About Us
Discover how we began and our commitment to making a meaningful impact in our community.
From Vision to Reality
Education Matters Africa was founded in 2016 to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity for high-achieving, low-income students. Recognizing that many determined and talented students lack the financial resources and information to better their educational futures, the organization provides transformational education and access to global opportunities that promote positive change in Africa. Through programs like the USAP Community School, Education Matters equips students with the skills to apply their education to solve challenges facing their communities, country, and the continent.
- USAP Community School: A residential A-Level school that educates high-achieving, low-income Zimbabwean and refugee students, preparing them to excel at the world’s top universities and to build society in Zimbabwe and across Africa.
- Zimbabwe Career Connect: An experiential learning program that matches Zimbabwean students studying abroad with internships back home during vacations, facilitating valuable professional experience on the continent.
- Capstone: Empowers the USAP Community School graduating students to turn their project solutions into real-world solutions.
Our Mission and Vision for the Future
We aim to empower communities through innovative solutions. Our vision is a world where every individual has access to the resources they need to thrive.
Our 5-Year Strategic Plan:
Driving Growth and Innovation for a Brighter Future
The Team
Meet the Education Matters staff.
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Board of Directors
Meet the Board behind Education Matters.
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Our Interns
Jacquelyn Gomba (Programs Intern, Smith '29), Knowledge Marikiti (Office Operations Intern, Amherst '29), Torindwanashe Chizura (Finance Intern, NYU Abu Dhabi '29), Moreblessing Banda (Fundraising Intern, Bates '29), Grace Ndlovu (Communications Intern, Pomona '29), Ruvarashe Moyo (Director's Personal Assistant, Princeton '29)
USAP: A Journey of Growth and Impact
Tracing the Evolution of USAP: From Inception to Present
1999
USAP is Born
Rebecca Zeigler Mano founded the United Student Achievers Program (USAP) then as part of EducationUSA at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, creating access to U.S, funded higher education for talented students who lacked opportunity.
2005
Expanding Across Borders
As people recognized its value and results, USAP grew beyond Zimbabwe, expanding first into Brazil, Nigeria, and Uganda, and building a more global network of brilliant young scholars connected by resilience and shared ambition.
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2010
Growth and Impact
USAP thrived, placing more students and training counselors in 13 countries abroad, ranging from Mongolia to Malawi, from Zambia to Ecuador, and beyond, expanding alumni impact at home, and becoming a recognized pathway for changemakers. (Feature: Oliver Mtukudzi at USAP Zimbabwe graduation.)
2016
Education Matters: A New Home
USAP left the US Embassy, with Zeigler Mano founding non-profit Education Matters as its new home, allowing the program to deepen its partnerships and broaden its support for students. HALI Access Network was founded as a pan-African network for organizations working with high-achieving, low-income students on college access.
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2020
USAP Community School: The Dream
The USAP Community School launched at a rented space in Goromonzi, transforming USAP from a college access vacation program into a dedicated A-level boarding school with a rigorous curriculum in sciences, Humanities, computing, research methods, and its unique capstone program.
2025
Rooted and Rising: The Next Chapter
USAP Community School relocated to its permanent, intentionally-built campus outside Marondera and launched a five-year strategic plan focused on culture, sustainability, and expanding meaningful impact.
Major Funding Partners
We are immensely grateful for our partners who provide financial and in-kind support for the projects of Education Matters and to the many USAP alumni and individuals for their generous monthly recurring as well as one time donations.
