In Kalebuka, near Lubumbashi, Malaika has spent years building an education program around a simple idea: a student’s ability to learn is shaped by much more than the hours she spends in a classroom. The organization began in 2007 and now connects a free school for girls with clean water, health, sport, agriculture, vocational training, and a community center.
Malaika’s school opened in 2011. Today, its website says the school serves 430 girls in primary and secondary education and maintains a 99.3 percent retention rate. The community center extends learning beyond the school day through literacy classes, internet access, sports, and vocational programs for young people and adults.
Flash Forward in DR Congo
Flash Forward’s flashlight program provides 15 solar study lights for DR Congo through Malaika, adding 90 learning hours each day.
Learning does not stop at the school gate
That wider view of education is what makes Malaika a thoughtful partner for the 15-light program. Our solar study lights are designed for one practical purpose: giving a student a dependable light when electric service is unavailable. They do not replace teachers, books, or community-led programs. They make those resources easier to use after sunset.
Local knowledge matters here. Malaika knows the students, families, and daily routines around its programs. That experience can help determine whether a light is useful, who should receive one, and how to follow up without assuming that every household faces the same circumstances.
What Flash Forward can contribute
Flash Forward is a volunteer-run nonprofit that designs, builds, and distributes rechargeable solar lights. The work brings young people into engineering, fundraising, media, and operations while creating a practical tool for another student. With Malaika, the lights become part of education work already being led in Kalebuka.
Malaika’s local knowledge guides the 15 lights toward students who can use the added hours after sunset.
Partner information comes from Malaika’s program overview, community center, and water and health pages. Figures reflect what Malaika currently publishes and may change.