-efficient eco-stoves). Each Ufulu Menstrual Hygiene Management Kit contains 5 reusable pads guaranteed for 2 years and a discreet washing line.
Is Project Luangwa a public or private company?
Project Luangwa is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Luangwa founded?
Project Luangwa was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Project Luangwa based?
Project Luangwa is headquartered in Mfuwe, Zambia, in the Africa region.
How does Project Luangwa make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tourism-Derived Donations are the primary driver. The others are individual Sponsorships and Donations and pack for a Purpose.
Who are Project Luangwa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Conservation South Luangwa, Tusk Trust, Painted Dog Conservation, South Luangwa Conservation Foundation, COMACO (Community Markets for Conservation) and African People & Wildlife Fund. Pack for a Purpose is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Peace Parks Foundation and African Wildlife Foundation. Wild Tomorrow Fund is listed as an emerging player.
Does Project Luangwa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Luangwa.
What industry is Project Luangwa in?
Project Luangwa's product category is Community Development Non-Profit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAC, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), with a secondary code of CRABAIAB, Menstrual Pads (Reusable/Cloth). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 2300.