Worldwide Girls’s Day Interview with Chilufya Siansagu

Chilufya Siansangu is Head of Enterprise Growth/ Advertising and marketing and Communications for EFC Zambia. Her position includes driving enterprise development by figuring out alternatives, monitoring new markets, strategic partnerships, and constructing sustainable consumer relationships. She has a variety of duties for increasing EFC Zambia’s buyer base. She not too long ago attended the International Training Finance Convention, hosted by Alternative Worldwide EduFinance and was capable of share a spread of views on constructing schooling finance merchandise and purchasers.

For Worldwide Girls’s Day 2023 we spoke with Chilufya about her personal expertise of schooling and the right way to create higher alternatives for educating ladies and ladies.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT YOUR ROLE?

What I get pleasure from is that it cuts throughout all enterprise features and likewise includes consumer relationships, onboarding new purchasers, and sustaining present ones. I get pleasure from that rather a lot as a result of clearly in any enterprise when you do not care for purchasers then clearly you might be headed for closure.

It is gratifying to see small and medium companies develop and to see {that a} enterprise can truly make use of different individuals who additionally take care of households and enhance their livelihoods.

THIS YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY HAS THE THEME ‘EMBRACE EQUITY, A WORLD FREE OF BIAS, STEREOTYPES, AND DISCRIMINATION.’ WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?

I believe it is a sensible theme. Before everything, it does seize the challenges that girls face. It highlights the significance of recognizing and addressing the systemic boundaries that stop ladies from reaching their full potential.

It emphasizes the necessity to problem present stereotypes, beliefs and attitudes in direction of ladies – within the Zambian neighborhood, there’s a stereotype {that a} lady is just not purported to be educated, the girl is meant to are likely to their youngsters and do the home tasks, whereas the person goes on the market to work and excel in his profession.

However it’s not like we will not. We’re very a lot ready, it is simply these stereotypes that we have to recover from for us to appreciate our full potential. I believe the wrestle continues, however I believe with all of the consolidated efforts, the celebration of ladies. I believe we’re on the suitable path and we should always not cease.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN EDUCATION?

The schooling agenda is de facto large for me. The purpose we’re lacking these days, I believe most younger individuals, simply need to be schooled and never educated. Training has to transcend, it has to alter habits, it has to alter the entire being, and there should be some transformation.

I might point out that schooling is an equalizer, particularly in our communities. It’s very, crucial that we put money into schooling.

Once we put money into schooling that encompasses the schooling of ladies and ladies it modifications the narrative as a result of there’s financial development. And by investing in schooling, people can purchase expertise and data wanted to safe a greater future, and better-paying jobs. At EFC that is our core enterprise. We’re an enterprise lending establishment and with schooling, you may create higher entrepreneurs.

WHAT WAS YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF EDUCATION?

Once I was 2.5 years, I used to be concerned in an accident, and I used to be badly burnt. When my father took me to the hospital, the medical doctors stated, ‘no, this lady is just not going to make it, begin arranging for a funeral’. And you do not inform a guardian that. My father stated, ‘I need you to see her earlier than you begin making these conclusions as a result of I consider she’s going to be okay.’

My father was very prayerful. I began therapeutic which shocked the medical doctors as a result of the burns had been deep. After realizing that I used to be therapeutic, they did inform my dad and mom ‘Look, sure, she’s healed, however she’s going to have a studying incapacity. She wants particular schooling. She will be unable to manage like different youngsters in class.’

I spent years within the hospital and my father was very decided that I used to be going to get a standard schooling. Ultimately, I began college and he used to inform me ‘Towards all odds, you are going to be sensible.’

Although I began my first grade a 12 months late, I grew to become so good that I skipped a grade. I used to be capable of meet up with my associates and after I completed my O-Ranges, I gained a scholarship to check for the Worldwide Baccalaureate at Hastings School in England. I used to recollect my dad and mom’ help, and I gained awards together with the perfect scholar.

Subsequent, I used to be awarded a scholarship to Princeton College in America, however I could not attend because the scholarship was solely 50%, and I could not afford the opposite 50%. So, I made a decision to self-sponsor myself in England, I did accountancy on the London College of Accountancy. I used to do part-time work in Hastings in a care dwelling earlier than I returned dwelling.

I all the time encourage the ladies I work with and inform them that due to schooling, I have been capable of assist my dad and mom, my household, and the people who comply with me. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, you are able to do it when you consider in it, and schooling has rather a lot to do with that.

WHY DOES IT MATTER TO EDUCATE GIRLS?

As soon as we empower ladies and assist to advertise gender equality, we’re doing extra for the financial system than we might think about. It goes past regular residing, it consists of enhancing their well being, and careers. With out correct schooling, it is fairly troublesome to get very far in life.

There’s additionally the facet of financial development. Educated ladies usually tend to enter the workforce. Once I’m collaborating in interviews, I discovered that ladies are doing a lot better in class than boys, as a result of they’re extra targeted. When it comes to decreasing poverty in our communities, when we now have extra educated ladies, households usually tend to profit.

WHAT CHALLENGES ARE HOLDING GIRLS BACK FROM GETTING AN EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA?

There are fairly a number of causes which are holding again ladies from getting educated and this features a lack of entry to the correct schooling infrastructure. We have now conditions the place ladies within the village should stroll miles and miles to get to a faculty. Generally dad and mom themselves decide to have their boys educated versus their ladies, due to the safety considerations that include lengthy distances. Many dad and mom want to have their boys be educated over their ladies, as boys are normally those they assume should ‘feed the household’.

One other subject is gender-based violence. Some ladies do expertise sexual harassment, bodily violence, and verbal abuse in school which suggests it may be safer for them to remain dwelling.

I believe the narrative is altering now, however we’d like extra position fashions, extra feminine lecturers, extra feminine CEOS, and extra feminine medical doctors. I believe it is a crucial job for girls which are already in profitable positions, to encourage these younger ladies to get a correct schooling.

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU THINK COULD HELP GIRLS IN ZAMBIA?

There are nonetheless points with sanitation services reminiscent of an absence of fresh water. Ladies want services to have the ability to care for themselves correctly throughout their intervals.

Implementing common insurance policies to help ladies extra, can even assist rather a lot. There are non-governmental organizations which are very vocal about supporting ladies. They’re serving to, however I believe there’s extra to be finished on the governmental degree.

At EFC we now have monetary merchandise that may assist communities, as we now have discovered that many households can not afford to pay exorbitant college charges. Via these merchandise, we now have discovered that ladies can enroll in faculties and entry schooling, as we help faculties as a monetary establishment.

Training is essential, Nelson Mandela stated, ‘schooling is probably the most highly effective weapon you should use to alter the world’.

For me, it is a reminder that true schooling wants to alter habits. It’s not nearly having levels. What’s secret’s what has schooling finished for you by way of habits and what’s it that you just’re capable of do higher that you just could not do with out that schooling.