Rhoda: Hope means showing others that change is possible

4 minute read

The most rewarding part of being a teacher is seeing transformation in my students

I want my learners to look at me and think, if she could do it, I can do it too!

I’m Rhoda, a secondary school teacher specialising in Integrated Science and Biology, working in Lusaka, Zambia. I was supported through secondary school and university by CAMFED, and now I’m plowing back the benefits of my education by inspiring learners to follow careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

A great day at work for me is when learners are asking questions and connecting what they learn to real-life situations. I challenge stereotypes in the classroom and remind all my students that opportunities should not be determined by gender. When we challenge those attitudes early, we help create communities where girls can learn, participate, and lead on equal footing. It is especially rewarding when a girl who once lacked confidence begins to see herself pursuing a STEM career.

I am also the school’s coordinator for inclusive education, supporting the participation and inclusion of children with disabilities. Children living with disabilities can face barriers such as inaccessible infrastructure, stigma, negative attitudes, lack of appropriate learning materials, and teaching approaches that do not take their individual needs into account.

I’m so inspired when I see students with disabilities participate alongside their peers. Their resilience reminds me that sometimes the biggest barrier is not the disability itself, but the environment and attitudes around them.

Beyond the classroom, I use my voice to promote sexual and reproductive health, gender equality and champion the rights of women and children with disabilities. I also use my platforms to share information that encourages girls and young women to know their rights, value education, and make informed decisions about their lives. I am actively involved in efforts to prevent gender-based violence and child abuse in my community.

I am an active member of the CAMFED Association, the powerful network of women educated with CAMFED support who are leading change across Africa. I currently serve on the executive committee of the Association’s Lusaka chapter. When I became a CAMFED Association member, I realized that my story had come a full circle. I became someone who could support and encourage other girls. The CAMFED Association has given me a sisterhood of women with different life experiences, who hold a shared belief that girls and young women deserve opportunities.

Me on the left in the classroom, and on the right running a Business Guide training session with CAMFED Association members. (Credit: CAMFED)

My story could have been very different. I was raised by a single mother who worked on farms to earn a living. Despite her best efforts, we often faced hunger and lacked the basics like proper shoes and clean water.

When CAMFED stepped in to support me through secondary school with tuition fees and school-going necessities, my eyes opened to new opportunities. Through CAMFED, I also gained mentors who helped me see new possibilities, and the help of a community that believed in girls like me. Today, I am a proud holder of a Bachelors Degree of Science in Biology with Education from Copperbelt University in Kitwe.

I run a women’s clothing business to boost my income, and I am a CAMFED Business Guide, supporting other young women to start and maintain successful businesses. 

The Business Guide training helped me understand that supporting someone in business is not simply about telling them what to do. It is about listening to them, helping them identify their strengths, understand their customers, manage their resources, and make informed decisions. With my business profits I support six children with school essentials like pens, uniforms, books and other learning materials.

Me on the left when I was a secondary school student, and right more recently in my role as a Business Guide. (Credit: CAMFED)

I also volunteer as a CAMFED Social Media Ambassador to help raise CAMFED’s digital profile and communicate the power of our pan-African sisterhood across the globe.

Here I am at the Social Media Ambassadors training in Lusaka, 2026. (Credit: CAMFED/Emma Lwando)

In the future, I would love to establish a recreational centre for people living with disabilities. I envision it as a safe, inclusive space where people with different abilities can connect, access services, and simply enjoy themselves without feeling excluded.

I also aspire to continue contributing to inclusive education and gender equality, particularly through STEM education for girls in Zambia. I hope we will continue creating spaces where girls are not only encouraged to go to school, but are supported to complete their education, enter STEM and other careers, and become independent leaders of change.