Worldwide Ladies’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 tasks for increasing EFC Zambia’s buyer base. She lately attended the World Schooling Finance Convention, hosted by Alternative Worldwide EduFinance and was capable of share a spread of views on constructing training finance merchandise and shoppers.

For Worldwide Ladies’s Day 2023 we spoke with Chilufya about her personal expertise of training and learn how to create higher alternatives for educating ladies and women.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT YOUR ROLE?

What I get pleasure from is that it cuts throughout all enterprise features and in addition includes consumer relationships, onboarding new shoppers, and sustaining present ones. I get pleasure from that quite a bit as a result of clearly in any enterprise for those who do not care for 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 really 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. Initially, it does seize the challenges that girls face. It highlights the significance of recognizing and addressing the systemic obstacles that forestall ladies from reaching their full potential.

It emphasizes the necessity to problem present stereotypes, beliefs and attitudes in direction of ladies – within the Zambian group, there’s a stereotype {that a} girl is just not purported to be educated, the girl is meant to are likely to their kids 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 in a position, it is simply these stereotypes that we have to recover from for us to comprehend our full potential. I believe the battle continues, however I believe with all of the consolidated efforts, the celebration of girls. I believe we’re on the best path and we must always not cease.

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

The training agenda is admittedly large for me. The purpose we’re lacking these days, I believe most younger individuals, simply wish to be schooled and never educated. Schooling has to transcend, it has to vary habits, it has to vary the entire being, and there should be some transformation.

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

Once we put money into training that encompasses the training of girls and women it modifications the narrative as a result of there’s financial development. And by investing in training, 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 training, you’ll be able to create higher entrepreneurs.

WHAT WAS YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF EDUCATION?

After 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 docs mentioned, ‘no, this lady is just not going to make it, begin arranging for a funeral’. And you do not inform a father or mother that. My father mentioned, ‘I would like 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 docs as a result of the burns have 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 training. 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 traditional training. Ultimately, I began college and he used to inform me ‘In opposition to all odds, you are going to be sensible.’

Though I began my first grade a yr late, I grew to become so good that I skipped a grade. I used to be capable of meet up with my pals and once I completed my O-Ranges, I gained a scholarship to review for the Worldwide Baccalaureate at Hastings Faculty in England. I used to recollect my dad and mom’ assist, and I gained awards together with the very best 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 at all times encourage the ladies I work with and inform them that due to training, 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 for those who consider in it, and training has quite a bit 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 residing, it contains enhancing their well being, and careers. With out correct training, it is fairly tough to get very far in life.

There’s additionally the side of financial development. Educated women usually tend to enter the workforce. After 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 targeted. 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 can be holding again women from getting educated and this features a lack of entry to the right training infrastructure. Now we have conditions the place women within the village should stroll miles and miles to get to a college. Typically dad and mom themselves choose to have their boys educated versus their women, due to the safety issues that include lengthy distances. Many dad and mom choose to have their boys be educated over their women, as boys are often those they assume should ‘feed the household’.

One other challenge 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 dwelling.

I believe the narrative is altering now, however we want extra position fashions, extra feminine lecturers, extra feminine CEOS, and extra feminine docs. I believe this can be a crucial job for ladies which can be already in profitable positions, to encourage these younger women to get a correct training.

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU THINK COULD HELP GIRLS IN ZAMBIA?

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

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

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. By means of these merchandise, we have now discovered that women can enroll in colleges and entry training, as we assist colleges as a monetary establishment.

Schooling is essential, Nelson Mandela mentioned, ‘training is probably the most highly effective weapon you need to use to vary the world’.

For me, this can be a reminder that true training wants to vary habits. It isn’t nearly having levels. What’s secret’s what has training performed 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 training.