My name is Togala Zulu from Zambia. I was born in 1995 and grew up in a community where chances for success seemed limited. Raised by a single mother, getting an education was a struggle. Despite these challenges I believed that education was my way out and a path to better opportunities. With my mother’s help and personal resilience, I pushed through. After high school I applied to public universities hoping for a government scholarship, and in 2016 my journey took a positive turn.
In 2018, I became a Watipa scholar receiving a scholarship that covered 25% of my tuition fees. This motivated me to work even harder, maintaining high grades and ultimately graduating with a degree in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Zambia, earning two awards as best graduating student both at department and school level.
My education opened doors to many opportunities and platforms for me to contribute positive change in my community and started
building a career in peace and security, academia and social change. Watipa’s mission and work inspired me to give back and help build resilient communities. In 2021, I trained as a conflict expert with one of the big regional organizations in Africa, Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa, building cross border networks. In the same year, I became part of a grassroot organization focusing on peace building where I helped to establish its core activities, such as program development and grant proposal writing.
In 2024, I joined the University of Zambia as a tutor, continuing my journey to inspire and support young people in achieving their dreams.
Foundation for Hope
In 2020, I co-founded Foundation for Hope, inspired by Watipa’s impact on me. Our foundation endeavours to empower women, youth and children in marginalized communities through education, entrepreneurship, and vocational training. After benefiting from Watipa, it came to my thought that out of millions of people in this world, I had a chance to be awarded a scholarship. This made me realize that even if we cannot help the world, making a difference in a person’s life can go a long way. Today, my dreams of making a difference and positive change in individuals’ lives is
being realized through our Foundation. I thought of a way to maximize my dreams about uplifting others and could not think of a better way than the Foundation.
Through the Foundation, we can reach many people, partner with others and mobilize resources for impactful programs. Watipa’s
impact on my life drives my passion for positive social change and building stronger communities.
