Dare To Be Different: Joyce Becomes The First Female Plumber At AYC
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.
Joyce is all smiles after graduating as a plumber.
Being the first to achieve something can be thrilling. For Joyce, becoming the first female student in Water Operations and a plumber was a significant milestone. She pursued this path out of passion and a desire to follow her dreams, setting an inspiring example for both her family and the students at the Amos Youth Centre (AYC).
Joyce’s career choice in Water Operations and Plumbing wasn’t a stretch as Joyce has always been someone who dared to stand out from her peers. From a young age, she displayed a natural curiosity and knack for problem-solving. She knew that by breaking barriers and defying societal norms, she could pave the way for other aspiring female engineers to enter this male-dominated field.
Joyce first learned about AYC from her uncle, Teddy. Teddy is a program alumnus who worked as AYC’s Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator before finding his current position at a local bank. Joyce fell in love with the environment at AYC and all of the holistic program support. Her favorite activities were the Spelling Bee Club, One Up for Girl Power Club, and Music Club. These clubs taught essential lessons and many of the other programs assisted her in navigating adolescence.
Joyce, along with her mother, two brothers and a sister, live with her grandmother. The mother is not formally working, but she works hard to provide for her children. Back when secondary school fees were mandatory, Joyce was often kicked out from school for failing to pay the fees or making late payments. When her uncle Teddy first received his AYC sponsorship and the weight of school fees was eased from his shoulders, he shared this resource with his young niece as well.
AYC Lets Girls Find Their Agency And Future Career Path
It is amazing to note that the majority of the children who attend our programs and benefit from them come in families; it is an organization with programs that benefit not only one child but the entire family.
Joyce graduated from high school in 2019. The satisfaction of completing high school was accompanied by the decision of what to study next. Joyce, like every other high school alumnus in the College Prep Program, spent their gap year before attending college or university giving back at the Centre, either teaching classes or facilitating a club. During this period, students also have the opportunity to receive one-on-one job counseling from the AYC staff.
Joyce used this time to learn about her own talents, too. She knew that English was her favorite subject so she excelled at teaching English to the grade 8 and 9 students. The College Prep Program also showed her how to navigate college with ease.
“I am happy that I met Amos Youth Centre when I was both young and in need. When my uncle asked me to come with him, I did not know that I would want to stay for so long. As a graduate, AYC will always have a place in my heart.”
Joyce Forges Ahead With Both Family and Community Support
When Joyce told her family and friends she was going to school to study plumbing, they were filled with questions and concerns. Their fears stemmed from the fact that plumbing is solely studied and performed by men; women never conduct this type of labor. Others were concerned with how she would find work and survive once she finished her studies, obtained her qualifications, and graduated. Joyce feels happy to have proven them wrong about her ability.
Everyone has a favorite mentor and Joyce has always looked up to AYC’s Co-Founder and Director of Programs, Lumuno Mweemba, or Madam Lulu as she is affectionately known. She was able to increase her confidence and create a favorable image for herself through the regular counseling sessions she attended with Madam Lulu.
Joyce graduated from Lusaka Vocational Technical College. Her next big objective is to continue to develop her experience in the field. She has already gathered referrals from customers who contact her for plumbing services, increasing her experience and efficiency. Joyce also enjoys teaming up with some of her fellow engineering students to help replace or mend some faulty water pipes and sinks at AYC, too.
“I am happy that I was able to follow my dreams and not listen to what people were saying. Most of them felt that I was not going to make it but here I am – a certified plumber.”
We are thrilled to share Joyce's story with you and hope it encourages more young women and girls to pursue their dreams no matter what society thinks of them!
