“There’s an inherent genius in everyone.” This was the philosophy Bupe Chikumbi’s father instilled in her at a young age. This belief would later become the foundation of Genius Education Zambia, a social enterprise created to empower the youth of Zambia, Lusaka through science, education, and leadership.
“My father had this word that he used…he would say, that’s genius. He said that about [me] as well as my siblings,” Chikumbi said. As the eldest of six children, she experienced firsthand her father’s dedication and patience in validating each of their interests and beliefs.
“I used to go into the world believing I was capable,” she admitted. “Realizing that not everyone had [what I had]…I started to be more appreciative of my father. I was very privileged to have had this experience.”
Her upbringing in Zambia, during the late 1990’s, was a period marked by significant socio-economic challenges. Through a supportive, nurturing upbringing from her father and grandfather, a young Chikumbi found solace in science. She remembered a time when she expressed her obsession with ‘mecha’ robots featured in Japanese TV shows.
“[The show had] all these robots and technology, and I was so fascinated. I told my dad, when I grow up, I want to build robots, and he validated that.” Chikumbi reflected. “I’ll tell him I want to draw, and he’ll sit down with me at the table with a pencil…the following week I have a new dream; I want to study plants. He’ll take me outside, and we’ll study plants.”
Throughout her formative years, Chikumbi excelled in leadership, science, and education. Her dedication opened opportunities from schools inviting her to give academic mentorship talks to students around Lusaka. As an undergraduate, she studied Biomedical Sciences as well as Human Biology at the University of Zambia, hoping to pursue medicine.
“When I went [into] medicine, it was my entire life. I wasn’t anything else. I dropped my artistic pursuits. I dropped everything because I thought that is how you become a good doctor,” Chikumbi said. “I began to realize that my passion for the work I’m doing in leadership and science was beginning to become more important than [medical school].”
While pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2019, she wrote a book to help young people improve academically, which was then endorsed by the Zambian Ministry of Education. It was this success that started to tip the scales, inspiring her to take a leave from medical school and explore education.
“Dropping out of a university in a third-world country medical university comes with a lot of stigma. My dad was still a voice of reason. He told me ‘Give it a year, and you can take this break, process, and see what you want to do,’” Chikumbi said. “That was really empowering of him to have said that because most parents wouldn’t, after investing so much money and resources.”
This unwavering encouragement from Chikumbi’s father shaped the blueprint for Genius Education Zambia and its mission to provide similar support and opportunities to the underprivileged.
“This is where my enterprise was born, because I wanted every child to feel [capable]. I created this organization to help everyone know that they have an inherent genius,” Chikumbi said.
In 2021, she was chosen as a youth delegate in the UNITE 2030 leadership development program and defined her core values, gaining confidence in her long-term plan. Without a formal background in business, Chikumbi admitted her vision was ambitious. Yet, she remained driven, seeing the necessity of education all around her.
“[In Zambia], there are so many challenges like electricity for 3 hours a day because of the drought…we have a lot of disease and burden,” Chikumbi explained. “These young people want to do something, but it’s almost as if [they] can’t, because [they] lack even the most basic of things.”
Six years ago, Chikumbi devoted her life to providing the youth with as many resources in STEM as possible. Today, Genius Education Zambia has impacted over 100,000 Zambian youth through STEM camps, coding camps, VR/AR and AI experiences, innovation hubs, science fairs, and new curriculums focused on emerging technologies.
“[Some Zambia youth] don’t have parent figures. They don’t have anyone believing in their abilities. They are doing poorly in school. Then, they pass through Genius Education Zambia, and become top students,” Chikumbi said. “You can literally see the change. It matters that young people are nurtured because they have limitless potential.”
For the future, Chikumbi sees Zambia becoming a leader in terms of science, education, and research in Africa. She hopes to influence larger policies by continuing her research and collecting data in these fields. She continues to educate herself and others, with an impressive roster of 20+ fellowships, internships, classes, and leadership roles.
Bupe Chikumbi and Genius Education Zambia’s inspiring story of passion, hard-work, and success is a testament to the power of belief and support, and an embodiment of her father’s philosophy: “There’s an inherent genius in everyone.”
