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CHAPTER THREE ONE
a talktime retail venture, and a farming business that
employs local workers and diversifies the local foodbase.
This is a different starting point for school leavers in
Africa who, if they can access further training after school,
are generally offered vocational skills courses without
business or leadership training. The Leadership and
Enterprise Program raises the skill levels and ambitions
of young women, and puts confidence-building and
leadership at the center of their experiential learning
processes. It recognizes that the first step a young woman
needs to take is to unlearn the negative preconceptions of
her own capabilities, which are entrenched in a patriarchal
society.
The learning is hands-on and student-led. Students put
their leadership into action by working within groups to
plan their market research, identify their enterprise idea,
and develop a business plan within the group setting.
The Program uses case studies and resources drawn
from the region and focuses on market research and
project implementation within the rural community.
International social entrepreneurs advise students on
how to analyze and address local challenges. One group,
led by entrepreneurs from Global Footprint, was taught
how to gather environmental data on Lake Bangweulu in
order to assess the viability of introducing fish farming as a
response to the problem of diminishing fish stocks.
Early lessons that will inform the adaptation of the
Program include the following:
• young rural women school-leavers embrace opportunity
with a determination born out of their experience of
poverty and the drive and initiative to rise above it;
• social entrepreneurship resonates strongly with this group;
the Program offers a new problem-solving methodology
through which students can assess the needs of their
communities and develop businesses that will address
such needs and succeed commercially;
• the friendship and membership circles provided by
Cama are a major advantage in building young women’s
confidence and sense of collective power in catalyzing
economic growth; and will help sustain and grow the
Program’s benefits.
The Program recognizes that the context of rural poverty
poses real challenges to women entrepreneurs, and aims
to equip women with the knowledge and support to
manage obstacles. As with Camfed’s program in schools,
psychosocial support is indispensable within the Leadership
and Enterprise Program, and has two critical elements: the
peer support young women are giving each other; and a
network of international mentors who advise each group,
enabled by new technology capability. This approach to
business training, with its emphasis on high-level skills and
mentoring tailored to the context of rural Africa, is seeing
great success so far. Lessons emerging from the Program
will continue to inform future directions for Camfed’s
investment in young women as leaders of change.
Through the Leadership and Enterprise Program, Camfed
has also established one of the first IT centers in rural
Zambia, which is managed by specially trained Cama
members. These young women IT leaders train other
young women on the Program to help participants
connect with each other and with international mentors.
They also train other members of the community in
basic IT skills, bringing communications technology to
an audience that has never before had access. The Cama
network of young motivated women is a phenomenal
resource through which Camfed intends to roll out
this model of rural IT centers, and other technological
advances, across its international network.
Accelerating women into leadership through
tertiary education
As a logical extension of its post-school provision to
empower women to lead change, Camfed is increasing its
support for young women in tertiary education. As more
girls successfully complete secondary school, there is a rich
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