KnowledgeBeat News:

ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY KNOWLEDGEBEAT HONORS
WOMEN AND GIRLS IN ZAMBIA.

In celebration of International Woman’s Day KnowledgeBeat honors all the woman and girls who not only make our programs possible, but who struggle daily with gender driven obstacles in Zambia.

KnowledgeBeat works with girls to overcome the challenges they face through Girls Empowerment and HIV/AIDS Camps, ongoing mentorship programs and scholarship grants. Our programs enable girls to build the ability, confidence and drive to change not only their own lives but those of their communities. Our camps create safe environments for girls to learn and express themselves, while they develop skills that enable them to advance both personally and professionally. Our mentors help guide the girls through daily challenges, and our scholarship grants enable girls from rural villages to attend some of the best schools in the country.


KnowledgeBeat’s programs are made possible by support from women throughout Itezhi Tezhi, Zambia.  We have welcomed leaders such as Patricia Kanyama from Zanaco Bank. In September 2010, Patricia mentored KnowledgeBeat girls at an Empowerment Camp by documenting the struggles she faced as a young, single mother, including supporting herself through University and building her career. Through her thoughtful and engaging interactions, the girls gained not only skills but confidence in how to surmount obstacles and break free from traditional gender biases.

Others such as Mrs. Florence H. Mainza have served as HIV/AIDS Camp facilitators for KnowledgeBeat. Florence became pregnant and married at the young age of 17, failing to finish her education. Her husband took a job as a teacher at the local school while Florence stayed at home, becoming the mother of three children. One day her husband came home and told her about KnowledgeBeat’s community initiatives and the need for support. After learning more about the programs, Florence joined the KnowledgeCenter committee to help establish a KnowledgeCenter in Masasabi and underwent training to become an HIV/AIDS facilitator for the 2010 KnowledgeCamps. Her involvement in the programs inspired her to return to school herself and gain the high school degree she never attained. 

“We used to not be able to go back to school once a girl became pregnant. Now we can go back to school and we have KnowledgeBeat to help us achieve our goals. This organization has changed our community. KnowledgeBeat has encouraged me to go back to school.” 

Not only have Patricia and Florence struggled, but so have many other young women and girls, fighting against early marriages, pregnancies, and inadequate support. Families often marry off their daughters at ages as young as 10. Girls as young as 12 are forced into motherhood. Families refuse to pay for their daughters to stay in school. The barriers are deep, the resources scarce, and the struggles courageous. International Woman’s Day is a tribute to all of the women and girls in rural Zambia that overcome gender obstacles on a daily basis.

Help us reach our goal of serving 3,340 children in 2011 by donating today. Your donation is tax deductible and goes directly to educating and empowering women and girls in Itezhi, Tezhi Zambia. DONATE TODAY at www.knowledgebeat.org or mail a check payable to KnowledgeBeat to: KnowledgeBeat, 404 El Centro Road, Hillsborough, CA 94010.

With Deep Gratitude,
Kathryn Nevard
Executive Director