Mentoring Matters: Pestrida Muleya’s Passion Fires Up the Village

Q. Why did you start mentoring girls in this rural area west of Livingstone, Zambia?

A. When I came here, I could see that most girls were not much into education. Sometimes they’d go to school, (but) they didn’t know why it’s good for them to go to school. They had no vision. They used to think that if they finish school, there’s no future here in the village.

I thought that if these girls were guided, maybe some can be able to do well. I am a teacher by profession, and I have a passion for changing people’s lives.

I started mentoring to reduce early marriages and pregnancies and help the girls stay in school and to reduce drug and alcohol abuse and poverty. I shared what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it, and the head teacher saw that I had good intentions for the school and the community at large. He allowed me to meet the girls at school. When the school is having exams or tests and the classrooms are busy, I meet the girls at their homes or at mine. But when our programs collide for special celebrations, like youth day, we arrange to celebrate together.

I started in 2019. I would advise them, I would encourage them that when you complete school, if you pass, you might find someone who will sponsor you, that you will not just stay here in the village. Their mind set was even if I get educated, there’ll be nothing that I will do, I will still be in this village. Maybe I’ll just end up being married. Or maybe even before I complete school, I will just get married.

So I started bringing in topics about how to make a good choice. I brought in ideas of self-awareness and self-esteem, so that the girls feel they’re important, that they started feeling they can do something.

Q. What are you seeing now?

A. When I started mentoring them, I could see some girls were not good in class. I (thought) that if they can receive mentorship and be learning to do things with their hands — sewing, making doormats, even just those skills — they can be able to sustain someone in life.

In 2020, when school exam results came out, one girl did well. She passed all the subjects. Another two did not do well, but a fourth managed to do well in making doormats. She did not pass well at school, but she was able to learn a skill. When she started making doormats, she was able to sell them and be able to help her family and be able to help herself.

When they complete school, they’ve got no money, no way of going to college. I saw it used to demotivate the girls. The one who did well, she didn’t have money to pay at school, but I encouraged her to be patient, that things will work out one day. She did not give up. Luckily this year, she will be going to school and studying agriculture.

Learning to sew and to make doormats

Q. And are results even better now?

A. Yes, the number of girls graduating with good results is increasing and the number of girls who want to join the club is becoming big. Last year, I tell you, I had four girls in the club, and only one did not do well. The other three did well. Why? Because they had that hope that Auntie Pestrida had told us we can go to college even if our parents don’t have money, that there will be a way we can go to college. And they have developed self-confidence instead of talking shyly, covering their faces with clothes or a book.

Now, I sit down with them, I talk with them. They feel and think that if they don’t pass, they still have hope, they still can do something good.

Q. What about non-college bound girls, what’s their future?

A. I introduced the life skills program because I wanted to help those who are unable to do well in class so that I can try to reduce poverty in this community. I know that if many girls have the skills, I’m sure their lives will not be the same, it will make a difference. If even a girl is able to make a doormat or be able to sew on a sewing machine, it would really help that child because they may be able to use that money to buy the things they need at school or even contribute something at home, which will help in reducing poverty in the community.

Q. What is the story behind your wonderful garden?

A. I started gardening to help the girls learn the skill, provide relish for the community, and try to raise income for the club to buy even small things, like books, pencils and pens to help the vulnerable girls in the club.

I went to see the village head man and requested land. I shared with him what I do and all my plans, especially if given land by him. The village head man said that was a good idea, that if all goes well, that is community development. That’s how he gave me the land.

And I have started achieving some of these goals, such as buying one girl a school uniform and shoes. This has helped her to stay in school and gave her a sense of beauty and being at the same level with her friends.

In the garden and a girl with her new shoes!

Q. So mentoring gives the girls hope?

A. They now know there is life after being in this village, that it’s not always that all nurses and doctors should come from somewhere else, but they themselves can be teachers, nurses and doctors of this community. And that among them there can be tailors. And it brings positive relationships because it inspires the girls and helps them make positive transitions to adulthood.

Mentoring also has helped the girls to stand up for their rights when boys bully them. They know their rights. The program is also helping vulnerable girls stay in school.

Q. Can you explain how?

A. For example, money from the sales we make from gardening is going to buy school uniforms and shoes. After selling all the maize we had planted, we buy sanitary pads for all the girls, so they can be in school all month. The community benefits when the girls benefit, and they benefit from the sales we make.

Last year, after (walking two hours each way to) visit one girl, I also thought that maybe distance can be discouraging other girls from coming to school. All the more reason why they need mentorship from me, for them not to lose focus.

Q. How do you stay motivated?

A. What has been motivating me is that although (there) hasn’t been a big change, I could see some small, small changes which are encouraging me — that if I do it more, maybe a lot of girls will be like this.

Before I started mentoring the girls, there were more girls having early pregnancies and zero girls passing at school. Imagine, in the whole school, no child would pass in grade 12. As a teacher, that pained me. Now early pregnancies are down. I, too, was mentored by a club. Some of us who listened did well, but those who didn’t listen got pregnant and even stopped schooling. I knew that if these girls can have someone to talk to, some can do well.

Q. What are your plans at this point in the pandemic?

A. These days, there are no end-of year school exams, (only) end-of-term tests, so I meet the girls at school and at home. Now, for one-on-one talks, I meet the girls at home. For group meetings, I meet them at school.

We will start building our safe space after the rainy season because we use clay to build. If we start now, the soil may fall whenever it rains. For the building to be strong, it has to be put up after the rainy season. And we have planted sunflowers in the rainy season to earn money later in the year.