Communication & public speaking
Students find their voice — pitching ideas, leading discussions, and presenting with clarity.
Just launched — first cohort 2026
Where young minds take root.
Phuka Foundation is an after-school learning center in Lilongwe, Malawi — helping high school students grow the communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills that universities and employers reward.
Our mission
Built for the moments
between school and what's next.
High school teaches what to know. We teach how to show up — how to speak with confidence, think through hard problems, lead a team, and walk into an interview ready. The skills no one tests, but everyone needs.
Through experiential, hands-on sessions after the school day ends, Phuka students practice the soft skills that turn potential into trajectory.
What we teach
Four pillars. One trajectory.
Every Phuka session focuses on a real-world skill, practiced through experience — not lectured at a desk.
Critical thinking & problem solving
Structured reasoning applied to real questions — analyze, hypothesize, decide, defend.
Leadership & teamwork
Project-based collaboration where students take turns leading, listening, and lifting each other.
Career readiness & professionalism
Resumes, interviews, time management, and workplace etiquette — practiced before they're needed.
Our story
Founded in 2026 with a simple belief.
Lilongwe is full of bright, motivated high schoolers — students with the drive to become leaders, professionals, and changemakers. What they often lack isn't ability or ambition. It's reps. Time to practice. Adults who listen and push back. Phuka exists to give them that space.
Read our story →Mentor a Phuka student.
We're recruiting our first cohort of remote mentors — professionals, students, and educators who want to help young Malawians grow. You don't need to be in Lilongwe. You just need to show up.
Get involved →