Cecily's Fund

Who we are

Cecily’s Fund’s work in Zambia has spanned more than two decades since is formation in 1997 following the tragic death of Cecily Eastwood who was killed in a road accident whilst volunteering during her gap year ahead of university. From its inception, the charity has targeted its support to orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV because of the additional disadvantages and hardship they face. Since its formation Cecily’s Fund has invested over £7million in life changing interventions that have helped the most vulnerable children to improve their lives through access to education, economic empowerment, and psycho-social support. As our programmes have evolved, we have adopted a cross-cutting approach to programme development such that interventions now address a broader range of inter-linked issues such as gender equality, livelihood development and poverty reduction, diversity and inclusion. Underpinning these activities is our belief that access to education in all its forms can be a route out of poverty and lead to better, more secure futures for the most disadvantaged young people.

We work to four strategic objectives which reflect our mission:

1. Enable orphans and vulnerable children to go to school by investing in youth

2. Support children to succeed at school and adopt a youth-led approach to help them reach their potential

3. Prepare children for life beyond school through vocational training, citizenship and personal development

4. Strengthening community support for vulnerable children

Strengthen community support for children's education.

We have a wide range of funding streams including large institutional donors such as DFID, USAID, and Comic Relief as well as a substantial number of trusts and foundations, individual donors and some corporate support.