Our Partnership with Impact Network

Most families in the Eastern province of Zambia are subsistence farmers, where there is no formal job market or formal economy. Over three-quarters of this rural population lives on less than $0.64 a day. Impact Network has been working in these communities for over ten years, building schools, training teachers, and much more. This has led to great improvements in the areas of literacy and numeracy. However, girls and women are still falling behind in three main areas: education, health, and employment.

Many girls do not attend school or face high dropout rates as they approach puberty. Access to washing facilities and proper sanitary pads as they begin to menstruate is low across educational facilities. That being said, over 40% of women ages 15-24 are illiterate. Girls also face many physical and psychological challenges such as abuse, early marriage & pregnancy, and HIV. All of this can lead to a long-term cycle of poverty and hardship. Finally, there are limited economic opportunities for women in rural African communities. Unemployment in Zambia is 13% and even when females are employed, they face a substantial gender pay gap.

One Day’s Wages partnered with Impact Network to holistically address these core issues facing girls and women in rural communities. Hundreds of girls took part in an eSchool 360 program, overall improving retention, attendance, and academic performance. Additionally, the partnership offered workshops and classes on wellbeing, and reproductive health, and aided in the process of training female teachers to help provide economic opportunities that would not otherwise be possible.