About Us
The Rosemary Pencil Foundation was founded in 2005 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in New York. The Foundation provides scholarships to students in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, enabling them to attend secondary school. Hundreds of students in rural communities have benefited from this support, going on to pursue higher education and build meaningful careers. In addition to secondary school scholarships, the Foundation supports university students and offers opportunities for vocational training. Our mission is to expand access to quality education for children who need it most.
In late 2025, we launched a new initiative in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Zambia to bring after-school programs to four schools in Zambia, with a focus on careers in conservation. We plan to expand this program across Zambia and into other countries
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Over the years, the Foundation has introduced e-readers into classrooms, supported teachers, piloted an essay-writing competition, and assisted dozens of students attending teacher training colleges.
The President and Founder is Gillian Rose, an Executive Producer with Soho Moon, a European television production company, and the founder of White Egret Films LLC. She previously served as a Senior Vice President at NBCUniversal in New York and, before that, worked with the European media company SKY. Ms. Rose began her career as a journalist in her native England before relocating to the United States. She currently serves as a Director on the international board of Radio Workshop, a South Africa–based nonprofit that trains young reporters in radio and podcasting across Sub-Saharan Africa. She is also a former two-term Chair of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) New York and serves on the advisory board of the Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. Ms. Rose holds a Master’s degree in Communication for Development.
The Rosemary Pencil Foundation was established in memory of Rosemary Rose, a dedicated teacher and educator who believed that every child deserves access to a good education.