When Mastercard Foundation Scholar and fourth-year EARTH University student Damaris Nzala (Class of 2026, Zambia) came to Costa Rica in 2022 to begin her degree at EARTH, she arrived with a strong sense of hope and purpose. From Ndola, a city in the Copperbelt region of Zambia, Damaris is the first of four children and was raised by a single mother. She is also the first person in her immediate family to go to university. During these past years, she has developed into the kind of leader EARTH is focused on developing: one prepared to go out into the world and make the changes needed in their communities.
Damaris recalls how she first realized EARTH was the place for her. “I’ve always loved knowledge; I loved to learn. Everyone in my community always said they wanted to study medicine or engineering. But I’ve always loved the natural environment. I grew up with farmers all around me. But I didn’t know how to put that into a career.”
A guidance counselor she was working with told her, “What you describe about what you love is EARTH University.” She researched and reached out to the Zambians attending EARTH. “I fell in love with the University. I wasn’t even a hundred percent sure what the official name of the degree was, but I loved the experiential learning aspect and the focus on agriculture.”
Damaris quickly began to stretch herself and grow in new ways. First, she worked hard on developing her Spanish language skills. “I wanted to make sure I had nothing in my way in my learning, and so I tried to speak with and make Latino friends to use my Spanish. I spoke a lot with my Costa Rican family I was staying with during the Spanish Language Program. I had to stretch myself. I love to read, spend time with myself, but I realized I had to get out of my shell. I’ve been social within my culture, but I really had to stretch here.”
She was soon taking on leadership positions. In her second year she was elected President of the African Student Union, a role she treasured and grew from. “People talked about how much work that role was, because as students we are always busy here. But I loved the challenge. The picture we are painting as African students is important, and my motivation was to be a voice and create the space for us to come out of our shells and share what we have. We have so much to tell the world about where we come from.” She served in the role of President for one year and remains very active in the group.
Damaris has also stepped forward to work in other leadership roles. This year she is serving as Events Manager of TOP Chapel, a vibrant on-campus student-led church that has been active at EARTH for over 15 years. She has been involved since she first came, first as Financial Manager and now planning events for the church and with other groups on campus and in the community. She was also a member of the Culture Group, where she worked with the Office of Student Affairs to plan cultural events inside and outside of EARTH. She is always looking for opportunities to contribute and grow as a leader, and to remain involved with efforts going on in Africa. She is currently a Baobab Ambassador, helping to promote the Mastercard Foundation Baobab Platform, a social-learning platform that connects Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni, as well as young people connected to Africa worldwide. The platform offers access to opportunities including jobs, internships, scholarships, funding, courses, mentorship, and events. “As African students abroad, we have to find ways to integrate back in. We need to know people and get connected.”
Eager to apply the skills she has learned, Damaris is dedicated to returning home to help her community. “When I went home for a visit last year, I could see so many things I can do. I want to translate science to solutions. I really grew a lot from my Internship in the US working on energy consumption in greenhouses, but I felt disconnected from the people who were impacted by the results. At EARTH, we see who our work is impacting. We are with those people in the communities. I hope to one day assist smallholder farmers to understand how to use agricultural waste.”
Damaris is currently working on her Graduation Project with a fellow student from Tanzania, developing a biomass briquette made from the waste of maize, coconut shells, and sugarcane residue to formulate an alternative for charcoal. “Everything about EARTH has helped me grow. The group work. The courses. I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just having power and making decisions—it’s really about service and working with others. I know the leadership experiences are helping me prepare for the things I will someday be a part of. That I will soon apply these problem-solving skills I’ve learned back home.”
Taking full advantage of the opportunities in front of her, Damaris continues in her final year at EARTH to learn, grow, lead, and inspire others. In her own words, her vision is clear: “I hope to help farmers, national leaders, and young Africans across Zambia and the wider Sub-Saharan African region understand how sustainable and circular agriculture can be the solution to many of the challenges we face on the continent.”
