Success stories—communities are closer to their dreams.
Access to the African Education Program empowered Febby, Maureen, Ceasar and Mirriam to transform their communities and dream big about change. Read their stories.
Mirriam: Dreaming Big
Mirriam was born in the fisherman village of Chanyanya where education ends in 9th grade. She was awarded her first scholarship from the African Education Program in 2010 and was one of the first participants of the Rural Outreach Program which was created to provide the most marginalized girls and boys from Chanyanya access to high school and before and after-school programs at the Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue. Chanyanya is located about 16 miles from Kafue on the river and it is known for its fishing and farming activities. Education ends here in 9th grade unless a family has the resources to have their children attend school in Kafue.
Miriam’s story is like so many other girls from this small village. She was born into a large family of seven and her parents fished and sold their catch at the local market for a living. She remembers going with her mother to the market to sell fish, however, even from her younger years, Miriam always wanted to stand out and be different.
Miriam’s mother and grandmother made sure she attended primary school and her hard work paid off. She performed well on her 9th grade exams and received some of the highest scores. However, her family did not have the money to pay for mandatory school fees that were charged in secondary school nor the resources for her to live within walking distance of a school. To add to her worries, her mother became ill, too.
Through the African Education Program’s Scholarships, Mirriam completed high school, obtained a nursing diploma at Lusaka Nursing Institute and a nursing degree from the University of Zambia. She plans to continue her education to become an OBGYN and dreams of being Zambia’s Minister of Health to transform the health landscape for Zambians, in particular women and children. In the meantime, she is a nurse at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital in the United Kingdom.
“As you know, my journey of education is so long, but by your help, I know and believe I will reach my goal.”
Maureen: Family Transformation
Maureen is a 30-year-old mom and her daughter Cleopatra has been coming to the Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, Zambia since 2020.
Maureen graduated from the first cohort of the Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy Program’s four-month training for mothers and female guardians. When she signed up for the training, she had a hair salon business which was struggling to survive.
Through the training, Maureen was able to identify the threats to her business and she restructured her business plan. The salon business started to grow and by the time she was graduating, Maureen had started a second business of selling second-hand clothes.
Six-months after the training, Maureen’s two businesses had grown. She was now also raising chickens and had opened a small grocery shop.
Maureen has trained members of her family to run the businesses and she is going back to school. She plans to study a business course one day.
“Having different businesses is the best thing because when one business has a challenge, I still have the other businesses and do not lose out. Today, I can manage to provide 3 meals a day for my family, as well as save up some money.”
Febby: Community Change
Febby joined the flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, Zambia when she was in 9th grade. Since she was a child, Febby always dreamed of working with children with disabilities.
This dream was nurtured at the center and through African Education Program Scholarships, Febby completed secondary school and graduated from the University of Zambia with a BA in Education specializing in Special Education.
Shortly after graduation, Febby came back to the center to spearhead the Read for Rose Special Education Program.
Today, as the Director of Special Education and a Co-Director of the Center, Febby is changing the lives of 21 amazing specially-abled children. Each girl and boy has a customized learning plan, an opportunity very few children with disabilities have in Zambia.
Febby dreams of taking this program to the next level, a full-fledged school and advocacy effort to change the landscape of special education in Zambia.
“AEP believed in me and encouraged me to turn my goals into a reality. I am the leader that I am today, thanks to them. I know I can make a difference in the lives of the students that I work with.”
Ceasar: Alumni Leadership
Ceasar came to the flagship Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, Zambia for 9 years, earning his high school scholarship from 8th grade to 12th grade and then a college scholarship to study for his undergraduate degree at the University of Zambia.
Ceasar has always loved math and sciences and decided to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in education with mathematics and curriculum studies.
Ceasar started working as Academic Programs Coordinator at the Learning & Leadership Center in January 2020, responsible for planning, designing and organizing all learning activities such as the remote tutoring program which ran effectively throughout the pandemic.
In 2022, Ceasar was promoted to Director, Academics & Scholarships and as one of four Co-Directors leading the Center. He now oversees and evaluates all of the academic activities including individual and group tutoring, the college prep course for high school graduates, and college and career guidance. He also coordinates scholarship applications and provides information and resources regarding scholarship activities and programs to current and prospective students.
“Teaching is the best profession for me. I am a role model to the younger students in my community. Working at the centre has been wonderful and enables me to create opportunities for students to realize their dreams because opportunities don’t just happen, you create them.”