Ethan McCullagh
Ethan is a 16 year old student currently studying in London, UK and a co-founder of OurPitch. His interests lie in history, classics and economics and he is a life-long supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.
He was first inspired to found OurPitch on the rough, uneven road to Chipata from the Mlawe Epicentre - a philanthropic project driven by his mother. During this visit, in listening to the voices of the community, it became apparent that the youth possessed a great love for football which they were unable to fulfil. So with this in mind, he began to develop a vision, alongside Chrispin, for what is now OurPitch in the hopes of using football to inspire academic inquiry, create opportunity and galvanise progress.
Chrispin Kamuna
Chrispin is the Provincial Chairman of the Football Association of Zambia, Eastern Province and co-founder of OurPitch. An ardent football lover from a young age, he has been supportive of local football development throughout his life.
Chrispin has worked as a Provincial Planner for the central Government in charge of social economic and spatial planning as well as serving as the lead for the Zambia Social Investment Fund (ZAMSIF) World Bank project in the Eastern Province. Alongside his professional career, he has maintained his involvement in football by previously serving as Club Manager for the Solwezi stars and Club President for the Chipata Young Stars. Chrispin now serves as Chairman of Infrastructure Development for FAZ and a member of the Competitions Committee for the Council of Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA).
Lyson Zulu
Lyson is a former Zambian national team player and current technical director for the Football Association of Zambia.
Lyson grew up with a ball at his feet and knows firsthand just how powerful sport can be in shaping lives. His football skills took him around the world and opened up avenues he never thought possible, including coming to study in the UK. At university he learnt skills and knowledge that have been integral to his career which he has used in his role as Head of Football at the Olympic Youth Development Centre, where he also leads the Young Leaders program. Lyson is a shining example of how sport for development can be applied anywhere in the world and can truly change lives.
Elezeti Daka
Elezeti is an avid social worker and works for the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare as a Community Development assistant for Mlawe Ward in Vubwi district.
Alongside her governmental role Elezeti has played a central role in the success of the community-led epicentre project funded by the Patter Foundation and implemented by the Hunger Project, Heifer International and Restless Development. Prior to her current work, Elezety also worked for Caritas Zambia as a field worker and nutrition field supervisor between 2013 and 2019. As a Football Association of Zambia “E” (FAZ-E) trained coach, she actively promotes and nurtures rural football in her community. Elezety’s passion lies in working with rural communities to improve food security, reproductive health and sports development. Her ambition is to one day found a sustainable social enterprise for economic empowerment that will provide hope and dignity for rural households.
Emmanuel Mudenda
Emmanuel Mudenda is an experienced project manager and a passionate supporter of rural development.
He has 17 years of experience working with non-governmental organisations such as the Zambia Red Cross, the World Food Programme and currently the Hunger Project Zambia. Emmanuel has a keen interest in using sport to support children from rural communities and to provide them with the same opportunities as those in urban environments.