And we’re off! Happy back-to-school

When Grace used to prepare for school, she didn’t worry about her grades, the state of her uniform or what gossip might be shared during lunch break.

She stressed about the journey. Would she make it to class on time? What boy was going to harass her on the walk today? How long before the soles on her new shoes would wear through?

The walk to school was a whopping 12 kilometres. She rarely arrived on time and her shoes rarely survived beyond three months.

“I was punished on a daily basis,” she told us. “I never used to concentrate in class.” In fact, she often fell asleep.

It makes sense. By the time Grace and her friends made it to school every morning, they’d practically lived a whole day.

The hardest part of the day

The distance was physically exhausting, but fear took its toll as well. Intimidation and violence from men and boys posed a real risk to the girls.

And if she had her period? With nowhere safe for personal hygiene along the way, it was a nightmare. She often chose to stay home altogether on those days.

“For me and my friends, we never had time to change pads at school because we were always late, and there was no time for us to do so,” she explained. “In my view, a girl should not walk long distances, especially during her monthly period.”

The barriers to education were high—too high for some. And unfortunately, in Grace’s community, girls who aren’t enrolled in school are more likely to end up married or pregnant at a young age. Across the country, nearly one in three women were married before age 18.

Grace was troubled when she talked to peers who had never had the chance to study. “Sometimes they would try to influence me to stop attending school … saying ‘where you are enrolled is very far. Just stop and stay at home.’”

A solution on wheels

Grace lives in Nyawa, Zambia, where a World Vision child sponsorship program is operating. Because of a partnership between World Vision Zambia and World Bicycle Relief, girls at her secondary school now have high-quality bikes to ease the stress of their daily commute.

When she heard a bike was coming her way, Grace was excited. “I knew that I would no longer be late to school, and those boys who used to trouble me by proposing to me on my way to school will have no chance of getting close to me,” she said. “I will be riding fast.”

True to her word, Grace became punctual every day and was able to focus and excel—especially in her favourite class, chemistry. When the teacher tapped her to explain chemistry concepts for her classmates, she loved it: “the more I explain to my fellow learners, the more I get to understand as well.”

Grace is thankful for the bike—and for the other progress happening through sponsorship. (“School-going children and the entire community have really been helped.”)

But her mind remains stuck on the girls who still aren’t in school. She’d like to see that change.

“My hope for every girl in my community is to see that everyone is educated,” she says. “Doing so will empower them to take care of their parents and themselves, and they will definitely have a bright future.”

Dreams in motion: A family-friendly activity

Grace had a goal: to continue her education. She faced some serious challenges, but certain things—like the bicycle, and her personal determination—helped her succeed.

Try this downloadable activity sheet, a fun way to talk with kids about goals and the things that help us achieve them. It may bring some meaningful conversations!