Derek Keir can pinpoint the moment when he realised the potential of his aspirations. Sitting surrounded by a group of troubled young men from Stirling, the 26-year-old watched, transfixed, as they held hands and chanted African songs.

The knot of mid-20s miscreants, all of whom had been accommodated by Central Scotland Police at one time or another as a consequence of drug or alcohol abuse, had only just met workshop leader Lyson Zulu but within five minutes they had ceded to the Zambian teenager. Such an impact confirmed to Keir that Friends of EduSport could release the talent of a generation from the yoke of poverty and paint a positive picture of Africa.

Formed last year along with his partner Fiona Campbell, the charity uses a combination of education and sport to offer under-privileged youngsters the opportunity to make the most of their lives. The couple, who met when they were in the same PE class at high school in Falkirk, share the belief that universal education allows people to haul themselves out of the spiral of deprivation and dedicate much of their time to implementing this ideal in Zambia.

"They are such an enthusiastic and happy people," says Keir with a humbled tone. "They all want to make a difference to their communities because nobody wants to remain in poverty. We want to promote positive images of Africa so that they don't have to rely on people seeing pictures of babies with flies on their faces and feeling sorry for them."

The genesis of Friends of EduSport came in 2006 when Campbell, upon returning from a project in Zambia, realised coaching kids then leaving had no sustainable benefit. She resolved to return to train those delivering sport and did so in January last year, the duo organising workshops in association with EduSport, a non-governmental organisation providing support and education in HIV/AIDS for young peer leaders.

Keir, a former junior footballer and trainee PE teacher, confesses that his preconceptions were fulfilled but insists the people he encountered overwhelmed him.

"I've coached in the US and in Scotland but I really wanted to get involved with youngsters who would truly appreciate it. In Zambia, as soon as you pull out a ball, hundreds of them gather around you because they want to be part of something that they might not get at home, the feeling of being part of something.

"It's frightening to think that in one town, 900 kids were sharing two balls. Many of them play barefoot and in one of my first games, one kid was wearing a single football boot but he just got on with it and that's the best thing. It is such a happy country and they always welcome you with handshakes and smiles. We had no problem fitting in because we were so welcomed and thought if these guys can just get on with it, then so can we."

However, with several of those role model kids they coached unable to attend secondary school because of the cost - only 24% enroll - the couple vowed to find sponsors to pay the annual £60 fee. The charity was born.

"These kids did a lot of great work but couldn't get into schools," says a disbelieving Keir. "They were volunteering to do something positive in their communities but had no hope of any support. These were enthusiastic kids capable of making a difference and deserved a reward - if you can call basic education that - for their efforts."

Zulu was an early beneficiary, a grant enabling him to assume a scholarship offered in partnership with the University of Bath. Within a year, the charity has found sponsors for 26 peer leaders all aged 13-25, has set up a college teaching kids who cannot afford secondary education and is now in the midst of an ambitious project to set up a sports education village that will offer 10 schools, and 6000 students, hitherto unavailable sporting and library facilities that can also be utilised by the local community.

Already, 3000 books have been amassed and are being held for free by the Big Yellow Storage Company. However, the speed of the charity's growth is causing problems, with no method or sufficient funding to ship the materials over to Africa and the burden on Keir and Campbell ever increasing.

"If I could go full-time now, I would because there is so much to be done," admits Keir, who currently lives in Bath as he completes his qualifications while Campbell is in London working for UK Sport. "It's massively difficult because I love doing the work and do as much as I can, but squeezing everything in is a major issue and it can be a real strain. We're at the stage that we need the next group of people engaged because the workload is growing so quickly."

It only took five minutes for young Lyson Zulu to convince the Stirling scoundrels. Now, Keir and Campbell have to convey the message to a wider audience if they are to help the 19-year-old's Zambian peers.