Whispers Turned Leadership: Charity’s Rise in Poetry

Charity Chipopola was the girl who stayed in her room, invisible to the world, quiet even among friends. “I used to ask myself, ‘What will we even talk about at the girls club?’” she recalls. Growing up in Livingstone, Zambia, with a single mother and no siblings, she often felt alone. Life was simple but hard, and opportunities felt out of reach—until she joined the Believe Girls Club in 2019.

At the club, mentors saw what Charity didn’t see in herself. “They made me believe that I could do more than I thought,” she says. Slowly, the shy girl began to lead small sessions, share ideas, and discover the power of her voice. “For the first time, I felt like someone was looking out for me, and that I mattered.” The club became her safe space, a place to dream bigger than her circumstances allowed.

Then COVID-19 escalated in 2020, and life became even harder. Charity’s mother lost her job, school was disrupted, and financial pressures mounted. Nights were filled with worry and uncertainty. “There were moments I feared I wouldn’t be able to continue, and that my dreams might end before they even began,” Charity says.

In February 2021, her high school results came in—she had passed. After graduating, she advanced to the Believe Alumni Club, where she was prepared for the real world. The alumni club sharpened her professional skills, nurtured her leadership, and built her confidence to deliver presentations—not just in schools, but also in poetry. “It was through the mentors at the club that I learned I could stand in front of people, do poetry, and even lead others,” she says. “At the club, mentors gave us platforms to lead sessions, speak in schools, and perform. That’s when I realized I could express myself and inspire others.”

While at the Believe Alumni Club, Charity began applying for scholarships to continue her education, but all attempts were in vain. Undeterred, she applied to university even without the means to pay. Her aunt stepped in to support her, and she began university in June 2023. Her aunt paid for two semesters, but after that, there was no money to continue.

“When I started to lose hope that I might have to drop out, my mentor told me about the GSGC scholarship,” Charity recalls. She applied, and the scholarship came just when she needed it most. “I felt like a door had opened—someone believed in me when I almost stopped believing in myself,” she says.

Today, Charity is a straight-A student studying Public Administration at the University of Lusaka , and her quiet curiosity has blossomed into a passion for poetry. “I started writing and performing, and every time I spoke my words, my confidence grew. Now I can stand in front of people, do poetry, and lead because my mentors believed in me first,” she says.

In 2024, she co-founded a poetry group called LACONIC at her University and now proudly serves as the Head of the Poetry Department, leading about 25 members with the very voice she once feared to share. Her leadership and talent have taken her beyond the classroom: she won Miss Youth Alive Zambia at the Mr. and Miss Youth Alive event, performed before 200+ students at inter-campus talent shows, and even promoted her poetry group in class by performing before 65–70 students. Looking ahead, Charity dreams of expanding the club’s impact. “I hope the club continues to grow, reaching young people who want to use poetry to express themselves and inspire others”

Charity Chipopola’s journey proves that even the quietest girl, facing financial hardship and doubt, can rise, inspire, and lead. “I may have been shy once, but now my words are my strength—and my story is proof that hope and hard work can change everything.”

Written by Ratidzai MatumburaGirls Time Club Alumna and intern at the Youth Mentorship Centre, Zimbabwe