I Am Zambia

Working with local educational resources and community mentors the girl students in the urban school participate in a 6-12-month job-skills training program that is accredited by the Zambian ministry of Higher Education, aptly named TEVETA (Technical education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority). The courses offered are cosmetology, food production, fashion design/sewing and Information Communication Technology (ICT). As well, the students have an opportunity to work in campus based small businesses that correspond to their field of study (bakery & restaurant, salon, tailoring and a business center), thereby reinforcing classroom instruction with real-world experience and additional entrepreneurial training. The organization utilizes the expertise of local Zambian teachers and mentors with some social work training to help identify the most vulnerable of girl students in the area (ages 17-22) that could benefit from the type of education, vocational training and entrepreneurship education that we offer in urban Zambia. We know from experience and data that educated girls are healthier, have fewer children, marry later (40% are married before age 18) and extend these opportunities on to their children, allowing them to rise and thrive. Our rural Primary school is a community primary school that teaches grades 1-4 and has approximately 90 primary-aged students enrolled, half of whom are girls. Our primary school uses local Zambian teachers to teach the Zambian ministry of education curriculum, but with enhanced programs for learning about entrepreneurship through a small rural agricultural initiative as well as community development projects. The rural schools are enhanced by two main resources that I Am Zambia has helped provide, including a rural medical clinic that provides basic medical care and immunizations for approximately 6000 villagers, including students and their families. We also have a water drilling initiative using a hand powered drill that has helped provide access to clean water for the students and their extended families as well as 4 other rural boreholes (and counting) in other destitute areas of rural Zambia. Our belief is that education must include healthy children and access to clean water to enhance the lives of the students and their communities.