Company: Impact Development Training Group (a member of the UK Network)
Project: The Zambia HIV/AIDS Leadership Forum

Zambia is the seventh worst HIV/AIDS affected country in the world, so badly affected that since 1980, life expectancy has dropped to 39. The tragic reality is that if this prevalence continues, more than half of today's 15-year olds will die from the disease.

In the words of Programme Patron Maureen K. Mwanawasa, First Lady of the Republic of Zambia: "The challenge lies in developing those with the capacity for leadership in this difficult time."

A radical approach to fighting HIV/AIDS
In February of 2005 Impact was invited by the First Lady of Zambia to mobilise a global project team to develop the capacity of emerging NGO leaders fighting HIV/AIDS. In response, Impact co-designed the Zambia HIV/AIDS Leadership Forum in a unique approach to leadership development. Its purpose is clear: …to inspire nationwide leadership action to overcome HIV/AIDS in Zambia

This bold aim is supported by the following objectives:

• To inspire individual leadership action
• To develop more effective organisations
• To build a nationwide leadership network
• To generate positive change in the community
• To create a model of leadership excellence

Selected by a Zambian Steering Group, each Cohort comprises organisations representing the entire spectrum of HIV/AIDS activities within one of Zambia's nine Provinces.

Over an intensive four-week programme each member is personally coached by Impact Learning Partners, joins an experiential Leadership Retreat, completes a Community Action Project demonstrating their Leadership in Action, presents their leadership commitments to an international audience, and conducts their own Cohort Review.

In August 2005 the pilot was launched in the Lusaka Province with 13 organisations represented. Its success convinced the United Nations Global Fund of the worth of sponsoring a second programme for 25 members run in the Copperbelt Province in January 2006. Remaining Cohorts are planned throughout 2006.

Value to the business
According to David Williams, founder and Managing Director of Impact, "This is not about philanthropy, volunteering or donating. The Zambia project is one of the most fundamental and significant initiatives we have ever undertaken at Impact."

The substantial investment of over 20% of its 2005 profits has returned overwhelming value to Impact and been instrumental in defining Impact's unique business model of a "Sustainable Enterprise". In April of 2006, Impact was awarded the NW International Award for Excellence for the programme. It has served as test-bed for launching innovations such as the Impact Relief and Development Group.

As a "Model of Excellence" it has directly contributed to a growth of over 20% in global revenue generated by Community Action Programmes in 2005 and cultivated partnerships key to Impact's credibility as an actor on a global humanitarian stage.

Value to the community
'I wish we could get everybody in Zambia to do the programme. Zambia would change. I think poverty and AIDS would go down.' 
Patrick Mweshi - Community Youth Concern

Testimonials reveal that this was no ordinary programme.  It has stirred imaginations, sparked creative solutions, united organisations, galvanised local communities, captured national interest, reconnected people with their passions, and unlocked dormant leadership potential.

In one remarkable example of Prudentia Mugalia of the Bwafwano Home Based Care Centre, her participation led directly to the following outcomes:

• The recognition of the organisation as a Model Learning Centre by USAID,
• A 25% increase in funding,
• Increased numbers of orphans treated (from 1500 to 4000),
• The construction of a new laboratory and new HIV services which now treat 150 widows and 300 members of the public weekly.

In her words: 'There is no way we would be treating this many had it not been for the Retreat.'

It is clear that the programme has introduced an entirely new approach to the fight against HIV/AIDS in Zambia. The model of leadership development created by Impact has far reaching potential for unleashing talent and inspiring positive change in a way that has never before been attempted.

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