Teachers Forum
December, 2002

Background Angelina Lunga is 36 years old and has been in the teaching profession since 1988. She was promoted in 1997 to the position of head teacher of Simbo Secondary School, a remote rural secondary school in the Nkayi District of Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe. Angelina Lunga has worked with CAMFED for the past 5 years to expand educational opportunities for girls in the Nkayi District. The interview with Angelina Lunga was conducted by Angeline Mugwendere, National Co-ordinator of CAMA — the CAMFED Association. Angeline was one of the first young women to complete school with CAMFED’s support, and was able to conduct the interview from the point of view of a rural girl’s experience of the secondary school system in Zimbabwe and the problems faced by impoverished families.

Answer: The major challenge facing girls is poverty. Children are forced to drop out of school as a result of family poverty; when a family in this situation has two children, they would rather send the boy to school. The girl is more likely to be seen as a source of cheap labour or of revenue through early marriage. It is poverty which is forcing parents to see their daughters in this light.

The current drought is making girls even more vulnerable to abuse. Girl children are being manipulated by men — they may exchange sex for cash to raise money for their fees. They or their parents may even see marriage as a way of getting themselves out of this situation. It is denying girls their basic human rights.

A: Culture is indeed a factor, but if cash is available then all children in the family go to school. Culture doesn’t really have a role to play in preventing girls from going to school. I believe poverty is the main force behind girls’ exclusion.

A: I’m an important role model as a female head of a secondary school. This is in itself a challenge to the community. When I first arrived at the school, people came in large numbers to the first parents’ meeting I called in order to set eyes on "a woman head". I believe this in itself inspired a lot of women in our area. Some of them came to ask me what magic had brought me to these heights.

Other measures I have introduced include setting up a disciplinary committee to ensure the protection of girls when they are in school. I liaise with civil organisations such as Social Welfare to tackle the issue of abuse of girls. The police liaison officer is also regularly invited to the school to raise awareness on abuse. I liaise with the local traditional leadership — Chiefs, at local forums and discuss the dangers associated with early marriage and abuse of girls.

I invite parents to the school and talk to them about the dangers of withdrawing their daughters from school and the risks of marrying off their daughters at a young age, particularly to older men who are more likely to be infected with the HIV virus.

I also help spearhead investigations to ensure girls welfare is looked into. I’m aware that many parents don’t have the confidence to approach authorities themselves, so I take it upon myself to assist and accompany them.

A: I don’t only work as the head of a school, I’m working closely with other members of civil society. Right now, I’m Chairperson of the local CAMFED District Committee which administers support to girls in the district. I was elected to this position by head teachers and representatives of local authorities. This is itself an important challenge to me — to have been elected to a position of leadership in a patriarchal society. I also sit as a representative of women teachers for the Ministry of Education in Matabeleland North Province. I believe this gives me an important opportunity to advocate with other organisations to champion the cause of the girl-child.

A: I’d like to encourage other women to take up the challenge of supporting under-privileged girls and women. We need to reach out to those who are most marginalised and be good listeners in order to understand their plight with a view to assisting them. It’s our duty to ensure they have a voice and the opportunity to join us in the position we’re in. However, "making it" shouldn’t be seen as reaching the "bright lights — big city". We should really acknowledge those women who have stayed in rural areas to make a difference. There is one girl in my school who has just completed Form 6 with the support of CAMFED. She came out with top marks in the whole district and is proof to everyone that girls in rural areas in every corner of the world can shine.

A: I hope they will have a brighter future and a better sense of what it is possible for them to achieve. Their potential can be used wherever they are and can be used to uplift their communities. I also hope they will get acknowledgement for all that they achieve.