Fiona’s story

(delivered at the launch event for the Financial Times 2007 seasonal appeal)

At the age of 13, when I had just completed my first year of secondary school education, my father lost his job as a general hand at a meat processing plant in the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare. Every year from that point on, my family and I struggled to scrape together enough money to ensure that I could stay in school. My parents were barely able to raise the $42 in annual school fees for my second year of secondary school, so I had to work to pay for notebooks, pens and other school materials. On weekends, I woke up at 4:30 am to travel from village to village selling vegetables. I would get back home around 9:00 am, and then go to the local market to continue selling vegetables for up to eight hours a day. Despite all this effort, I only earned the equivalent of 30 cents a day.

My family made numerous sacrifices so that I could stay in school. My mother risked her life travelling to the fishing camps along the Zambezi Valley to buy dried fish from fishermen for re-sale in our village market. She would spend on average a week away from her family on a single trip, sleeping in makeshift huts and dodging wild animals.

When I finished secondary school, I prayed that I would pass my final exams, but the thought that I had no money to continue school made my future seem bleak. My results were record-best for my school, but no amount of vegetable or dried-fish sales would cover the cost of my school fees.

Fortunately, my head teacher encouraged me to apply for a government scholarship. Two months later, I was granted a place at a boarding school 600 kilometers from my village. But when I called the Ministry of Education, I discovered, to my dismay, that my scholarship would only cover two-thirds of one term’s fees. I had no idea where I would get the money to complete the term, so I got on the bus to my new school in a cloud of uncertainty.

Upon arriving, I was told by the head teacher that I would not be admitted into class unless I had the required school uniform. The other girls at the school kindly helped me piece together an outfit: one gave me a second-hand skirt; another, a blouse; another, a tie; and another, a jersey.

Two weeks later, I was sent home to get the portion of fees not covered by the scholarship and money for a uniform and school supplies. After long deliberations, my parents decided to sell part of the maize they had stocked to feed our family that year so that I could return to school. To pay for the next term, my father essentially became a pauper. He sold all four of his cattle and my family had to rely on the good will of other villagers to eat. Many times, my mother and I cried through the night, agonizing over how we would pay my school expenses.

I remember overhearing my classmates discussing what degrees they would be doing at university. Knowing that university fees were far beyond my family’s means, I dared not dream of pursuing a university education. I received very high grades on my exams, so, determined to earn money to earn my degree, I applied for a job as a cleaner at the building where Camfed had its offices. That’s where I met Lucy Lake, now Deputy Executive Director of Camfed. I shared my story with her, and within weeks, she had arranged for Camfed to support me for my university education.

When I received the news from Lucy, I cried so much because for the first time someone had given me an opportunity to think about what life could be tomorrow.

Since then my life has never been the same. I went on to train and qualify as a lawyer. I was the first person in my village to go to university, and to become a lawyer. I have had many opportunities and choices because someone cared enough to invest in me and my life. I am also collaborating and connecting with other rural African women through the Camfed Association (Cama), a network of almost 8,000 rural girls and young women. Together, we are supporting thousands of vulnerable children in our communities to go to school.

When I look back, I shudder to think what life could have been for me and my family had I not been forced to drop out of school at age 13, when my father lost his job. I see it as my responsibility to help the generation of girls coming of age in Africa now to access the education that will unlock a world of opportunities for them, as it has for me.

Read about Fiona speaking at the 2008 Skoll World Forum

Hear Fiona interviewed on “Africa Today”, a radio program broadcast in the San Francisco Bay area. Please note this will transfer you to our USA site.

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