Coach Up Zambia - Water & Energy Skills
Coach Up Zambia 2026 brought together a team of passionate coaches, returning students, and new faces for another chapter of hands-on, high-energy trade training. Here's what happened.
“peaky & nample on tour” ist zurück— and from the very first session, it was clear that something special was building. The atmosphere among participants was electric, with returning students visibly energised to pick up where they left off, and new faces quickly catching the enthusiasm that has become a hallmark of this programme.
It was such a great joy to see everyone again — the atmosphere in our training sessions was absolutely incredible.
The coaches on the ground
This year's trip brought together a strong team of coaches, each bringing their own expertise and perspective to the workshop floor. Peaky and Nample returned as a familiar and trusted duo, joined this time by Marc from Müller GmbH — a welcome addition who brought fresh energy and know-how to the sessions.
Together, they coached participants from multiple Zambian delegations — running sessions that balanced technical instruction with real hands-on practice. The mix of returning and new participants created a dynamic in the room that the coaches described as one of the best they'd experienced.
Skills that make a real difference
The training focused on water, sanitation, and solar technology — three areas where skilled tradespeople can have an immediate and lasting impact on communities. Sessions covered core techniques and best practices, with coaches working directly alongside participants to ensure learning was practical, relevant, and confidence-building.
The standard of training was raised further by the exceptional tools made available through the partnership with Rothenberger. Seeing students work with professional-grade equipment for the first time left a clear impression — not just in the quality of the work produced, but in the way participants carried themselves. Standards rose visibly across the room.
Coach Up Zambia is about more than skills transfer. It's about showing young professionals what's possible when they're given the right support, the right tools, and coaches who genuinely believe in them. Every session builds not just technical ability, but professional pride — the sense that the work you do matters and deserves to be done well.
For the Tools for Life Foundation, that's the real measure of success: not just what participants can do at the end of a training week, but the standard they choose to hold themselves to long after the coaches have gone home.
Coach Up Zambia — Water & Energy Skills supports young professionals in water, sanitation, and solar technology across Zambia. The project improves participants' job prospects and strengthens community access to essential services, delivered in partnership with ROTHENBERGER UG, IWSH, and supported by the THRIVE2 initiative.