Worldwide Girls’s Day Interview with Chilufya Siansagu

Chilufya Siansangu is Head of Enterprise Improvement/ Advertising and Communications for EFC Zambia. Her position entails driving enterprise progress 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 World Training Finance Convention, hosted by Alternative Worldwide EduFinance and was in a position to share a variety of views on constructing schooling finance merchandise and shoppers.

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 girls and women.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT YOUR ROLE?

What I get pleasure from is that it cuts throughout all enterprise features and likewise entails consumer relationships, onboarding new shoppers, and sustaining present ones. I get pleasure from that rather a lot as a result of clearly in any enterprise for those who do not maintain shoppers then clearly you’re 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. Firstly, it does seize the challenges that ladies face. It highlights the significance of recognizing and addressing the systemic limitations that forestall girls from reaching their full potential.

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

But it surely’s not like we won’t. We’re very a lot ready, it is simply these stereotypes that we have to recover from for us to understand 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 proper path and we should always not cease.

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

The schooling agenda is actually 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 vary habits, it has to vary the entire being, and there should be some transformation.

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

Once we put money into schooling that encompasses the schooling of ladies and women it modifications the narrative as a result of there’s financial progress. And by investing in schooling, people can purchase abilities 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 possibly can 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 mentioned, ‘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 mentioned, ‘I would like you to see her earlier than you begin making these conclusions as a result of I imagine 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 mother and father ‘Look, sure, she’s healed, however she’s going to have a studying incapacity. She wants particular schooling. She won’t be able to manage like different kids 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 ‘In opposition to all odds, you are going to be sensible.’

Regardless that I began my first grade a 12 months late, I grew to become so good that I skipped a grade. I used to be in a position to meet up with my associates and after I completed my O-Ranges, I gained a scholarship to check for the Worldwide Baccalaureate at Hastings Faculty in England. I used to recollect my mother and father’ assist, 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 house earlier than I returned house.

I at all times encourage the ladies I work with and inform them that due to schooling, I have been in a position to assist my mother and father, my household, and the folks that observe me. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, you are able to do it for those who imagine in it, and schooling has rather a lot to do with that.

WHY DOES IT MATTER TO EDUCATE GIRLS?

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

There’s additionally the side of financial progress. Educated women usually tend to enter the workforce. Once I’m participating in interviews, I discovered that women are doing a lot better in class than boys, as a result of they’re extra centered. By way of lowering poverty in our communities, when we have now extra educated women, 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 women from getting educated and this features a lack of entry to the correct schooling infrastructure. We have now conditions the place women within the village should stroll miles and miles to get to a faculty. Most often mother and father themselves decide to have their boys educated versus their women, due to the safety issues that include lengthy distances. Many mother and father favor to have their boys be educated over their women, as boys are normally those they assume should ‘feed the household’.

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

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 this can be a essential job for girls which are already in profitable positions, to encourage these younger women to get a correct schooling.

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU THINK COULD HELP GIRLS IN ZAMBIA?

There are nonetheless points with sanitation amenities equivalent to an absence of unpolluted water. Ladies want amenities to have the ability to maintain themselves correctly throughout their durations.

Implementing basic insurance policies to assist women extra, may also assist rather a lot. There are non-governmental organizations which are very vocal about supporting women. They’re serving to, however I believe there’s extra to be achieved on the governmental stage.

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

Training is essential, Nelson Mandela mentioned, ‘schooling is essentially the most highly effective weapon you should use to vary the world’.

For me, this can be a reminder that true schooling wants to vary habits. It isn’t nearly having levels. What’s secret’s what has schooling achieved for you by way of habits and what’s it that you simply’re in a position to do higher that you simply could not do with out that schooling.