What is the GLOW Club?

Partners with GLOW works as of now exclusively with a GLOW Club in Mushota, a small village in northern Zambia. GLOW Club Mushota is made up of AIDS orphaned girls and teens.

The Mushota GLOW Club was formed in December, 2006, after they were trained by a Mushota Peace Corps Volunteer at Camp GLOW. Camp GLOW was organized when an overwhelming need was recognized in the area for business, life skills, and HIV/AIDS education, particularly among teenage girls, and Camp GLOW provided an excellent forum to address these issues in an upfront and informative manner.

Zambia's financial difficulties do not allow the government to provide free education. The government pays teachers' salaries, but local school management committees must cover operating costs by charging enrollment fees and setting requirements for uniforms. As a result, an end to education is often an early consequence of orphanhood and the loss of family income.

Camp GLOW was designed to encourage young women to become active citizens by building their self-esteem and confidence, increasing their self-awareness and developing their skills in goal setting, assertiveness, career and life planning. An HIV/AIDS theme was used as a means of educating the young women on their bodies, their rights, their responsibilities within the community, and their possibilities for the future.

AIDS awareness skit

GLOW club member performing in HIV/AIDS awareness skit

All of the girls in the club are eager to continue their education, though they face great barriers due to the financial situations in their homes.

As single and double female orphans, these girls are at the greatest disadvantage in acquiring money to pay for school fees, uniforms, shoes and books. Some live with a grandparent or an HIV+ single parent who is too weak do the work required to earn an income. Others are orphans who have been sent to live with relatives. When resources are scarce, these relatives use the little money that is available to pay for their own children's schooling, while the orphan is left with nothing. These girls find that they are always last priority, so the money they require to attend school rarely reaches them.

Fortunately, this problem is not without hope. The GLOW Club and its activities are instrumental in increasing girls' confidence and awareness of the issues they face such as early marriage and pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and peer pressure. Additionally, the income generating activities executed by the club have been successful in providing money for the girls to continue their education. All of the girls who have been participating in the club in the past year are still enrolled in and regularly attending school.

GLOW club members show off their place mats

The goal of the club is to teach their peers to avoid situations that put them at risk for HIV/AIDS, to encourage them to continue their education, while beseeching parents to realize the importance of investing in their children's education and supporting them in such endeavors.

The GLOW Club has been working continuously on various income generating activities. Their current income generating activity involves sewing placemat sets, which they have been successfully selling along with beaded HIV/AIDS awareness red ribbon pins. The money they earn and spend is carefully recorded in the club's financial record. They use their income to pay for school fees and materials, recently all members purchased school shoes for the new term. However, they are always careful to leave enough money remaining to purchase plenty of supplies to continue their IGAs and keep a constant flow of income.

GLOW club making place mats

Who is the GLOW Club?

Translations by Ba Priscilla Chomba

Christabel Mwenya

Christabel is 14 years old and is doing grade 9 at Mushota Basic School. Her favorite activities are playing netball and dancing. She lost her parents when she was 5, and moved in with her aunt's family in Mushota 3 years ago. Christabel explains that living with her relatives in Mushota is very difficult for her, "I am given a lot of hard work while my cousins just work a little bit. It does not make me feel good when I'm treated this way, it makes me think about my parents. I start to really miss them."

In school, Christabel enjoys learning English, Mathematics and Science, "When I'm taught these subjects, I find that I'm able to understand them well. I especially enjoyed learning about electricity and geometry. My goal is to finish school and become an accountant so that I can earn money to support other orphans like myself."

"I love the GLOW Club because I've learned many things. I've learned how to make placemats, which are my favorite things to make. I've learned how to keep myself at school, not to get married early, and how to choose good friends that help me to change my life. I also earn money that helps me to stay in school because I'm able to buy the school uniform, books, and pay my school fees."

For Term 2, May through July, 2008, Christabel bought a backpack, a school uniform, a sweater and notebooks with the money she earned.

Dorcas Musonda

Dorcas is 10 years old and doing grade 4 at Mushota Basic School. Dorcas enjoys playing hide and seek. "I like school because I like learning and my favorite subject is mathematics." She hopes to finish school and become a teacher, "so I can take care of myself and even look after other orphans."

Dorcas was 7 years old when she lost her parents. She moved in with her uncle's family in Mushota 1 year ago. "At my uncle's home, I am not considered the way my cousins are considered. I feel pain because of this but I am grateful because I am strong and healthy."

"I love the GLOW Club because we get to make things out of beads. I especially like making bracelets. When we sell the things we make, we are able to buy books, bags and other things, so I'm able to write and continue my schooling."

For Term 2, May through July, 2008, Dorcas bought a backpack, notebooks and socks with the money she earned.

Pilner Mulonga

Pilner is 13 years old and doing grade 7 at Mushota Basic School. She loves playing games such as netball and Frisbee. Pilner was 4 years old when she lost her parents. She now stays with her grandmother, "My grandmother is good because she takes care of me and gives me food. Pilner has 5 siblings who stay in Lusaka with her uncle, "I wish we could all stay together."

"I love the GLOW Club because I have learned how to sew. This is what I look forward to at meetings. My favorite is when we make placemats. It is difficult at my grandmother's house because my grandmother is old and she can't earn money for my schooling. GLOW helps me a lot because it will allow me to finish my schooling."

"I like learning and my favorite subject is science. We learned about electricity and light bulbs. I also like learning English because if I know English it will help me to take good care of my family. I want to complete my schooling and become a journalist. I admire a woman who tells the public news about the world."

For Term 2, May through July, 2008, Pilner bought new school shoes with the money she earned.

Tryness Ghama

Tryness is 16 years old and loves to run and play games. In January, 2008, she started grade 10 at Tea Estate High School, approximately 40 kilometers outside Mushota. Three months out of the year, during school holidays, Tryness stays with her uncle's family in Mushota. At Tea Estate, she lodges with family friends.

"I was taken by my uncle 2 years ago when I lost my father. When I was staying with my father, I was supported at school. It is different living with my uncle." Tryness says her goal is to work hard and complete her schooling, "I want to become a journalist so I can see the world and learn what is happening around the world."

"I love GLOW because I've come to know a lot of friends and it encourages me to complete my grade 12. The money that we earn helps me to complete my schooling because I'm able to buy the things that I need for school." For Term 2, May through July, 2008, Tryness used the money she earned to pay her school fees and buy toiletries to take with her to Tea Estate High School.

Ireen Mweenda

Ireen is 16 years old and doing grade 8 at Mushota Basic School. Her favorite subjects are Mathematics, English and Science, "I like learning mathematics because it teaches me many useful things. If I know mathematics, I will know how to sell things at the market or even become an accountant. I also love learning English because if I know English, I can do any job. I could go to any country and be able to speak to other people." Ireen hopes to finish school, "so I can get a job and take care of my relatives. I want to become a nurse so I can help people who are sick."

Ireen lost her parents when she was 14, and moved in with her aunt, "My aunt is good because she teaches me many things. She teaches me not to walk around at night, how to look after myself, and encourages me to go to school. But we often have problems with money, so she is not able to pay for my schooling."

"I am happiest when I don't fall sick and when we are not having so many problems. I love GLOW because I have learned how to sew and because being in the club has solved the problems that are hindering my life. I am able to go to school because GLOW is helping me. Being a member encourages me to continue my education and not get married early because the club looks down on quitting school."

Rosemary Besa

Rosemary is 15 years old, and is currently working on grade 8. Rosemary loves reading books and playing hide and seek. Rosemary was born in the capitol Lusaka, where she stayed with her parents until they passed away 8 years ago. She had no other relatives in Lusaka, so she had no choice but to move to the distant village of Mushota where her grandmother farms. Life changed drastically for Rosemary when her parents passed away, "My mom was able to afford most things for us, but since my grandmother is old, when I need something she often says, 'I don't have this, I don't have that'."

Rosemary has found guidance and support from the GLOW Club, "I like GLOW because I have learned how to look after myself, to avoid early marriage and pregnancy so I can complete my education. GLOW is helping me to continue my education because I am now able to buy what I need for school, which solves the problem that was hindering me."

Rosemary is a strong, confident young woman with goals and direction. She feels that if she becomes educated, she will have a chance at a brighter future: "I like going to school because I want to be educated so I can live a happy life. I am happy to be learning English because when I start working I'll be able to speak English with my boss and co-workers...My goal for now is to qualify for grade 10. I want to be a nurse because I don't want so many people to be dying.

"The most important thing about GLOW is that making these crafts and selling them is helping me to become educated. I want these things to continue so I can even go to college."

For term 2, May-July, Rosemary purchased a uniform and a sweater with the money she earned.

Virginia Katiba

Virginia is 13 years old, and doing grade 7. Virginia moved to Mushota from the town of Kazembe in 1997 when her father, an accountant, passed away. Her mother was unemployed and unable to care for Virginia on her own. With nowhere else to go, Virginia and her mother headed for the village where her grandmother lives.

Virginia is dedicated to her studies and plans to use her education to improve the lives of others, as well as her own: "I like science because I am learning about electricity and I want to work to bring electricity to the village. When I get a job I will be staying in a house with electricity. When there's a problem with the electricity, I will know how to fix it...My goal is to complete my education so that I can support orphans. My father passed away, and I'm being cared for by the GLOW Club, so I also want to care for other orphans."

"I like making jewelry and sewing at GLOW meetings, but the most important thing I like most is that I'm able to go to school."

more bios coming soon

GLOW Club Zambia

Girls Leading Our World

Lifting up AIDS orphaned youth through education and empowerment

Resources