Empowering
Women & Youth
Empowering Women & Youth
We empower women & youth through education and mentorship programs to enable them to be change agents for themselves and their communities.
why empower women & youth?
At the center of these vulnerable communities are the women and youth who are disproportionately affected by the struggles their communities face.
We are committed to the well-being of these women and youth—and know that they have a powerful potential to become advocates for generational change. In Zambia, women continue to have higher rates of HIV/AIDS and illiteracy than men.
Only 31% of girls complete primary school and only 8% complete secondary school. As 42% of girls in rural communities are married by age 18—meaning that Zambia has the 16th highest rate of child marriages in the world. These conditions contribute to an ongoing cycle of poverty, illiteracy, poor health outcomes, and high rates of child marriages and teen pregnancies.
For more than 20 years, our programs have focused on empowering and preparing each individual we serve to face challenges with confidence and self-determination. We provide youth with education and mentorship from women and men who have faced their own challenges with courage, grace, and determination. The women in our empowerment clubs receive business skills training, literacy classes, and access to micro loans.
We continue to see that while empowerment and educational success are intertwined for an individual, that same individual can empower their friends, family, and community..
We value individual development and create programs focused on self-reliance
our impact
Our programs continue to grow each month because of the generosity of people, like you, who are committed to being part of the change. Currently there are:

314
women empowered

402
youth educated and mentored

58
microloans given

When this young woman was first referred to our care in 2008, she and her brother were found living with

Press Release: A five-year partnership to make girls’ dreams come true Be That Girl Foundation (BTG) and Mothers Without Borders

When this young woman was first referred to our care in 2008, she and her brother were found living with their grandmother. They were severely malnourished and had been expected to work to provide for the family. The children were

Press Release: A five-year partnership to make girls’ dreams come true Be That Girl Foundation (BTG) and Mothers Without Borders (MWB) are joining forces to support girls in rural Zambia to live a self-determined life. Founded by Kathy Headlee in