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The 6 Biggest Obstacles I’ve Faced in Getting an Education
The road to my educational success has not been easy, and even today I face many challenges. But I still dream to acquire an education and change not only my path, but also that of my family and my community in Zimbabwe. My dream encourages me to take steps to reach my vision of success…
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Why It’s Essential to Keep Mapuche Art Alive
Our work in Southern Chile primarily focuses on women who are part of Chile’s largest indigenous group: the Mapuche. Meaning “people of the Earth,” the Mapuche resisted Spanish conquest and still today have maintained many aspects of their culture in the face of assimilation. That’s just one of the reasons why in addition to providing…
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How Women-Run Businesses Are Boosting My Community
For communities to develop and flourish, they need to engage determined women to run businesses. Businesses run by women are community-oriented in nature and don’t just benefit the business-owner and customers, but the whole community. Right now, there are many successful businesses led by women in my community in Zimbabwe, and their achievements benefit everyone.…
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Bend the Tree While It’s Still Young
When many people think of scholarships, they imagine older students who’ve already proven themselves to be academically inclined. So we’re often asked why our SKIPGO program targets three to five year old girls. We’ve written about why we’ve chosen to give early-stage scholarships before—but we can’t reiterate enough why it’s important to “bend the tree…
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7 Ways We Can Promote Women’s Education In Our Everyday Lives
Education is the most powerful weapon a woman can have. But in communities that don’t value women’s education, how do we provide them with the tools and knowledge they need? There are many ways of enlightening women about their worth in the community. Starting business projects. Education starts with small initiatives. There are many hard working…
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Staff Portrait: Meet Victoria, SKImfi Zimbabwe Communications Intern
SKIC’s Zimbabwe-based communications intern, Victoria, on what her role is like: What is your role at SKImfi? I am a communications/operations intern at SKImfi and I assist with keeping the records of the beneficiaries, ensuring that they comply with SKImfi rules and regulations, and compiling reports on the progress of their projects. What does a day…
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7 Sexist Comments I Hear—And What I Say in Return
Precious Ngwayarudza, a native of Zimbabwe, shares some of the comments she’s heard as single woman pursuing education—and her strategies for combatting casual sexism: Why are you obtaining a Masters degree? Don’t you know that you will never secure a job in Zimbabwe? Learning is my passion. As long as I have the funding to continue…
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What Women’s Empowerment Means to Me
Growing up, I was the firstborn girl in a family of five children and a victim of a patriarchal society in Zimbabwe. But I had to set a precedent. I vividly recall taking up menial jobs in the neighborhood to supplement my school fees—my father’s risky job and meager salary were not sufficient for our…
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Celebrating Ancestry and Craftsmanship in Lebu and Beyond
Lebu isn’t the only town that boasts local, indigenous talent in Chile – Chile’s northernmost region, Arica y Parinacota, is home to a large indigenous population that has long maintained the tradition of craftsmanship. It hasn’t been without hardship, though, to celebrate this idea of community-oriented building and craft. These small towns in Chile, rural…
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3 SKIPGO Parents on How Education is Transforming Their Daughters
In Mutare, Zimbabwe, our SKIPGO program is providing motivated, promising young girls with the education they deserve. But how do we identify girls who will benefit most from a quality education at such a young age? One way is by finding families who are as equally committed to education as we are. We asked three…