Kamanga Primary School shine in Zambia’s first-ever Battle of the Brains Primary edition

The atmosphere was electric with anticipation at the 2025 Battle of the Brains grand finale, as enthusiastic pupils from Chainda Open, Chibolya Combined, and Kamanga Primary Schools took their seats, ready to compete in Zambia’s first-ever national WASH-themed quiz tailored for primary school learners.

Hosted by the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO) in partnership with BORDA Zambia, the event was more than a knowledge contest.

It was a celebration of vision, innovation, and youth empowerment a powerful demonstration that children, especially at the primary level, must be central to the national conversation on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

 

Kamanga Primary School

 

After a fiercely contested and inspiring round of quiz challenges, Kamanga Primary School emerged victorious, scooping the top prize and earning national recognition as champions.

Chibolya Combined School secured second place, walking away with K10,000, while Chainda Open School came third and received K5,000. 

 

 Chainda Open School 

 

Chibolya Combined School 

The prize money is earmarked for the implementation of WASH infrastructure improvements within the winning schools.

What made the competition truly remarkable was the depth of knowledge and confidence displayed by the participants some as young as ten years old.

The young learners impressed both judges and guests with their articulate responses on complex issues such as climate change, safe water access, menstrual hygiene management, and solid waste disposal.

This year’s edition marked a strategic milestone for the Battle of the Brains, which, since its inception in 2019, had exclusively targeted secondary school students.

The 2025 shift to include primary school learners reflects a deliberate effort to instill WASH values and behavioral change early in life.

Speaking during the finale, NWASCO Director Kelvin Chitumbo said the Battle of the Brains initiative has grown steadily over the past six years, becoming a national platform for dialogue, learning, and stakeholder engagement on water and sanitation issues.

“Today, we are especially proud to have added a new and vital group to this conversation primary school learners,” Mr. Chitumbo said. “With their inclusion, we have now reached over 35 government-owned schools across the country through this competition.”

He said including younger learners was a deliberate and strategic decision aimed at cultivating lifelong habits around hygiene and responsible water use.

“Instilling WASH values at an early age creates responsible citizens and future champions of the sector,” Mr. Chitumbo said. “This competition not only encourages peer learning and WASH advocacy but also supports infrastructure improvements. It aligns with Zambia’s Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal No. 6, which seeks to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all.”

And NWASCO Public Relations and Communications Manager Mpunga Chipepo Simukwai said the event reflects the council’s broader vision to make water and sanitation regulation more inclusive and impactful.

Mrs. Simukwai said the competition covered a range of themes, including menstrual hygiene management, solid waste, climate change, water supply, and sanitation. 

With the success of the 2025 edition, NWASCO has announced that the 2026 season will expand into a secondary school debate format, adding critical thinking and public speaking to the already powerful knowledge-based framework of the quiz.

“We want to grow with these learners,” said Mrs. Simukwai. “As they move into higher grades, we’ll keep challenging them, supporting them, and learning from them.”

“It’s not just about trophies or glory,” said Hazel Hapande, Project Manager for BORDA Zambia’s WASH and SOAP initiative. “We want this knowledge to translate into action. Into handwashing stations. Into menstrual hygiene facilities. Into cleaner, safer schools.”

Ms. Hapande said NWASCO and BORDA have already begun setting up WASH Clubs in all participating schools and that these peer-led groups will continue the work long after the microphones are turned off and the quiz rounds are complete.

The event’s success, both in reach and impact, is rooted in strategic partnerships.

From the Ministry of Education and the Lusaka District Education Board Secretary’s Office, to grassroots organisations and media platforms like One Love Radio, the competition drew on a network of stakeholders committed to empowering learners and transforming schools.

Live broadcasts allowed thousands of households to tune in across the country, expanding the conversation around hygiene, health, and sustainable development far beyond the quiz venue.

“Through these partnerships, we’ve turned learners into WASH ambassadors and schools into learning laboratories,” said Ms. Hapande. “The results speak for themselves.”

And as the finalists stood proudly with their medals and certificates beaming, laughing, hugging their teachers one thing became clear: the real prize was not on the stage.

It was the confidence in their voices. The clarity in their answers. The dreams ignited by a quiz that dared to believe that children, too, can lead.

Ends……….