Falkirk church volunteer sees efforts to free Zambian women from poverty

A Falkirk woman has helped teenage mums in a poverty-stricken African township learn valuable practical skills like baking, sewing and first aid, as part of a far-reaching church project.
Jessie Herd with some of the young mums involved in the projectJessie Herd with some of the young mums involved in the project
Jessie Herd with some of the young mums involved in the project

Jessie Herd (71), who’s attends Stenhouse and Carron Parish Church, is a member of the Church of Scotland Guild, and describes her week-long stay in Zambia as “awe-inspiring”.

In a week-long stay she was able to see first hand the results of the Journeying Together scheme, which supports 100 girls and their children, while also passing on skills the women can use to produce goods they can sell to support themselves.

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The project is run by the United Church of Zambia in Kanyama, near Zambian capital Lusaka, and the Guild has so far raised £45,000 towards its costs.

Ms Herd, a retired nursing teacher, said: “It was very humbling to see what we did for the young women, which was not much, actually meant to them.

“Project leader, Deaconess Mable Sitchali and her team are dedicated, caring, motherly and appear to have endless patience and energy.”

The project works to build confidence in the girls to challenge social injustice, and they are given the opportunity to return to school to finish their education or provided with vocational training.

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Ms Herd said: “The young women are remarkable and most of them need to get up at 5am and walk on average for 90 minutes to get to the project facility on week days.

“It takes a lot of commitment from them and also the leadership team to keep going day in and day out but it is a very worthwhile project and changing lives for the better.”

Karen Gillon, Associate Secretary of the Guild, said: “This is a project the Guild is proud to support and we now better understand the lives of the girls and the challenges that they face and the opportunities they are missing out on because society thinks they should leave school and their lives are over.

“The project is helping to ensure that their lives are not over and they can be whatever they want to be with the right support and encouragement.”

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