February 19, 2015
Zambia
Another three students talk about their life and determination to get an education in one of four engineering disciplines that Caritas Czech Republic has supported since last September in Zambia. Anita and Mervis study cookery and Joao, tailoring. They are all committed to successfully completing the study, establishing their own businesses, or even to study further.
Anita
Anita Augusto Kibunji, a 21-year-old mom of a three-year-old boy, has 10 siblings. She always wanted to become a cop or an entrepreneur. Why a cop? Anita confided that she loves order and admires people who can maintain
order, both among people and in their affairs. Two years ago, she had to postpone her dreams in order take care of her son. Now she has begun to seek fulfillment of her dreams again. She believes that cooking classes helps her to become a successful businesswoman, at least.
She enjoys the class a lot. She claims that the life in the city and at students' dormitory opened her eyes. With her sister Nelly and friend Esther, she prepares a monthly budget for food and other necessities of life. In the past, it was usually her mother who did this. In January, Anita was looking forward to the second semester and promised to keep the position of the best course student.
In the future, she plans to open her own restaurant or take-away. It is the way to earn money so she can expand the business and also register for the police course. And where does she see herself in five years? She is a successful businesswoman-cop, of course.
Joao
Peter Joao comes from an Angolan farming family. At only 23, he lived for six years with a wife of same age. They have two sons, the elder is five years old; the younger is two years. As a breadwinner Joao decided to 
enroll in the tailoring course with hope for a better life. He believes that a vocational certificate makes it possible for him to start his own successful business and get rich. As he says, "Life in Meheba is very difficult for farmers. The work is exhausting and the income is low." For now, they grow corn and vegetables with his wife, partly for sales; partly for domestic consumption.
When Joao heard from his friends about the opportunity to study a technical discipline, he stepped forward immediately and went for job interviews. Because he lacks money, he completed only the seventh grade. The CCR study program presents for him exceptional opportunity to continue his education. Now, as the only youngster among seven girls, he learns dressmaking. On the occasion of one Caritas workers’ visit at the school, he proudly displayed a dress sewn for his wife. She now wears it with pride and supports her husband in his studies. Joao hopes to open his own tailor shop after graduation, so he would be able to provide for his family more effectively.
Mervis
25-year-old Mervis studies cookery, although she initially enrolled in metal production course. She came to Meheba with her parents, who immigrated to work. Mervis worked for three years as a community worker and a
year in a local school as a teacher. But as she says, her salary was too low, and her aim was to provide for her two sons. Mervis is married, but her husband works and lives in Angola. So the family budget is not stable. That is why she joined the CCR program.
She is engaged in a series of local events such as prevention and education events on HIV / AIDS and violence against women. She sings in the church choir and at the semester end celebration organized by Caritas Czech Republic she was one of the "directors" of a skit concerning peer pressure on a young person and the possible negative consequences.
Life at school in Solwezi is very interesting for Mervis. She learned a lot and realized how much knowledge is needed for a good cook. Although she was baking and selling fried donuts in the past, she has much more knowledge now and plans to open her own hotel. She wants to start small, but has bold plans: "First I open a simple and small restaurant with take-away with the traditional Zambian food and beverages. After maybe three years, I want enlarge the restaurant and expand and open a hotel where I will offer accommodation. Finally, I want to have a successful business - a nice restaurant and a large hotel with a swimming pool."
Anita, Joao and Mervis continue in the second semester of one of the four study programs (metal production, carpentry and joinery, tailoring and cookery), which CCR supports within the program for the inclusion of former Angolan refugees in Zambian society funded by the Office of the High Commissioner for UN Refugees.
Article is connected to the article Abraham, Mukonda and Robbams - Meet students from Zambia, 6 January 2015.
