Italian-Zambian Cultural Center in Lusaka
The Embassy is committed to promoting Italian culture in Zambia and to collaborate in the cultural field with the Zambian government. In this context, the Embassy actively collaborates with the Italian School of Lusaka, the Italian-Zambian Cultural Center and the local Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society.
Italian School and Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre
The main center for teaching the Italian language in Zambia is the “Italian School of Lusaka – Edmondo De Amicis”. In fact, it has been a consolidated presence in the educational and cultural panorama of the city of Lusaka for over thirty years, as well as a point of reference for the promotion of the Italian language and culture throughout Zambia. The school was founded in 1973 by a group of compatriots resident in Zambia, in order to guarantee the children of the then large Italian community a suitable education through the support of the Italian government (which at the time sent teachers from Italy to carry out of the courses).
Since March 2020, the school has had a renowned cultural centre, the “Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre“, built adjacent to the school and financed entirely by the Association that manages the Institute. The structure consists of a theater with a multipurpose room, capable of accommodating 350 seated people and equipped with cutting-edge audio-video systems imported from Italy. The center has the vocation of promoting Italian culture and promoting exchanges with Zambian culture, to contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations from a systemic perspective and in full synergy with the action of the Embassy. Recently, the cultural center is also becoming a reference at national level for the organization of broad-spectrum local and international cultural initiatives.
Both the school and the cultural center were the subject of the official visit to Zambia by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, held in July 2022.
For information: contact@italianschool.sch.zm (Italian School of Lusaka) or zicc@italianschool.sch.zm (Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre)
Comitato di Lusaka della Società Dante Alighieri
The Lusaka Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society, based at the Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre, was reactivated, after a silent period, in June 2019. The Committee currently plays a crucial role in teaching the Italian language in Zambia by organizing end of courses for adults, adolescents and children.
Italian language in Zambia (Plida Certification)
The Italian School of Lusaka is also the only PLIDA (Dante Alighieri Italian Language Project) Certifying Body in Zambia. The Plida certification attests knowledge of the language based on the six levels established by the common European framework of reference for the knowledge of foreign languages. This certification is recognized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has international value. The Center has programs for both adults and Juniors (13-18 years old), and anyone can apply for the exams from anywhere in Zambia without any obligation to attend.
For info: ladantelusaka@gmail.com