New computers being installed by Mr. Makayi Phiri

Our colleagues at Mapalo Young Peacemakers School are excited about new additions to their communication center! After much planning and preparation, new computers, routers, and a printer have been installed at the school. Students will have improved internet access, and the printer/scanner will make homework preparation much easier for teachers. Kafwa volunteers at the school will be able to share their reports more easily, and all will benefit from the increased communication access. Both Emmanuel Mumba, Mapalo head teacher, and Mr. Makayi Phiri, a local technician, have been instrumental in this development.

We are excited for our friends and grateful for the many supporters who make these opportunities possible!

A new printer/scanner, ready to be installed!

Groundwater may not be seen, but its impact is critical, as is our need to protect it. Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater, supporting drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry, and ecosystems. But in many areas, human activities over-use and pollute groundwater. Communities we partner with have seen decreases in water availability, and the continuation of climate change will only make the resource more scarce. As water sources become depleted, families must use precious time and limited resources to collect life-sustaining water. Families already at risk of inequity will feel these impacts first. Community education, collaboration, and governance are needed to protect groundwater and balance the needs of people and the planet.

This World Water Day, we invite you to educate yourself on the importance of groundwater and how to be a good steward of it. Access to safe water is not guaranteed and should be protected to the best of our ability!

To find more resources on groundwater and World Water Day, visit: https://www.worldwaterday.org/learn

Over the weekend, we received an uplifting message from teacher Mavis Mubanga at Mapalo Young Peacemakers School - photos of students enjoying a physical education class!

On Fridays, teachers and students have time for creative education studies like PE, gardening, drama, and sports. Big smiles on each face show just how joyful this time is! Mavis leads the students in stretches and games, teaching the importance of movement and playfulness.

We are grateful to have wonderful educators at the sister schools in Zambia like Mavis, who take the time to nurture both the bodies and minds of the students!

How will you “Break the Bias” this International Women’s Day? We choose to celebrate the achievement of the women we work with and bring awareness to the inequalities the next generation of women face. 

In all 4 countries where we serve, community health workers educate girls about their menstrual cycle and hygiene in an environment where they feel comfortable and unashamed. Women are taught family planning so they can have more control over the number of children they have. Children are weighed and monitored throughout their first five years of life, making sure they are developing on track and have the chance to thrive. These are things that often can be taken for granted, but can make a world of difference.

In Zambia, our Girls Achievement Program (GAP) for grades 5-7 directly addresses the education bias by teaching about female development and hygiene, emphasizing how important it is for girls to stay in school and avoid early marriage, and promoting leadership development. After completing 7th grade, HealthEd Connect provides GAP scholarships for girls to continue their education through 12th grade, while offering academic and emotional support from a life coach. The Keeping In Touch (KIT) Club connects the two programs, giving younger girls the opportunity to connect with and be uplifted by the older girls who have continued on to pursue their high school certification. This cycle of role models helps to encourage GAP students that their education is important and worth the effort. 

We are grateful for all of the strong women who make HealthEd Connect an organization that actively works to “break the bias” and empower women!

For more resources on International Women’s Day, click here.

Students at Mapalo YPM after their meeting with YCMO. Image shared with permission from Youth Changing the Mindset Organisation.

Young Peace Makers Community School was recently featured on the national news in Zambia! This was through collaboration with a community-based organization, Youth Changing the Mindset Organisation (YCMO). YCMO raises awareness among youth about avoiding early marriages, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and substance abuse while encouraging youth to focus on education. Through ties with local government offices and community schools, YCMO meets with teenage students to discuss the hard topics faced by children in the community and the importance of reporting abuse.

At all three sister schools, the Girls Achievement Program (GAP) and Keeping in Touch (KIT) Club engages in these important lessons and conversations primarily with female students. As head teacher Emmanuel Mumba shared, YCMO provided a helpful backup to what they are already doing at the school and sees potential for further partnership.

The importance of sharing this information and encouragement should not be understated. As explained by Mumba, children who are educated will make good decisions that will go on to benefit their communities. By empowering these boys and girls, their futures and that of their community will be brighter!

To see a video highlighting the work of YCMO and a short interview with Mumba, click here!

Our friends in the D.R. Congo are preparing for a community center in Kikungu! A project of this magnitude takes a great deal of planning, and team leader, Josephine, has the process well underway. From surveying community needs, to gaining community support, donation of land from village chiefs, drawing plans, finding contractors, and preparing for programs, it takes time and patience for each center to take shape.

To see what the planning and building process looks like, Josephine took a trip across the Luapula River into Zambia to visit the new community center in Mulundu! After this visit, additional ideas are flowing and plans continue to be developed. The primary objective of the Kikungu center will be to support orphans and vulnerable children through skills training and counseling, led by the Wasaidizi volunteers.

We are excited to see how the Kikungu center grows, and grateful for all of the support and hard work that will make it happen!

Everlyn Kase (left) and Carol Chisenga (right)

Friday is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we’re thrilled to support bright women in health sciences on their journey to becoming professional nurses!

Through the Professional Nurses Scholarship, HealthEd Connect is currently supporting nine students in their training to be capable health care workers with hearts for their communities. Some have been volunteer health workers before starting their nursing courses. Others were students at our sister schools in Zambia, and recent graduates of our GAP high school scholarship, like Everlyn and Carol (pictured above). Having strong, educated women in the scientific and healthcare industry is hugely important, as they become agents of change in accelerating gender equality and economic development. We are so grateful to the many supporters who make this scholarship possible, as these nursing students will uplift their communities and future patients alike!

To learn more about International Day of Women and Girls in Science, recognized by the United Nations, visit: https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day/

Mapalo 2022 GAP and General Scholars with teachers

In Zambia, students are just beginning their school year, and for our students who are moving into new stages of their education journey, this is especially exciting!

Our friends at Mapalo Young Peace Makers School hosted the 2022 GAP and General Scholars to gather their high school supplies and prepare them for the upcoming year. Thanks to heartfelt generosity, these high school scholarships provide their school fees, uniforms, shoes, books and supplies, backpacks, and wrap-around academic support through our Keeping In Touch program.

Head teacher Emmanuel Mumba shared:

“This was an exciting moment for the learners as they received their requisites with gratitude and the student representative thanked the HealthEd Connect partners for the support…Thank you once again friends for the unwavering support in an effort to uplift life.”

Seeing our students empowered and excited to grow their knowledge makes our hearts sing!