When a girl is educated, nourished and protected, she shares her knowledge and skills with her family and community, and forever changes the future of the nation.

With 20 houses that Join My Village has constructed so far, 20 schools now have female teachers in the rural areas of Kasungu district. Despite being teachers to the whole school, to some girls, these female teachers are mentors.

“Mrs. Maggie Dzimwe is our class teacher but to me she is more than that, she is my mentor.   I admire everything about her.” Said Florence Kampyoni, a grade 8 student at Kawata primary school. According to Florence, she has never been taught by a female teacher since she started her primary school some 9 years ago. “When I see her, I see the possibility that I can also be a woman who the community and the family can rely on”, added Florence who was born in the family of 8 children.

Florence is just one of the girls who look up to Mrs. Dzimwe in so many ways.  She is their best friend who can advise them and encourage them to work hard in class.  She teaches them better ways of dealing with stress so that their concentration is on school. “Most girls especially those from the rural areas are very shy but I always try to make myself approachable to them. Sometimes I give incentives to most performing girls as one way of encouraging them.   During weekends I invite them to my home just to remove the fear in them and allow them to feel relaxed and take me as their best friend,” explained Mrs. Dzimwe who has been teaching at this school for three years now.

Kawata primary school where Maggie teaches has seen the enrollment of girls increasing recently.  In 2010 – 2011 school calendars, the school registered a total of 865 students with 488 being girls. In 2011 – 2012 school calendars, the number of girls has increased to 503 from a total enrollment of 963. Grade 4 and 8 which Maggie teaches has a total enrollments of 122 and 51 respectively and of the 122 students in grade 4, 65 are girls while 32 are girls in grade 8.  With the presence of people like Maggie in most rural schools drop out of girls is also reduced.

It takes only one girl to change the world!