Mapalo, secondary student and aspiring Doctor, Zambia - Video Transcript

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Mapalo, secondary student, Zambia Education has helped me to even build on the dark side of my life to make them more bright. I had the confidence to say, no matter how hard it may be for me today, one day I’ll achieve my dreams and reach my goals.

My name is Mapalo. I live in Mpika. My childhood has been very difficult because we face different types of challenges. My mom died in 2010. By then I was five years old, so it has been difficult for me to stay with my dad. So it has been a challenge for me to even ask for maybe sanitary pads, lotion, and all those things.

We grow maize, vegetables, it helps us to raise money. And sometimes we don’t even manage to even have three meals a day because maybe of the yields, maybe it’s poor.

I was supposed to be in grade 12 this year, but because of the financial status it has been very difficult for us. So I had to wait for one year after I passed my grade 9 for me to manage all the things that I didn’t have — the books, uniforms, and the other things.

It used to pain me a lot to say, I’m here staying home while my friends are learning. I used to feel that pain and it used to pain me a lot to say, why me? Is this the only life that I’m going to live?

The first time I heard about CAMFED was when I started my Grade 10, term one. And it was a very big opportunity for me because I saw that these people are able to help me and I’ll be able to complete my education and achieve my dreams. It has helped us a lot. Even the things that we are not able to have, like sanitary pads, lotion, they’re able to provide for us. And this time, there’s no reason to say, I will feel ashamed for me to go to school on my menses. I can come and go back. I was motivated and I was very happy and glad to say I’ve got someone who’s supporting me.

The Learner Guide has got a very important relationship with me because she is also able to assist me also on how to go about the same challenges I used to face about my menstrual cycle. So she’s able to motivate all of us. My favorite lesson that she taught me was about living in a community with different types of people. I used to be very shy in front of people or talking to other people. [I’ve learned] we should have a kind heart and to be able to understand other people.

Text on screen Students in CAMFED partner schools receive additional psychosocial support in the form of Teacher Mentors — government teachers trained in guidance and counseling. 

Susan, Mapalo’s Teacher Mentor I have a very good relationship with her. She’s always in the forefront. She’s always there to organize the girls. I think she’s doing a great job right here in school.

Mapalo We do talk to her [Susan] a lot. She comes to me. She encourages me a lot. If I’m even low or I’m not feeling well, I go to her if I’ve got a problem, I go and explain, she assists. She’s always there for me. She’s like a mother to me.

Text on screen Mapalo also benefits from climate education sessions led by Agriculture Guides — young women educated with CAMFED’s support and trained in climate-smart agriculture.

Mapalo The Agriculture Guides were here last week. They came to ask us about what we know about agriculture and the effects of agriculture with the climate. They had to even educate us more about how we should keep the environment and how, as girls, we should be able to look after ourselves.

The weather [here in Mpika] is very unpredictable for us. If there is high rainfall, it’s making the soil more acidic and it’s making the soil more leaching. The nutrients that are found in the soil are going downwards because of the rain. As it penetrates down to the earth, it’s taking the minerals down and the nutrients are going down. So we are not able to have a bumper harvest and the yields are very low. So it’s a very big challenge for us.

We have learned about that water conservation [for] when it’s too hot or when there is drought. We are able to dig some holes, wells, like where to keep water from like reservoirs or tanks. They help us in the dry season. We are able to get water from there and water our gardens. It helps us a lot.

Even also, afforestation is helping us — the planting of trees. If we plant more trees, this will help us in having clean and fresh air.

My dreams for my future: I would love to become a medical doctor. I want to assist a lot of people the way I’m being assisted. I will also like to return a favor to other people who are in my shoes and who also face more challenges that I face. To assist them, to also see to say, there are other people who used to go through this and this, I can also go through this because I’ve got someone who’s supporting me.