When Boys Are Guided, Communities Are Stronger

The story of Kuchengetedza Boys Club in the Lower Zambezi

In Zambia’s Lower Zambezi, conservation is not something discussed in theory. It is part of daily life. Elephants move through crop fields. Monkeys raid harvests. Some families have lost loved ones to human-wildlife conflict. During farming season, children are sometimes pulled from school to guard fields, protecting the crops their families depend on.

For boys growing up in this environment, frustration can come early. Without guidance, that frustration can easily become directionless.

This is the context in which Mentor Patrick leads Kuchengetedza Boys Club — a GSGC-supported boys club grounded in conversation, accountability and belief.

Seeing the Gap

Patrick did not begin this work because of wildlife conflict. He began because he saw boys being left behind.

“I grew up seeing many projects focused on girls’ empowerment,” Patrick says. “I worked for seven years supporting women and girls after moving from Lusaka to Lower Zambezi. That work is important. But I noticed the boy child was being left behind.”

He saw substance abuse increasing. He saw school dropouts. He saw boys drifting toward poaching, deforestation and early parenthood. He saw potential without direction.

“The journey to manhood should not be lonely,” he says. “But for many boys, it is.”

His motivation was personal. “My own journey to adulthood was lonely. Some avoided me because of my behavior. But a few adults believed in me and never gave up. That transformation inspired me.”

Kuchengetedza Boys Club was born from that experience — not as a project imposed from outside, but as a safe space built from within the community.

Transformation You Can See

Today, the club has 18 members, and the impact is tangible.

“By 2025–2026, many of our members topped their classes,” Patrick says. “Boys who once ranked near the bottom are now appearing among the top 10 performers in their classes. Two boys are now enrolled at St. Max in Southern Province — one of the best schools.”

“The transformation has been visible and measurable.”

That change is perhaps most clearly seen in the story of one student who failed his exams in 2023 and dropped out. Conflict at home intensified, and the headmaster asked Patrick to enroll him in the club.

“Through mentorship, he agreed to rewrite his exams,” Patrick explains. “We facilitated two rewrites, and he passed.”

When his results were delayed and his father accused him of lying, Patrick refused to step back. “I believed in him. I followed up from office to office until one of Zambia’s major education offices addressed the issue.” Within weeks, the student was enrolled in Grade 10.

“The Boys Club stood by him when even his own home doubted him and the system had failed him.”

Protecting More Than Wildlife

In Mugurameno and Chiyaba, the pressures boys face do not exist in isolation from the land around them.

“Some of our members have lost loved ones to human-wildlife conflict,” Patrick says. “When wildlife officers delay responding, community anger increases.”

When crops are destroyed and income is lost, wildlife can feel like the enemy — especially to a young boy watching his family struggle. Without mentorship, that anger can turn into retaliation: poaching, snaring or cutting trees for quick income. Short-term survival decisions that deepen long-term harm.

Kuchengetedza means “to protect,” and for Patrick, that meaning extends beyond animals. Protection is about character, dignity and opportunity.

“We continue educating the community about the long-term benefits of conservation through dialogue and awareness,” Patrick says. “We help boys understand that protecting wildlife also protects their future.”

“When boys are guided, they become responsible men who protect, respect and sustain their families and communities.”

Conservation, in this context, begins with values.

A Ripple Effect for the Future

Many young people in the Lower Zambezi grow up expecting only survival.

“Many believe nothing can change,” Patrick says. “They think boys will work part-time at lodges, return to the village to drink, fish, poach or just survive.”

Patrick envisions something different.

“In five years, I want Kuchengetedza Boys Club to grow into Kuchengetedza Youth Hub — a space where all young people can access networks, skills, opportunities and sustainable empowerment.”

As a father of five children — four of them boys — this work is deeply personal. “My greatest reward is seeing boys once labeled ‘bad’ now speaking with wisdom, confidence and leadership.”

Kuchengetedza Boys Club is locally led and rooted in lived experience. Through mentorship training, structured support and long-term partnership, GSGC helps ensure this work is sustainable and grounded in both head and heart.

“GSGC has helped us become grounded and stable,” Patrick says. “Their support strengthens our resilience against challenges and distractions.”

“In a boy, we see potential. In a man, we see responsibility, growth, safety and sustainability.”

And in the Lower Zambezi, that belief is shaping a stronger future — for communities and for wildlife.

Patrick sitting under a Baobab tree trying to get network to complete some work. Network is a huge barrier in remote areas like the Lower Zambezi.