30-YEAR-OLD WOMAN RETURNS TO SCHOOL
A 30-year-old woman of Lundu Village in Chief Chabula’s Chiefdom in Lupososhi District has called on young people in rural areas to take advantage of the free education policy and go back to school.
Esnere Makumbi, a mother of three, explained that she dropped out of school in 2008 after she got pregnant.
Ms. Makumbi told ZANIS that she has decided to go back to school after many years of marriage, living in poverty and being divorced.
“After I was divorced, I decided to start school in 2020. I started in grade seven because I wanted to have the examination number that I would use throughout up to grade 12,” she said.
She explained that she passed her grade seven examination in 2020 and recently passed the grade nine examination and qualified to grade 10.
Ms. Makumbi encouraged the need for young people to take education seriously, stating that it is the only key that would rescue them from abject poverty.
She further disclosed that the social cash transfer programme has helped her to raise funds for school.
Meanwhile, both Lundu Primary School Head Teacher Mathews Silomba and Ibale Ward Councillor Joachim Kafunga have praised Ms. Makumbi for her bold decision.
Mr. Kafunga also urged young people to imitate Ms. Makumbi’s goal to thrive in education against all odds.
He further urged parents to encourage children, especially girls, to go back to school.
Ms. Makumbi is now a grade 10 pupil at Lupososhi Boarding Secondary School.