Dorcas
Zambia
Dorcas was born in the Luapula Province of Zambia and was the third in a family of eight children. When she turned thirteen, her father moved back to his home country because of financial difficulties and few job opportunities. Her mother and siblings stayed back in Zambia, but her mother couldn’t take care of all of them properly so they had to split up. Dorcas was sent to live with her grandparents.
Her grandparents cared for her and her siblings through subsistence farming, but before she was in 8th grade, they weren't able to continue her education. They couldn't afford all the supplies needed for school including books, uniforms, and pencils. Dorcas was losing hope of ever being able to go back to school when the Teacher Mentor (guidance teacher) at her old school found out about the situation. The Teacher Mentor worked with the Deputy Head Teacher to find support for Dorcas from CAMFED so that she was able to return to school.
​
With her new books, uniform and pencils paid for by CAMFED, Dorcas thrived in her new school. She worked hard and was especially motivated by the new uniform!
​
Dorcas did so well in her primary leaving exams that she earned a full certificate. This certificate helped her to get into her local high school called Nchelenge secondary school. However, she was only at this school for 15 weeks because a new government school opened, called the Musonda Girl's Technical School. Dorcas was one of three students chosen to attend this school.
CAMFED continued to sponsor her at her new school. Dorcas continued to do very well in school and graduated in 2015. She then entered a CAMFED program called "Shaping My Future," which helped her to learn business skills and how to create her own business. After Dorcas completed the program, she was given 500 kwacha (the currency of Zambia), which she used to build a maize-farming business in her home village. When she returned to her village, she remembered all of her former struggles, including hunger after flooding and droughts ruined the crops. But she had lived through all these things, and she still thrived.
Dorcas was working in a part-time job at the CAMFED offices when she heard about an opportunity to go to EARTH University, an agricultural-based school located in Costa Rica.
​
She applied for a spot in the university and was accepted. She was excited to learn more about the environment and decided to use her knowledge for good. She then attended Auburn University in Alabama on a 15-week internship and helped design aquaponics (created for growing vegetables and farming fish).
Dorcas now hopes to train farmers to have sustainable agricultural farms. She also wants to work with CAMFED demonstrating aquaponics and training others on how to improve their sustainable food production.
​
Dorcas dreams that inexpensive ideas will bring long-term food supply solutions for villages and big cities in Zambia.
Story courtesy of CAMFED, an organization dedicated to helping women and girls through education and leadership across Africa.