Kate’s Story
“It takes a village”
I have been involved in Zambia’s Scholarship fund since I was about 8 years
old. My older sister heard about the problems that schools in Africa were facing and
wanted to help. My mom knew of Peggy and Zambia’s Scholarship Fund so she took
my sister to meet with her and make a plan of how we could help. My sisters and I
began running bake sales in the teachers lounge (at school) to sponsor our own
student. Getting the letter from them in the mail was the highlight of our year. When I
started to get involved again this year while at college, I got a message from Peggy
wondering if I would want to be a part of the group going to Zambia this year. I was
elated- I had heard the stories since I was a child and have been dreaming of visiting for
just as long. My trip to Zambia taught me so much I will treasure many of the lessons I
learned there for the rest of my life. The strongest impression left on me was the power
of community.
I grew up hearing that it takes a village to raise a child. I grew up in a small town
in Utah and had friends that felt like family and even people that we didn’t know all that
well who would help our parents keep us on track. I thought I understood the concept of
community but from my time recently spent in Zambia’s Northern Province, I’ve come to
understand this on a much deeper level. I was able to see villages banding together to
help the younger generation; parents, grandparents, extended family, elders, and village
headmen that are working together and sacrificing in order to give children opportunities
they may not have had otherwise. Education equals opportunity. Education provides an
opportunity to turn dreams into reality, opportunity for a stable financial situation,
opportunity to understand the world outside of your geographical area, and opportunity
to be a part of the change and development happening in the world.
The importance of a village- or a community- is the message that has been on
my mind and heart since I returned home. There is something beautiful about the
strength a good community can offer an individual and the impact it can have. We spoke
to students with the sole desire to get educated in order to return and give back to the
community that raised them. Education empowers them to be able to lift others with
them in their success. Education is changing not only their life, but the fabric of their
community. Education is the conduit to the change that they are searching for both in
Zambia and the world. We spoke to teachers that believe so much in education and its
ability to uplift that they are working for free, volunteering their time and efforts to benefit
the communities around them. The government is unable to pay them but they choose
to volunteer because they know the difference they can make. Their students adore
them and the communities they serve are trying to support them in any way they can.
They know the difference a good teacher can make.
The Zambian board members are remarkable. They spend countless hours
tirelessly pushing the work forward. They make unimaginably difficult decisions
regarding where the work will make the largest impact. They handle difficult
conversations with grace; you can’t help but see the love and passion they each have
for education. The love they have for the program and the people involved is palpable
and infectious. When surrounded with such driven and ambitious people it is no wonder
that work is progressing at the rate it is.
Since I have returned the question I get asked most frequently is “How can I
make a difference?”, “How can I help?”. The easy answer is donating. Donating to
Zambia’s Scholarship Fund can help more people than you can imagine. Sponsoring a
volunteer teacher can change not only their life but the lives of so many students at one
of many severely understaffed schools. Sponsoring a secondary school student allows
them to have access to an education without concern for barriers to education,
regardless of free tuition. Sponsoring a college student, in nursing, trade, or teaching
college enables them to change lives for all those around them. Donating to the building
fund gives students access to things we take for granted: water access, toilet facilities, a
classroom where each student can have a desk and not have to stand or sit on the floor.
Donating to the microgrant fund empowers disadvantaged adults to start or grow their
business, often supporting their families in a way that was previously unavailable to
them. Lastly, If you are unable to donate money, donate time. Write letters, spread the
word to those around you. Share resources and information. Share your passion for
improving the lives of others.
The village is a way of life in Zambia. It is where you come from, who you come
from, and to an extent who you are. That is the power of Zambia’s Scholarship Fund, it
is strengthening villages and communities. When a new school is built, the community is
responsible for a portion of the cost upfront. This ensures that schools are built in a
community that already sees the value of education and understands the impact it can
have. The sponsorship of teachers enables these rural schools to have dedicated
teachers who are passionate about education and strengthening the community. This is
the success of the fund. This isn’t a band aid solution. This isn’t throwing money at an
issue and hoping that the correct amount will magically fix complex issues. Zambia’s
Scholarship Fund is enabling people to do the work they already believe in. It is giving
people the opportunity to help themselves. It is change for Zambia by Zambians. When
you donate to the fund you know where your money is going. You get pictures and
letters from the student or teacher you sponsor because this is a personal work.
Education is always personal and this is a person to person, family to family
organization. One village helping another from halfway across the world.