Twenty-three years ago, in the heart of Mapanza Village, located about 285 kilometers from Lusaka, a young girl named Monde Shimampwaila had a dream. She aspired to make a difference in her community by becoming a health worker who could contribute to improving health services and advancing health equity. However, like many young dreamers, Monde faced several challenges in her journey.
Growing up as an orphan with her grandparents, Monde held onto her determination to become a health professional. After enrolling at Macha School of Nursing, she attained a certificate to become an Enrolled Nurse, a position she held for nine years. However, financial challenges made it difficult for her to pursue further studies to become a Registered Nurse. “Since 2015, I had been trying to enroll in school to upgrade, but financial constraints and the low pay of Enrolled Nurses made it difficult,” Monde reflects.
Monde’s breakthrough came when she encountered the Learning for Life II Project led by Amref Health Africa in Zambia with support from the Pfizer Foundation. This project is aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality via increased skills and capacity of nurses to offer quality services through access to relevant, high quality and essential accredited training. Monde seized the opportunity by enrolling in the abridged nursing program at Livingstone College of Nursing and Midwifery, which allowed her to upgrade from an Enrolled Nurse to a Registered Nurse in just one year.
Monde found the abridged nursing program affordable, convenient, easy to use and flexible, as she juggled between being a mother, wife and health worker. The program, delivered through Amref’s Jibu Platform, allowed her to enhance her studies through having access to the training materials. “Before encountering the Learning for Life project, I struggled to use the Jibu platform. But after the support by Amref through training on digital content access I became more comfortable and confident in using the platform and that made my studies easy,” Monde shares.
Her perseverance paid off. Monde not only succeeded but excelled by emerging as Best Graduating Student from Livingstone School of Nursing and Midwifery in her cohort at the 10th Southern Province Combined Graduation Ceremony. Her dedication earned her recognition from Amref, who awarded her for the hard work. “Now that I have a diploma, it is easier for me to pursue a degree. The abridged program has motivated me to continue upgrading my education,” she says.
The project’s impact extends beyond individual students. Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Dr. George Sinyangwe, Permanent Secretary for Donor Coordination at the Ministry of Health, praised the efforts of students like Monde. “The pass rate is really impressive, congratulations to you and the dedication to your studies and inspirations, this graduation is catalytic to our agenda of achieving Universal Health Coverage in Zambia by 2030,” – Dr. Sinyangwe remarked.
Dr. George Sinyangwe praised the various programs and initiatives provided by the schools, including the Amref-led Abridged Nursing program through the Learning for Life II project. “Skill, team and resource in health is a very important building block for us to have a strong health system, and is a critical component in the delivery of quality health care services as close as possible to where people are” Dr. George Sinyangwe stated.
Monde’s story is a testament to the success of the Learning for Life Project. This initiative has trained 723 learners through the Jibu platform and has expanded to 19 additional colleges, offering essential skills that strengthen Zambia’s healthcare system. By providing affordable and flexible education, Amref is creating lasting health change, one graduate at a time.
Monde’s husband, Edwin Shamilimu, reflects on her achievement, “We are grateful to Amref for this initiative, and I pledge to support her future aspirations.”
Amref Health Africa in Zambia continues to invest in training initiatives such as the Jibu platform which is an enabler in the training journey of nurses like Monde, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to improve health outcomes for their communities.
Written by Chisha Chola – Communications Officer, Zambia