In Chichewa, phuka means to germinate — for a seed to break through soil and reach toward light. We chose it because it captures everything we believe about young people in Malawi: the ambition is already there. They just need the opportunity to do something with it.
High school teaches what to know.
Phuka teaches how to build.
Lilongwe is full of bright, motivated young people — students who work hard, show up to secondary school, and have every reason to expect a future worth working toward. But most young Malawians never reach secondary school at all.
Of the roughly 217,000 who do enroll in high school each year, nearly half won't graduate.1,2 Of those who earn their MSCE — around 113,000 — fewer than 1 in 8 will earn a university place.3 And for those who do graduate, the economy offers almost no formal footing: just 30,000 new formal jobs a year for 270,000 young people entering the workforce,4 with 9 in 10 existing jobs in the informal sector — no stability, no benefits, no floor.5
Phuka's answer is entrepreneurship. Not charity — capability. We spend four years with students during high school, giving them hands-on business experience, English fluency, and the entrepreneurial mindset to create opportunities where the economy hasn't made room for them. And for graduates ready to go further, Phuka Ventures provides the seed capital and mentorship to build businesses that last.
Phuka launched in 2026 with a small founding team and one clear belief: the best thing you can do for a young Malawian isn't to prepare them to work for someone else — it's to give them the skills, experience, and confidence to build something of their own.
Michael leads Phuka Foundation, overseeing Malawi partnership development, the US mentoring program, curriculum development, venture investing, and coaching development. He is focused on building the systems and relationships that will carry Phuka well beyond its founding cohort.
A Fulbright Scholar in Malawi, Braden taught Chemistry at a secondary school in Lilongwe — alongside many of the students who became Phuka's first cohort. He is the heart of Phuka's student relationships, knowing each student by name and bringing a grounded, on-the-ground perspective that keeps the vision connected to the realities of life in Malawi.
Born and raised in Lilongwe, Fanizo leads all on-the-ground operations at Phuka. He is the foundation's anchor in Malawi — overseeing day-to-day programming, building relationships in the community, and ensuring every student who walks through our doors has what they need to thrive.
Innocent leads Phuka's coaching team, managing and developing the coaches who work directly with students. He ensures that the Phuka curriculum is not just delivered but genuinely experienced — by coaches and students alike — with the rigor and care the program demands.
If this mission resonates, there's a place for you in it — whether you want to mentor a student, donate, or explore a partnership. No travel required.
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