Catherine Lives Her Dream: A Success Story of an Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy Program Graduate
By Annabel Mumba
Annabel Mumba is AYC’s Donor Relations Coordinator in Zambia. She is a Scholarship Fund recipient, high school graduate and current college student, and also one of our Success Stories.
Co-written by Pamela O’Brien, African Education Program’s Development Director, who is mentoring Annabel as she pursues a journalism degree.
Catherine is a graduate of the Women’s Business Training under the Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy Program at our Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, Zambia, the Amos Youth Centre. Thanks to the training, she has grown her business three-fold.
Catherine’s business idea started with a dream. Many people's dreams go unfulfilled for a variety of reasons. Some claim that they just cannot pursue their aspirations any longer, while others simply give up hope. Catherine, on the other hand, never gave up on her dream of opening her own school. At the age of 43 years, and being a mother of six children, she is now seeking to nurture and grow this school.
““I have always wanted to start a school of my own because I have always loved teaching, and through the many teaching jobs I have had, my passion for education has only grown stronger. I believe that every child deserves a qualified education. I am also inspired by the community of Kalundu View, seeing how remote it is and that it lacks basic preschools that can be easily accessed and affordable to the children. I believe that is also my goal for starting the school.” ”
Catherine proudly stands in front of the school sign for her St. Macelline Academy for Pre- and Primary Education.
Catherine named her school after her husband who passed away after an illness. The name is St. Macelline Academy for Pre- and Primary Education. Her school started at a very slow pace in January 2023, with a record of only 10 students, but now she has 30 students that are attending her school.
Catherine has a diploma in early childhood education, and over the years she has taught in a number of different schools, but her heart's desire has always been to open her own school. Catherine's two daughters, Natasha and Dorothy, are members of the Amos Youth Centre and are benefiting from the College Scholarship Program. Natasha will be graduating from college with a diploma in journalism and public relations, and Dorothy is a first-year student studying midwifery.
Many elements led to Catherine's ability to realize her dream. The first being accepted into the Entrepreneurship & Financial Literacy Program Women’s Business Training at Amos Youth Centre. After her graduation, she made up her mind and finally put all of the things she had learned to good use, thanks to the four-month training. This impactful training has now produced 140 women graduates and a new cohort of women trainees is currently underway.
Catherine received valuable skills from the training. Her favorite topic was “Finding Capital and Starting Small." This topic is divided into four sections: Assets, Skills, Money, and Myself. In order to create and manage a successful business, this lesson stresses employing all of the factors rather than just money. Catherine focused on that, looking at her teaching skills and selling a few household items to raise the funds needed to start the school.
“Owning a school has always been a dream of mine, and now being able to live it, it makes my heart glad that I never gave up on that dream. The Women’s Business Training at the Amos Youth Centre opened my mind to options and opportunities that I never knew existed. I would have just kept it a dream unfulfilled forever.”
Catherine’s school is in Kalundu View, a relatively isolated part of Kafue that is lacking in quality preschools for children. Her students are ages two to eight and attend preschool and classes one through three. When the kids get to school, they start with a morning exercise, which is then separated into sessions. Students attend classes from 8:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. The parents take turns delivering their child's lunch and packing breakfast for them.
Catherine divides her students into sessions in the one room because she can only afford a single space to teach all of her students. Catherine's biggest challenge with this technique is that her kids become distracted when one grade is learning and the other is not. But this obstacle will not deter her progress; her main goal now is to generate enough money for an extra classroom for all of the students to enjoy.
Catherine’s story is inspirational and a reminder to never give up on one’s dream no matter what comes one’s way. Dreams can be powerful when encouraged to grow and become fulfilled.
