Education – a weapon against poverty

When Camfed Director Lucy Lake first met Fiona Muchembere, she was working as a cleaner in an office building in Harare – despite having achieved some of the best school exam results in Zimbabwe. Her dreams of going to university seemed far beyond reach. But with Camfed’s support and encouragement, she defied the odds to become the first member of her rural community to go to university and is now a fully-qualified lawyer.

“I grew up in a society where it is said that the only course a woman would pass is marriage,” explains Fiona. “I come from a family where there is no one qualified for any professional job, where there is no one who has been to university. I am actually their pioneer.”

Fiona was brought up by her grandmother in the rural district of Wedza. They worked side by side tending a small plot of land and selling fruit and vegetables at the local market in order to buy basic supplies to get through each week.

“My grandmother laid the foundation for me,” says Fiona. “When I was in Form One, I told her: ‘I don’t like maths. It’s very difficult.’ She told me: ‘You don’t say that. You say you are going to excel.’ And I did.”

“In the journey of my life, I’ve encountered many hurdles that have left me stronger. They were actually steps up the ladder. I have managed to be where I am now mainly because of my education. To me, education is a weapon against poverty.” Fiona Muchembere, lawyerToday, Fiona stands as a powerful role model for girls in her rural community, and is a member of the 4,700-strong Camfed Association (Cama) of successful young women. Stories of Cama’s remarkable members – the true illustration of what girls’ education can achieve – appear in Camfed’s book I Have a Story to Tell. Each copy sold sends another girl to primary school for an entire year, starting the virtuous cycle all over again for one more girl like Fiona.

“The role of Cama is quite immense,” says Fiona. “Zimbabwe is going through a lot of challenges with the economic crisis and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. At the moment, services aren’t being delivered to rural communities. As rural girls, we know what kind of problems these communities are facing and have come together to find solutions.”

“There are many challenges,” she says. “But these are just challenges to overcome with support and determination.”

Cama members across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana and Tanzania are sharing the benefits of their education with their communities and ensuring that the next generation gets the chance to go to school. “I am humbled by the appreciation the community gives me,” says Fiona. “And it makes me want to do more for my community.”