Tuesday February 5, 2013

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Former Kelowna woman helps Zambian girls

zambia women.jpg
Nava Ashraf with students (Courtesy Nava Ashraf)

In the east-African country of Zambia, 82 per cent of girls attend elementary school, but that drops to 36 percent by the time they get to high school.

Zambian families withdraw their daughters from school because of household demands, high tuition fees and cultural norms.

But a new program, started by a former Kelowna woman helps girls negotiate with their elders to stay in school, convincing the elders that an educated woman is a worthwhile investment.
   
Nava Ashraf graduated from Kelowna Secondary School and is now an associate professor at Harvard University.

She created the program called "Negotiating a Better Future."

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