At the African Impact Foundation, we believe in the power of education, community development, and sustainable initiatives to bring about lasting change. Our Internship and Volunteer Program in Zambia provides a unique opportunity for young professionals and students to gain practical experience in fields such as education, community development, and gender equality.
Let’s introduce you to one of our incredible volunteer, Isice Michels, who joined the Gender Equality project in Zambia and experienced a transformative journey.
Isice, a young professional from the Netherlands, embarked on a life-changing adventure with the African Impact Foundation’s Gender Equality project in Zambia. She had always been passionate about women’s rights and gender equality, and she was eager to make a real impact on the ground.
Isice writes…
“My name is Isice Michels, last August I went to Livingstone in Zambia to work on the Girl Impact project to combat gender inequality in Zambia.
I have always been very passionate about doing something good in this world and to make a change, that is the reason why I started working in sustainability. But going to Zambia and working on the girl impact classes was the first time in my life that I felt that I had the possibility to make a real change.
As Nelson Mandela said, ‘The life we live is not the mere fact that we have lived, it is what difference we have made to the life of others that determine the significance of the life we lead.’
I remember the moment when we visited a school to conduct a teaching session for Girl Impact. We arrived with a suitcase filled with clothing and a supply of menstrual pads. The other volunteers and I were tasked to share these clothes among the girls. As we did so, we had to ask who of the girls already started having their period and did not have any sanitary products. Approximately 10 girls raised their hands, signalling their need, yet we only had four packages of pads available. This situation felt surreal to me. Menstrual pads, something I considered a basic necessity, were not within reach for these girls.
It broke my heart as we could only provide pads to four out of the ten girls in need. It was at that moment that I realized I could make a meaningful difference right here and right now in these girls’ lives. Some girls had to walk for almost 2 hours to get to school and each month, during their week-long period, these girls couldn’t make the journey to school, simply because they lacked the means to manage their menstrual flow. Consequently, they missed a significant portion of their education each month. It became clear to me why only 8% of girls complete secondary school in Zambia.
I understood that by providing sanitary products for all these girls, we weren’t only ensuring their comfort but also contributing significantly to the cause of gender equality. It was just as simple as donating menstrual pads.
I began discussing the issue with the women from the African Impact Foundation, who informed me about reusable menstrual pads produced by local women in Zambia. These reusable pads could serve a single girl for 3 to 5 years. This revelation astounded me because investing in these reusable pads meant not only supporting girls in completing their education but also aiding the growth of local women’s businesses in Zambia in a sustainable way”.
Isice took her commitment to another level. She successfully raised nearly €1000 to support the provision of menstrual pads for women and girls in Zambia, making a profound impact on their lives.
Are you ready to make a positive impact like Isice? Join our Internship Program in Zambia and be part of the change. Together, we can create a brighter and more equal future for all. Visit our website to learn more about our programs and how you can get involved.
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