Misheck Mutuzana

Misheck Mutuzana is a Zambian Computer Science and Art and Design teacher whose work is reshaping digital education for young people who grew up with almost no access to technology. Raised in the mining town of Mufulira, where computers were scarce and quality education uneven, he chose teaching in 2001 with the conviction that technological literacy could open futures that had never existed for his generation. He has taught at Mufulira Secondary School, Mpelembe Secondary School and, since 2010, at Butondo Secondary School, while also serving as a Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement scholar at the University of Nevada and visiting teacher at North Valleys High School in the United States. 

Alongside his classroom role, Misheck is National Chief Examiner for Computer Studies and an ICT National Master Trainer, positions that allow him to influence curriculum, examinations and teacher practice across Zambia. In under-resourced schools where students are expected to pass national ICT exams without ever touching a computer, he created offline simulations, peer teaching and community technology clubs, then partnered with the World Computer Exchange to establish refurbishing clubs that bring donated computers, tablets and smartphones back to life for classroom use. 

His teaching is strongly student centred and project based. Learners design websites, build databases and code simple applications that address real community issues, while blended and flipped learning through platforms such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams keeps learning going during power cuts and school closures. Global projects with the International Education and Resource Network connect his students with peers worldwide on themes including environmental sustainability, gender equality and cultural exchange, building both digital skills and global awareness. 

Misheck’s flagship innovation is the World Computer Exchange Inspire Girls Online Coding Bootcamp, which he coordinates nationally. Using recorded video lessons and local and international school facilitators, the programme has already reached more than 1,200 girls in 22 centres, many from marginalised communities. These girls are learning coding and digital literacy while gaining the confidence to imagine themselves in roles such as engineers and software developers. In his own school, the number of girls taking and excelling in Computer Science has risen sharply. In 2024, in a class of fifty students, 22 girls achieved distinctions, 16 students gained merits and 12 received credits in the national examination. 

His students’ outcomes now extend far beyond exam scores. Many progress to technology related courses in higher education, lead coding clubs and take part in international competitions and exchanges. Misheck amplifies this impact by training hundreds of teachers as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and national ICT trainer, helping schools across Zambia adopt digital pedagogy. Looking ahead, he plans to scale the Inspire Girls initiative to reach at least five thousand girls, build solar powered community digital learning hubs and eventually establish a Centre for Digital and Inclusive Education Innovation that can serve as a model for other African countries.Shape