The Inspirational Story of Annie
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.
Annie is an Assistant Teacher with the Read for Rose Special Education Program where she works alongside the Amos Youth Centre’s Director of Special Education, Febby Choombe. Together, they have made a significant difference in the lives of the 21 students they work with every day.
But it's interesting to know that Annie was previously an apprentice in the program before she was chosen for this position. In 2015, when Annie was in the eighth grade, she learned about the center from a few of her peers who both received sponsorship since school was not free at the time.
Annie soon became a regular visitor to the center. Because she enjoys singing, she was particularly fond of the Music Club. Annie benefited immensely from the Health Program as a young lady, taking advantage of the free reusable menstrual pads and reproductive health trainings, she learned considerable knowledge on how to take care of herself. In addition to such classes, she enjoyed attending One Up for Girl Power, a popular all-girls club at the center. Annie learned about her changing body in the regular session, as well as how to navigate adolescence and manage her emotions.
“AYC has contributed and played a crucial role in shaping my approach to life and achieving success. As well as to believe in myself, overcome challenges, and achieve my goals. AYC helped me shift from a negative or doubtful mindset to a more confident and optimistic person.”
Annie poses for a picture with her family.
Annie is the firstborn daughter of four siblings. She grew up with the support of both of her parents. Her mother sells head wraps at Zambian Compound, or ZC, one of Kafue's largest markets. Her father works as a driver for one of Kafue's businesses. Annie enjoys spending time with her parents and her four siblings.
She gained a great deal of knowledge from her parents, especially her mother, who instilled in her the value of treating everyone with respect, learning how to do simple household chores, and caring for her young siblings. Her parents frequently left her in charge of her siblings at home while they worked various jobs to support the family, so she had to take on this responsibility very early.
After completing secondary school, Annie began volunteering with the Read for Rose Special Education Program. She feels honored to have been a part of the inception of a program that has impacted so many families and the Kafue community.
In her role as the Assistant Teacher, Annie is responsible for creating lesson plans, teaching the students, and assisting Febby in the overall running of the program. Together, they continue to record the amazing success stories of the students.
“On September 4, 2019, I started working at Read for Rose. That day is still one of the most exciting days of my life. We started with only a few students, and we kept going since we didn’t think the program would fail due to the tiny number at the time. And knowing that we have 21 pupils today who we are meeting and attending to is more than incredible. We occasionally receive referrals from the community, and we must sometimes decline more additions. Not that we don’t want to help them, but we have more than enough students for our space and are committed to these students for the time being. In the future, with a bigger center and more trained staff, we will surely attend to all students that wish to enroll.”
Annie’s favorite part of the job is interacting with the students who have special abilities, and she says that this has contributed to her growth as a young woman. Because of her love for the children with whom she works and having worked for the program for over four years, Annie has decided to pursue a degree in special education with information, communication, and technology (ICT) beginning next year.
Annie enjoys teaching the students different skills like doormat knitting, gardening, and even research skills trainings that they can do if education is not an area that they excel in.
She has extended teaching the sign language class to the students at the Amos Youth Centre, whom she meets every Wednesday in the afternoon. Her passion for ensuring that all the students at the Amos Youth Centre learn this amazing language is beyond inspiring.
It's amazing to see how empowering one person works to empower more people. Through Annie, many students are learning and thriving. That is the cycle of alumni that the Amos Youth Centre believes in and is building.
“Working at Read for Rose has taught me a lot of invaluable lessons that I will never forget. Teaching the sign language class to the students has given me knowledge of another language. I never thought that I would learn sign language and teach it to others. This job makes me very happy.”
