How Nchimunya Wulf Found Healing and Purpose By Building Schools in Zambia

Building a school from scratch in rural Zambia was no easy task. Wulf and Mizzi’s partnership began with a chance encounter in New York, where she overheard him discussing a trip to Zambia. They connected over a shared dream, and soon after, Mizzi, an architect and construction expert, became her cofounder.

With Wulf and Mizzi based in New York, the daily operations and groundwork required reliable hands halfway across the world. Her aunt, who took on the role of community director, was instrumental in the project’s success. She worked closely with the local chiefs, secured land, and organized the local community’s involvement. “The community was eager for the school,” Wulf recalls, describing how they were welcomed with celebrations and even gifted chickens. The enthusiasm cemented their decision to move forward, and soon after, the foundation was laid for the first school — Chipakata Children’s Academy in 2015.

The impact of the school was immediate. For many of the children, it was the first time they had access to formal education. “They had never walked up stairs before,” Wulf says of the student’s first experience in the two-story building, complete with classrooms and a library.

Encouraged by the success of Chipakata Children’s Academy, Wulf and Mizzi built a second school — Mary Malambo School — in 2018, named in honor of her mother.

Central to Wulf’s approach has been the involvement of the local community. “We hired men from the village to help with construction,” she explains, noting how they worked alongside professionals from Lusaka. Additionally, a women’s club called Tiseko was established, promoting microfinancing and agriculture to create a sustainable ecosystem. “We buy from them to cook for the students, so now it’s a healthy ecosystem where the money flows within the community.”

In the early years, Wulf would travel to Zambia every six months, while Mizzi visited every three. Now that operations are running smoothly, Wulf makes the trip just once a year, confident in the strong system they’ve built. Today, the schools not only serve as educational hubs but have also become a source of pride, and an integral part of the community.

A journey of transformation

The work that Wulf has done in Zambia, the success of the schools, and the uplifting of the community, have provided a sense of closure for the grief Wulf has carried since losing her mother: “The opening of the school felt like my heart was healed in a way.”

Her dual life — splitting time between her career in New York and her work in rural Zambia — has been paradoxical, but in that seeming antithesis, a profound sense of balance has also bloomed. She acknowledges the contradictions in her life yet views them as complementary forces. “I think the purpose of life is to be useful,” she says. True giving, she continues, is the one that gives people knowledge. “And knowledge is freedom.” It’s this sense of purpose that has driven her, even when the work has been difficult.

Looking ahead

Another key aspect of 14+’s success is the support it has received from high-profile individuals, including NBA star Kevin Durant. Durant’s nonprofit partnered with Wulf to build a basketball court at the second school. “Basketball is huge in Africa now, and having Kevin [Durant]’s support is incredible.” The court, designed by renowned artist Rashid Johnson, will give children in Zambia the chance to engage in sports at a professional level.

Fundraising is also an essential part of keeping the foundation’s projects running. Each year, 14+ Foundation hosts its Annual Cocktail Benefit in New York, with this year’s edition taking place on October 29. Proceeds from the event will go into supporting the schools’ operations and other community-based projects.

As 14+ continues to flourish, Wulf has her sights set on expanding the schools to the rest of the continent. Her dream doesn’t begin and end with education, however; she is also passionate about improving access to healthcare, particularly for women and girls in rural areas. “I want to build mobile clinics, like Planned Parenthood on Wheels, that travel to rural areas to help women and girls.”

If this all sounds exceptionally ambitious, it’s because Wulf is an exceptionally ambitious, chronically positive thinker who describes herself as “eternally optimistic.” “I tell myself there’s nothing I can’t do,” she says. “What’s the worst that can happen?”