When Lydia Wilbard was just ten years old, her mother died. From that moment on, Lydia dreamed of becoming a nurse so that she could help to cure people when they got sick. But growing up in a small village in rural Tanzania, her ambitions seemed like an impossible dream.

Lydia was sent to live with her aunt who had seven sons of her own. Conditions were tough and Lydia had little time to go to school because she was too busy cooking, cleaning, collecting wood and washing clothes for her male cousins while they went off to school. (more…)

Cindy is one of the thousands of girls being supported through school by Camfed. She is 13 years old and lives with her grandmother in a rural village in Zambia. In this short film she describes her life and ambitions. (more…)

Intrepid cyclists Eric Shambion and Amaya Williams have just arrived on the southern-most tip of South Africa after pedalling 30,000 kilometres from Cairo to Cape Town to raise money for Camfed. “It’s been physically draining,” says Amaya, who has cycled through 29 countries in the past 17 months. “I have had malaria twice and Eric broke his collarbone. Many times we wanted to give up and throw in the towel. But so many people were supporting us and watching our progress – and that’s what kept us going.” (more…)

This short film on Camfed’s work in Zambia was produced under the Uncommon Heroes banner by the Skoll Foundation to celebrate the achievements of Camfed Founder and Director, Ann Cotton. Shot on location in Zambia during 2006, this 7 minute film will give you an insight into Camfed’s work in Africa. (more…)

Camfed is delighted to announce that Professor Penina Mlama – one of sub-Saharan Africa’s leading champions of girls’ education and gender equality – has been appointed as Executive Director of Camfed Tanzania.

Prof Mlama has dedicated her working life to improving girls’ lives across Africa. For nine years, she worked as Executive Director for the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), which empowers women in 32 countries across Africa. (more…)

The following is an extract from a Cama Zimbabwe report on members’ activities during 2007. Cama, the Camfed alumni, is a pan-African membership organisation made up of young women supported through their education by Camfed and joined by other young rural women dedicated to working for change. In her own words, Tinyiko describes how she supported her neighbour’s child and the impact this had on her own self-esteem. (more…)