Winnie Farao in New York

by Winnie Farao, Camfed Zimbabwe manager

My trip to New York was an opportunity to talk on behalf of all the girls in rural Africa – to say what they would have said if they had got the chance. I wanted to tell people not just the story of my own education, but also to tell the story of the African girls.

I couldn’t imagine what my life would be like if I had not gotten an education. I would have stayed in the rural area without employment or I would have married young and had kids. One of my friends was on her third marriage before she was 18.

I almost dropped out of school when I was 14 because my parents could not afford to pay my fees. Then Camfed stepped in to help. I used to study, study, study. I would rather go without a drink of juice or a snack to buy candles so I could read at night. I used to read anything that would come my way. I understood the treasure Camfed had brought to my family by sending me to school and I would not have wanted to waste any of this golden opportunity.

I really knew what I wanted to say in America. I know what education can do because it happened to me. Education actually snatched my whole family from the fire of poverty. When my parents look at me, they have a reason to smile. I am their hope, their pride because of education!

When I got to New York, I realised just how important our work is. When girls are empowered, they can effect change in so many different ways. They just need the opportunity to show their potential, which they can easily unleash once they are educated. And this was my opportunity to show what was possible.

For myself, I’ve always valued Camfed’s work because of what it has done for me. But I saw the bigger picture of what Camfed is doing and I also saw how much more we can do. There are thousands more girls like me out there who have the potential to achieve great things, if only they get the chance. Girls in Africa can only benefit more if people on the other side of the world understand their lives.”

“When my parents look at me, they have a reason to smile.” Winnie Farao, Camfed Zimbabwe Manager

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