When Prices Rise: How Inflation Affects EduDeo’s Partners

When Prices Rise: How Inflation Affects EduDeo’s Partners

Inflation is something most of us notice in small, everyday moments: groceries creeping up in cost, gas prices fluctuating, or our household budget not stretching quite as far as it used to. But in the countries where EduDeo’s partners serve, inflation isn’t just an inconvenience it’s a daily pressure that shapes whether schools can be built, whether children can stay in the classroom, and whether families can meet their most basic needs. 

When Inflation Hits Harder 

Keith Cameron, EduDeo’s Key Relations and Strategy Director, didn’t set out to study inflation. The realization emerged almost accidentally last fall while he was reviewing long‑term trends in EduDeo’s work. As he reflected on the stability of EduDeo’s programs year over year, one observation stood out: the economic landscape around our partners has been changing far more quickly than many of us realize. 

That raised a deeper question for Keith: How much more intense is inflation in the countries where EduDeo’s partners serve and what does that mean for their planning, their resources, and the projects they carry out? The answer surprised even him. 

“In Canada, we might be seeing 2–4% inflation,” he explains. “Our partners are seeing more like 6–8%. In some places, even higher.” 

For communities already operating with fewer resources, that difference is enormous. And it’s not just numbers it’s real outcomes. Keith describes planning meetings where partners submit budgets for construction or training programs. 

“We’d see costs higher than the previous year and push back a little,” he admits. “But then partners would explain: we’re planning a year and a half in advance. If we don’t account for inflation, the funds simply won’t cover the project when the time comes.” 

That was a turning point. 

“We realized we needed to shift from asking, ‘Why are your costs going up?’ to ‘How can we help you plan for the increases you know are coming?’” 

Inflation doesn’t cancel projects — EduDeo is committed to walking with partners until the work is done — but it often slows progress. A classroom may take longer to complete. A school block may stand for months before windows and doors can be added. A partner may need to stretch a grant across a longer timeline. 

Yet even in this, Keith sees hope. 

“Our supporters have been incredibly generous this year — not because we asked specifically about inflation, but because they understand that times are tough everywhere. People are responding with compassion.” 

Life on the Ground: Story from Zambia 

Rev. Nehemia Mkwayi serves as EduDeo’s Southern Africa Ministry Coordinator and lives in Lundazi, a rural district in Zambia’s Eastern Province. He is deeply rooted in the local community and works closely with schools, teachers, and church leaders, which means he feels the impact of inflation in the same ways the families he serves do. For him, inflation isn’t an abstract economic idea; it is woven into the rhythms of everyday life. 

“Market prices are very unstable due to inflation,” he shares. “This is worse in Lundazi.” 

He explains that food costs, which make up the majority of household spending for most families, are often the first place people feel economic pressure. When the price of essentials like maize flour, cooking oil, beans, or vegetables rises, families respond in painful but familiar ways: they stretch meals thinner, switch to less nutritious options, or redirect what little income they have away from healthcare or school fees. 

Transportation is another area where inflation hits especially hard. Fuel prices affect everything, from the cost of getting to work to the price of delivering goods to markets. “What might cost 50 kwacha in Lusaka costs 100 in Lundazi,” Nehemia says. “Transport costs make rural life far more expensive.” Because Lundazi is far from major centres, every increase in fuel prices ripples outward, driving up the cost of nearly every product in the district. 

The strength of the Zambian kwacha also plays a major role. Even when the currency improves (as it did early in 2026) those gains don’t necessarily translate into lower market prices. “It is easier to increase prices than to decrease them,” Nehemia notes. So, while exchange rates may look more favourable on paper, families continue to pay high prices for fertilizer, medicines, construction materials, and everyday necessities. 

When school fees rise or transportation becomes unaffordable, parents are forced into heartbreaking decisions: find extra funds to keep their children in school or withdraw them temporarily and hope they can return later. 

“This is our story,” he concludes. Not in frustration, but an honest glimpse into the daily reality of a community that continues to show resilience, hope, and generosity even when economic pressures mount. 

Where We Go from Here 

Inflation touches every part of EduDeo’s work, from classroom construction to teacher training to student support. Yet the story is not one of discouragement. It is a story of: 

• Partners planning wisely 

• Local leaders adapting courageously 

• Communities sharing what they have 

• Supporters responding generously 

Keith puts it simply: 

“Even with inflation, the value for money in our partner contexts is extraordinary. A $20,000 project in Zambia can accomplish what would cost hundreds of thousands in Canada. The work is still incredibly impactful, just a bit more expensive than we might expect.” 

And remarkably, donors continue to step forward. 

“In tough times, generosity often increases,” Keith says. “People understand that if it’s hard here, it’s even harder elsewhere. Our supporters are choosing compassion, and it’s making a real difference.” 

Thank you for walking with us, and with our partners, through every season.