Worldwide Ladies’s Day Interview with Chilufya Siansagu

Chilufya Siansangu is Head of Enterprise Growth/ Advertising and Communications for EFC Zambia. Her function includes driving enterprise progress by figuring out alternatives, monitoring new markets, strategic partnerships, and constructing sustainable shopper relationships. She has a variety of duties for increasing EFC Zambia’s buyer base. She just lately attended the International Training Finance Convention, hosted by Alternative Worldwide EduFinance and was capable of share a variety of views on constructing training finance merchandise and shoppers.

For Worldwide Ladies’s Day 2023 we spoke with Chilufya about her personal expertise of training and create higher alternatives for educating ladies and ladies.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT YOUR ROLE?

What I get pleasure from is that it cuts throughout all enterprise capabilities and in addition includes shopper relationships, onboarding new shoppers, and sustaining present ones. I get pleasure from that so much as a result of clearly in any enterprise in the event you do not deal with shoppers then clearly you’re headed for closure.

It is gratifying to see small and medium companies develop and to see {that a} enterprise can really make use of different individuals who additionally take care of households and enhance their livelihoods.

THIS YEAR’S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY HAS THE THEME ‘EMBRACE EQUITY, A WORLD FREE OF BIAS, STEREOTYPES, AND DISCRIMINATION.’ WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?

I feel it is a sensible theme. Before everything, it does seize the challenges that ladies face. It highlights the significance of recognizing and addressing the systemic boundaries that forestall ladies from reaching their full potential.

It emphasizes the necessity to problem present stereotypes, beliefs and attitudes in direction of ladies – within the Zambian neighborhood, there’s a stereotype {that a} lady will not be imagined to be educated, the lady is meant to are likely to their youngsters and do the house responsibilities, whereas the person goes on the market to work and excel in his profession.

Nevertheless it’s not like we won’t. We’re very a lot ready, it is simply these stereotypes that we have to recover from for us to comprehend our full potential. I feel the battle continues, however I feel with all of the consolidated efforts, the celebration of girls. I feel we’re on the fitting path and we should always not cease.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN EDUCATION?

The training agenda is absolutely massive for me. The purpose we’re lacking these days, I feel most younger individuals, simply need to be schooled and never educated. Training has to transcend, it has to vary conduct, it has to vary the entire being, and there should be some transformation.

I’d point out that training is an equalizer, particularly in our communities. It’s very, essential that we spend money on training.

Once we spend money on training that encompasses the training of girls and ladies it modifications the narrative as a result of there’s financial progress. And by investing in training, people can purchase expertise and data wanted to safe a greater future, and better-paying jobs. At EFC that is our core enterprise. We’re an enterprise lending establishment and with training, you’ll be able to create higher entrepreneurs.

WHAT WAS YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF EDUCATION?

Once I was 2.5 years, I used to be concerned in an accident, and I used to be badly burnt. When my father took me to the hospital, the docs mentioned, ‘no, this woman will not be going to make it, begin arranging for a funeral’. And you do not inform a mum or dad that. My father mentioned, ‘I need you to see her earlier than you begin making these conclusions as a result of I imagine she’s going to be okay.’

My father was very prayerful. I began therapeutic which shocked the docs as a result of the burns had been deep. After realizing that I used to be therapeutic, they did inform my dad and mom ‘Look, sure, she’s healed, however she’s going to have a studying incapacity. She wants particular training. She will be unable to manage like different youngsters at school.’

I spent years within the hospital and my father was very decided that I used to be going to get a standard training. Ultimately, I began college and he used to inform me ‘Towards all odds, you are going to be sensible.’

Though I began my first grade a yr late, I turned so good that I skipped a grade. I used to be capable of meet up with my buddies and after I completed my O-Ranges, I gained a scholarship to review for the Worldwide Baccalaureate at Hastings School in England. I used to recollect my dad and mom’ assist, and I gained awards together with the perfect scholar.

Subsequent, I used to be awarded a scholarship to Princeton College in America, however I could not attend because the scholarship was solely 50%, and I could not afford the opposite 50%. So, I made a decision to self-sponsor myself in England, I did accountancy on the London Faculty of Accountancy. I used to do part-time work in Hastings in a care house earlier than I returned house.

I all the time encourage the ladies I work with and inform them that due to training, I have been capable of assist my dad and mom, my household, and the folks that observe me. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, you are able to do it in the event you imagine in it, and training has so much to do with that.

WHY DOES IT MATTER TO EDUCATE GIRLS?

As soon as we empower ladies and assist to advertise gender equality, we’re doing extra for the financial system than we might think about. It goes past regular residing, it consists of bettering their well being, and careers. With out correct training, it is fairly tough to get very far in life.

There’s additionally the facet of financial progress. Educated ladies usually tend to enter the workforce. Once I’m collaborating in interviews, I discovered that ladies are doing a lot better at school than boys, as a result of they’re extra targeted. When it comes to decreasing poverty in our communities, when we’ve extra educated ladies, households usually tend to profit.

WHAT CHALLENGES ARE HOLDING GIRLS BACK FROM GETTING AN EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA?

There are fairly a number of causes which can be holding again ladies from getting educated and this features a lack of entry to the right training infrastructure. We’ve got conditions the place ladies within the village should stroll miles and miles to get to a college. Most often dad and mom themselves choose to have their boys educated versus their ladies, due to the safety considerations that include lengthy distances. Many dad and mom favor to have their boys be educated over their ladies, as boys are often those they suppose should ‘feed the household’.

One other subject is gender-based violence. Some ladies do expertise sexual harassment, bodily violence, and verbal abuse in school which implies it may be safer for them to remain house.

I feel the narrative is altering now, however we want extra function fashions, extra feminine lecturers, extra feminine CEOS, and extra feminine docs. I feel this can be a essential job for girls which can be already in profitable positions, to encourage these younger ladies to get a correct training.

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU THINK COULD HELP GIRLS IN ZAMBIA?

There are nonetheless points with sanitation amenities corresponding to an absence of fresh water. Women want amenities to have the ability to deal with themselves correctly throughout their durations.

Implementing normal insurance policies to assist ladies extra, also can assist so much. There are non-governmental organizations which can be very vocal about supporting ladies. They’re serving to, however I feel there’s extra to be finished on the governmental stage.

At EFC we’ve monetary merchandise that may assist communities, as we’ve discovered that many households can’t afford to pay exorbitant college charges. By these merchandise, we’ve discovered that ladies can enroll in faculties and entry training, as we assist faculties as a monetary establishment.

Training is essential, Nelson Mandela mentioned, ‘training is essentially the most highly effective weapon you should utilize to vary the world’.

For me, this can be a reminder that true training wants to vary conduct. It isn’t nearly having levels. What’s secret’s what has training finished for you by way of conduct and what’s it that you just’re capable of do higher that you just could not do with out that training.