Fund a Zambia Youth Theater, Help Prevent Violence

Dear Friends of GRACE Cares,

We are delighted to share an update on the impact of your generous support for the Zambian Youth Theater and the play House of War: House of Glass. Through donations totaling over $6,000, you helped bring to life a groundbreaking production that has already reached thousands of Zambians and sparked a movement for climate justice and peacebuilding.  

What Your Donations Made Possible

On July 25, 2025, the Zambian Youth Theatre premiered House of War: House of Glass at the Italian Cultural Centre in Lusaka. Written by international playwright Namaya and co-directed by a team of young Zambian directors, this was the first major initiative of the Youth Cultural Promotion Association (YOCUPA)’s youth theatre program in partnership with Grace Cares.

With your support, the production:

• Launched Zambia’s first youth theatre program

• Reached over 5,000 people in its first three months through performances in Lusaka schools, cultural centers, and the National Arts Festival.

• Brought together a full house of community members, students, and policymakers, including Zambia’s Minister of Arts, Hon. Fumba Chama (aka Pilato the rapper), who pledged his ministry’s support after attending the premiere.

• Elevated the voices of Zambian youth, who performed original theatre, music, and dance addressing urgent issues such as:

  • Climate change: drought, flooding, deforestation, and toxic pollution from mines

  • Peace and justice: communities coping with conflict and inequity

  • Gender-based violence (GBV): confronting silence and stigma

Why Youth Theatre, Why Now

Zambia is among the nations most vulnerable to climate disruption. Yet young people often find themselves excluded from decision-making tables. The Zambian Youth Theatre (ZYT) was created to change that dynamic to put youth voices front and center in cultural and political conversations.

The troupe is anchored in core values:

• Youth-led, youth-powered creativity

• Decolonized, Pan-African storytelling

• Creative resistance and joy as acts of resilience

• Solidarity between local and global movements

Their mission: To cultivate a youth-led, Zambia-rooted, globally connected theatre company that amplifies African voices on climate justice, culture, and equity through bold performance and spoken word.

Why This Work Matters

Over half of Zambia’s population is under 18, with many young people lacking access to formal education. Theatre by youth, for youth creates a platform for education, cross-cultural dialogue, and empowerment that classrooms cannot always achieve. Through House of War: House of Glass:

• Youth performers gained skills in theatre, leadership, and advocacy.

• Communities saw their own experiences reflected on stage, sparking dialogue across tribal, regional, and generational lines.

National media coverage amplified the impact, with Rainbow News Zambia calling the play: “A seismic event that not only showcases artistic brilliance but also ignites critical dialogue, empowers marginalized voices, and shapes the very future of Zambia.”

What Comes Next

The premiere in Lusaka was just the beginning  . ZYT plans to:

• Tour Zambia: bringing House of War: House of Glass to schools, festivals, and communities across the country.

• Build international bridges: forging residencies and partnerships with youth theatres in Ireland, Germany, Finland, and Norway.

• Train a new generation: hosting workshops and intensives with Zambian and international theatre directors.

• Expand the repertoire: creating original plays on gender-based violence, climate adaptation, and youth identity.

Grace Cares is actively supporting YZT’s growth and helping connect the troupe with international donors, cultural partners, and climate justice advocates.

Thank You

None of this would have been possible without you. Your donations helped cover essential costs: theatre space, training workshops, costumes, travel, and stipends for youth actors. More importantly, your generosity showed Zambian youth that their voices matter and that their stories deserve a global audience.

As one of the young actors said after the premiere: “We used to feel invisible. Now, we know people are listening.”

We invite you to continue walking with us as this movement grows. Together, we can take House of War: House of Glass beyond Lusaka, beyond Zambia, and into the global conversation on climate justice and peace.

With gratitude and hope,
The GRACE Cares and YOCUPA Teams