Maureen Phiri’s story of determination unfolds in Lundazi district of Eastern Province, Zambia. At 29 years old, Maureen balances her roles as a smallholder farmer, a mother of three, and a third-year college student at Chipata College of Education.

She cultivates maize, soya beans, and sunflowers, but her aspirations extend far beyond the boundaries of her fields. In addition to farming, Maureen operates a small business selling groceries and Chitenge wrappers. Amid daily challenges, she struggled with financial instability and uncertainty, especially during lean seasons, when food security became a concern.

A significant turning point occurred in 2020 when Maureen joined the Savings for Change Group supported by Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN II). This choice would play a crucial role in transforming her future. As the group’s secretary and a trained animator, Maureen experienced firsthand the empowering impact of savings and financial empowerment for women.

Before the group, life was difficult, she recounts. Managing finances was a constant struggle, and food insecurity loomed large in my household. However, with the support of the savings group, I see savings as a source of stability and resilience in the face of adversity,” said Maureen.

Through the group’s share-outs, Maureen gained access to essential resources for farming inputs such as fertiliser and seeds.

Maureen’s savings went beyond farming inputs to meet critical needs, like providing food for her family during difficult periods. With each share-out, Maureen’s confidence grew, and her aspirations soared.

When the harvest season arrived, Maureen seized the opportunity to invest in diversifying her future livelihoods.

After selling her maize production surplus in 2020, she diligently saved the proceeds amounting to ZMW6500 (US$279) within the savings group, capitalising on the opportunity to earn interest, and she got a total share out of ZMW10,950 (US$470) at the end of the first cycle.

Maureen celebrated achieving her savings goals by investing in buying two pigs and farm inputs.

 In February 2021, she began her primary teacher’s diploma course at Chipata College of Education, using part of her savings from the first cycle to pay for her tuition fees. She is now entering her third year of studies, embodying the transformative power of education. Aside from the benefits of joining the savings group, Maureen notes that she has gained valuable knowledge from the nutrition training shared by WFP and its partners.

Before I joined the savings group, I struggled to have three meals a day,” said Maureen. “We were taught that pregnant and lactating mothers should have all the necessary nutrients and know which foods to give to children up to two years at different times. Good nutrition in mothers leads to healthy childbirth and healthy children, while poor nutrition can result in malnourishment or underweight children.

Maureen explains that she has acquired knowledge on how to grow and preserve her own nutritious food.

“From the training, we learned how to preserve vegetables, so we have them during lean seasons when certain vegetables are not available,” she said. “When you get vegetables, boil and dry them before storing in a cool, dry place with low moisture to preserve them through the dry season. I like drying rape, cabbage, and pumpkin leaves. The good thing is that sometimes you can sell the surplus dried vegetables”, Maureen added.

Looking back on her journey, Maureen deeply appreciates the World Food Programme and its partners for investing in women like her through projects like the SUN II initiative.

With support from initiatives like Savings for Change groups, women are breaking barriers, overcoming challenges, and rewriting their destinies,” said Maureen. “After training as animators, we have formed numerous savings groups that are helping fellow women overcome challenges and change their lives for the better,” she added.

Maureen’s journey takes her from the fields of Kvileka to the halls of academia, highlighting the unlimited potential of every woman.

You can read more beneficiary stories from the report here.