In the sun-drenched districts of Monze, Choma, and Kalomo, a quiet revolution is underway — not one led by policies on paper, but by parents pooling savings, girls reclaiming their right to learn, and schools becoming safe spaces of second chances.

This past week, teams from FAWE Zambia and the FAWE Regional Secretariat hit the ground to monitor the ongoing demonstrative interventions of the Break Free! (BF!) Program in five of the fifteen schools where it is currently being implemented. What they found was more than promising — it was proof of possibility.

At Mwanza and Chifusa Secondary Schools, we didn’t just observe — we listened. We sat with school heads, District Education Board Secretaries (DEBS), Provincial Education and Health Officers, and most importantly, with the girls themselves — girls who had dropped out due to early pregnancy or marriage, and who now walk the school corridors with books in hand and futures back in sight.

Here’s what’s working — and working beautifully:

  • Safe Clubs led by students are sparking honest conversations about teenage pregnancy and child marriage — not with shame, but with facts and solidarity.
  • Savings groups, formed by mothers and guardians, are becoming economic lifelines — not just to pay fees, but to say loud and clear: “our daughters belong in school.”
  • Sports coaches are turning fields into forums, where boys and girls alike engage in conversations once considered taboo, all while building confidence through play.
  • Community outreach is reinforcing what the classroom alone cannot: that a girl’s education is not optional — it’s essential.

And the impact? It’s real.

  • Reports from the field show a decline in child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
  • Girls now speak openly about their right to return to school after giving birth — not as a favor, but as a right.
  • Parents, especially mothers, are no longer bystanders—they are active agents of change.

It’s clear: these results are not due to a single actor, but a village of commitment — school administrators, community leaders, teachers, parents, students, and local authorities, all aligned in one direction: forward.