Keeping Girls in School: Christabel’s Story

At 17, Christabel failed to pass her exams for the second time and was unable to move on to the 10th grade. This, coupled with financial challenges, led her to drop out of school.

At 24, she had been out of school for five years when she was identified by the Parent Teacher Committee and Community Welfare Assistance Committee members as being eligible to return to school under the Ministry of Education’s Keeping Girls in School (KGS) program.

Christabel was not interested in sitting in class, but when she heard there were opportunities outside of going back to secondary school, she opted to take an alternative education pathway. With the support of the guidance and counseling teacher, she was linked to the Katembula Youth Resource Center where she chose to pursue a one-year tailoring course. 

Christabel and her mother were relieved when she got accepted into the program. She plans to complete her course on time and immediately apply her new skills to start earning an income to support herself and her family. She is deeply grateful to have been given a second chance through the KGS Case Management System and is encouraging her friends who are in similar situations to keep trying for their second chance and never give up on their education.

The pilot program of KGS was implemented by the Bantwana Initiative of World Education and regional affiliate Bantwana Zimbabwe, in close partnership with the Ministry of Education, in three districts.