Olga’s is the only Italian restaurant and guesthouse and social enterprise in Livingstone (Zambia), just 10 minutes away from the spectacular Victoria Falls. The restaurant serves Italian pizza baked in a wood-fired oven and other typical Italian specialities. Since 2012 Olga’s has been offering nine comfortable rooms that combine African tradition and materials with Italian style and design.

Olga’s is the outcome of an educational project originally set up to offer vulnerable kids the chance to build a future. Olga’s is in fact a non-profit structure. All proceeds are reinvested in the Youth Community Training Center (YCTC), a certified professional training school created by the Dioceses of Livingstone and CELIM in 1999. YCTC offers courses in plumbing, tailoring, I.T. and building. 18 thousand people visited Olga’s restaurant and guesthouse in 2018. This activity has given the chance to work to 25 young people, some of whom former students of the YCTC catering course.

This positive experience has been the object of talk during the workshop on social enterprises that was held yesterday in Zambia on the initiative of the Italian ambassador and the European Union. CELIM’s country director Gianclaudio Bizzotto presented the initiative.

Team Leader Social Sectors and Governance Section Elisabeth Loacker, Italian Ambassador Filippo Scammacca and Permanent Secretary of MCDSS Pamela Kamanga
Italian ambassador Filippo Scammacca, Permanent Secretary of MCDSS Pamela Kamanga, Actcing NGO Registrar of MCDS Carolyn Chibinga, and the secretary of PS