About Us
Hello, and welcome to F.A.R Academy Africa.
My name is Blake Smurfit, and I’m one of the three co-founders of this charity, alongside my brother Max Smurfit and our close friend Tom Jackson-Sytner. Max and I are both students at Eton College, while Tom attends Bradfield College, and although we all live in the UK, our hearts are firmly rooted in Lusaka, Zambia, where this story truly begins.
F.A.R Academy Africa stands for Football, Acting, and Reading — the three pillars at the core of our mission and the passions that brought us together. But this is not just a charity about activities. It’s about unlocking potential, building confidence, and creating real, lasting change in the lives of young people.
We’re proud to work in partnership with the amazing Grassfly Foundation, an orphanage and community hub based in Lusaka. Together, we are creating safe spaces where children can explore their passions, find their voices, and imagine brighter futures.
Let me tell you how it all started.
Our Mission
At F.A.R Academy Africa, our mission is simple but powerful: To empower children and young people in Lusaka, Zambia through football, acting, and reading — giving them the tools to learn, express, and lead.
Our work focuses on supporting vulnerable children, particularly those living in orphanages and underserved communities. Through our partnership with the Grassfly Foundation, we deliver tailored programmes that are educational, creative, and joyful.
We believe every child has the right to: Play and stay active, express themselves and be heard, read and write with confidence, dream beyond their current reality.
We don’t just run activities — we build pathways. Our goal is to help children develop skills, confidence, and curiosity that they carry with them into adulthood.
F.A.R Academy Africa started as an idea between three teenagers. But now, it’s a movement — and it’s only just beginning.
We believe that by inserting creativity we can change lives — not just in Lusaka, but across Zambia, and hopefully across Africa.
As I write this, I feel an enormous sense of gratitude. What started as a conversation between three friends at Eton has grown into a living, breathing movement. And yet, we’re only just getting started.
We’re building something that we hope will last — because it’s built on human connection. On stories. On dreams.
The Bigger Vision
Why Football, Acting, and Reading?
Some people ask why we chose these three areas. The answer is simple: they changed our lives, and now we want them to change others.
Football – Passion, Leadership, and Unity
Led by Tom, our football programmes are more than just games. They are structured, inclusive training sessions designed to build physical health, teamwork, and leadership. Tom has created a programme that brings young people together — boys and girls — to develop confidence both on and off the pitch.
Football brings joy and structure to daily life, especially in communities where children have few outlets for physical activity. It also teaches discipline and the value of collaboration — skills that extend far beyond sport.
Acting – Confidence, Creativity, and Healing
Max leads the acting and drama side of our work. Drama workshops at Grassfly have become some of the most cherished sessions of the week. Children who were once shy are now performing monologues and improvising scenes with one another.
Drama gives young people a safe space to explore emotions and build empathy. For children who have experienced trauma, it’s a deeply therapeutic tool. Acting gives them the chance to step into different roles — not just in the play, but in life.
Reading – Imagination, Language, and Learning
For me, reading is personal. I can’t imagine growing up without books. That’s why our literacy programme is at the heart of F.A.R Academy. We run reading circles and encourage creative writing, all aimed at improving literacy rates and nurturing a love for learning.
We want reading to feel like an adventure, not a chore. For many of the children we serve, it's the first time they’ve had a book of their own.