Our Work
EBZEF started with a commitment to educate any girl in Lumwana West desiring to continue her education. The number of Beth’s Girls attending school in grades 8-12 with an EBZEF scholarship has more than doubled since the program began in 2003.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th Grade | 12 | 14 | 14 | 26 | 40 | 36 |
| 9th Grade | 21 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 25 | 43 |
| 10th Grade | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| 11th Grade | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 12th Grade | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| Total | 46 | 41 | 45 | 64 | 85 | 93 |
If enough money can be raised, EBZEF is also committed to helping girls receive a post-high school education. Prudence Masanyinga was EBZEF’s first high school graduate and we are proud of her accomplishments at the Chalimbana Government Training Institute. Dianah Masumbah and Eunice Kanema are helping catalogue books for the new library and we hope to support them in studies in library science. Of course, Mary Lundeba, Beth’s mentor in Zambia, is special to EBZEF. We have been pleased to help Mary through her Masters and PhD program in fisheries and look forward to her continuing as a role model for Beth’s Girls.
As EBZEF has evolved, it became clear that more resources for education are important in Lumwana West. The memorial library and community center, built and furnished by EBZEF and many partners, is complete and is being filled with furniture and 22,000 lbs of books. We hope to raise enough money to install a solar electric system and purchase computers and printers. It will allow all students and community members to study and gather beyond daylight hours and will bring communication and distance learning opportunities into the community.
Eventually, it is our hope to support Lumwana West in becoming a certified high school so that students in the community do not have to attend boarding school for grades 10-12. Ultimately, we envision Beth’s girls helping to manage EBZEF to become a self-sustaining program that is entirely their own.