I recently came across an old copy of a Dave Eggers book called What is the What, detailing the life of Valentino Deng, a Sudanese refugee who came to the US two decades ago. I first read it a 15 years ago, while traveling through South Africa, and was surprised to read about what had happened to Deng after the book’s release.
Read MoreIt is a fact that providing classrooms and latrines in good condition is significant for student achievement. With the zeal to promote quality education in rural schools, Impact Network management as always put into consideration all aspects that would make this dream sustainable and a reality to the schools in communities we are working with.
Read MoreIn late 2018, we received funding from the Sahm Family Foundation to significantly strengthen the ways that Impact Network served girls in our community. It was a multi-year grant with numerous components introducing school supports such as counseling, child protection workshops, and reproductive health workshops as well as the construction of additional latrines for girls and learning spaces for early learners. The core of these programs went on to form the foundation of our work with Impact Girls today, and we are immensely grateful for the support from Sahm Family Foundation.
Read MoreWhile Omicron is also making the rounds in Zambia, Impact Network ensured that the teacher’s conference could take place this week under the best possible conditions by postponing the training and separating it out into five different sites. In small group sizes, familiar and new faces found themselves in the classrooms and immersed themselves in various academic and operational topics over five days. While some of the workshops served to refresh and supplement existing knowledge, there was also a lot to learn.
Read MoreJust a few days ago, Sidney Poitier passed away in his home in California at the age of 94. Poitier was most known for being the first Black actor to win an Academy Award and paving the way for Black entertainers in film. His credentials are stunning – a Grammy award, two Golden Globes, countless honoraries, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Knight Commander, and more.
Read MoreHappy New Year to our supporters, staff members, teachers, students and families! On my end, after some down time during the holidays, I’m looking forward to a new academic year in Zambia
Read MoreMenstrual hygiene is one of the sensitive topics and an area that has raised great concern, because of the lack of adequate provisions for girls in most rural areas in Africa. We have always taken the interest of our learners at heart and make efforts to make their learning experience a memorable one
Read MoreAs Fatima al-Fihri helped pave the way for students all of over the world, we are so honored to be able to do this work in rural Zambia. We congratulate our class of 2021 and all of our Impact Network students on completing this challenging school year!
Read MoreGrowing up, my father always told me that my knowledge was one of the few things that could never be taken from me. He shared with me how much he wished he had received an education
Read MoreI’ve been listening to music more in an attempt to stay sane and away from so many screens, and was reminded of one of my favorite artists – John Legend. In 2014, Legend gave the commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania and more recently, he gave the commencement speech at Duke University.
Read MoreThis week’s email comes from Busiwa Namwila and Irving Lukoma, Project Officers who helped facilitate this year’s NetGirls Zambia program! This is part of our Impact Girls initiative, to empower girls and young women through sport.
Read MoreThis week, I came across a new face on the $10 Canadian bill (new to me, it has been in circulation a couple of years now!). Viola Irene Desmond is the first woman (other than a monarch) to be featured on a Canadian (or American for that matter!) bank note. Desmond was born in Nova Scotia, to parents who were extremely active in the black community there. She became a civil-rights icon in Canada almost by chance…
Read MoreI recently came across a Bolivian educator, known for making any student at Garfield High School into a master of algebra, trigonometry and calculus – Jaime Alfonso Escalante Gutierrez.
Read MoreBoth my kids celebrate their birthdays this fall and one of their books taught me the story about something that happened in the first minute of both of their births. It’s a simple diagnostic test that is used in a few different countries to assess how healthy babies are immediately after childbirth.
Read MoreIn 1990, Nelson Mandela made a speech to a local high school in Boston and stated, “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.” Looking now at Zambia in 2021, and thinking about the leadership of youth throughout the country and the role of younger voters in the recent election, I might amend this quote to read “The youth of today are the leaders of today.”
Read MoreOur Eco project is a six-month pilot project aimed at constructing latrine privacy walls and outdoor learning centres using recycled plastic bottles, glass bottles, sand bags, and tires. Under this project we have successfully completed the construction of five privacy walls for the latrines at Mkale and we are currently constructing an outdoor learning space at Mnyaula.
Read MoreI recently wrapped up watching the second season of Never Have I Ever, a coming-of-age drama co-created by Mindy Kaling – a smart, sweet, and honest depiction of an Indian American teen dealing with the aftermath of her father’s death. The show is loosely based on Mindy Kaling’s own childhood experience growing up in the northeast.
Read MoreAs everyone knows, our Chefs for Impact event this year is approaching, and it will look a little bit different than usual. In the midst of the planning over the last week, I came across a quote that resonated with me in particular. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” –Albert Einstein.
Read MoreRecently, I read an interesting look back at a leader in the architectural world, Zaha Hadid. Hadid is best known for her “neo-futuristic” buildings, and became a decorated architect over the last 15 years. She was the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize
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