A History of the Elizabeth Bowers Zambia Education Fund

Elizabeth Rachel Bowers

In March 2002, Elizabeth (Beth) Bowers died as the result of a bicycle accident in Zambia while she was serving as a Peace Corps volunteer. Beth was almost 23 (1979-2002) and is described as “a child of light, an adventurer of the spirit, and a seeker after world peace and understanding.” Her post was the village of Lumwana West, in the Mwinilunga District of the Northwestern Province. Beth was teaching rural farmers how to integrate productive fish farming practices into their traditional farming systems. Her work in Zambia with the Peace Corps was the perfect way for Beth to fulfill her commitment to "give back" to others less fortunate.

Beth was dedicated to world peace, development, and the creation of greater opportunity for women. As a testimony to her efforts and beliefs, her family decided that her work should continue. After meditation and consultation with Peace Corps staff, they determined to focus on providing academic scholarships for girls from the Lumwana West area. Scholarships were targeted as a means of providing sustainable development for the area through education and empowering the women she so admired in the spirit of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Fund

In 2003, the Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Fund (EBMF) was formed with donations from family, friends and colleagues of the Bowers family. Peace Corps agreed, on a one-time basis, to facilitate a transfer of funds to Zambia through the Peace Corps Partnership Program. The new Peace Corps volunteer in Lumwana West, ex-marine Kenny Forrest, facilitated the scholarship program. Kenny identified girls eligible for scholarship to Lumwana West Basic School and for boarding at Mwinilunga Secondary School. In addition, the fund supported graduate work in fisheries science for Mary Lundeba, a Zambian woman who had been one of Beth’s trainers for Peace Corps.

While before the scholarship fund only four girls attended grades 8-12, EBMF financed education for over 24 girls at Lumwana West Basic School, and 17 girls in boarding at the Mwinilunga Secondary School by the end of 2004. The fund covered tuition fees, exam fees, and boarding costs. With support from EBMF, Mary Lundeba completed her Masters Degree in a new Fisheries Science program at the University of Malawi.

To achieve charity status, EBMF aligned itself with another US-based effort for Zambia, “The Zambia Scholarship Fund,” maintaining our own integrity and objectives as a division of that fund. The Zambia Scholarship Fund educates teachers who will return to villages in Northeast Zambia to teach others. It supports students in high school, teachers colleges, and provides paid teachers for elementary schools in the Northern Province.

Since managing a scholarship program is not within the Peace Corps mission, EBMF sought to identify another partner to help with logistical and administrative support in Zambia. World Vision Zambia, with an Area Development Program (ADP) in Mwinilunga, was the only NGO in the far NW province and the clear choice for partnership. WVZ provided supervisory support for EBMF for a service fee through a negotiated memorandum of understanding.

Elizabeth Bowers Zambia Education Fund

With the success of EBMF, Beth’s family decided that they needed an organization dedicated to its mission in Lumwana West. Since not all of Beth’s Girls choose to be teachers, The Elizabeth Bowers Zambia Education Fund (EBZEF) was established as an Oregon Corporation on March 8, 2006, and filed to become an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, an IRS ruling received on March 16, 2007. Now scholarship recipients can pursue individual career choices.

The young women receiving EBZEF scholarships call themselves “Beth’s Girls.” The scholarship legacy sustains Beth’s vision of service and global awareness by empowering young women to build positive change from within, to become leaders and educators, and to improve the quality of life in their communities. With a commitment to empowerment and sustainability, we hope to pass on management of the organization to Beth’s Girls in the future.