1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,400 My name is Cindy Burleson and I'm chairman of the International Sibling Society. 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:12,380 It's a privilege to welcome you to SDG's Explained podcast, the podcast where we explore 3 00:00:12,380 --> 00:00:20,700 the 17 global sustainable development goals and how people in over 190 countries are working 4 00:00:20,700 --> 00:00:27,400 together to make life better on the planet for all life, both above and below the water. 5 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:33,800 The 17 sustainable development goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect 6 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,000 the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all. 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:46,760 Addressing key challenges such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, 8 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:53,480 clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, 9 00:00:53,480 --> 00:01:01,480 industry innovation and 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00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:40,960 boundaries and has the potential to bridge gaps in our global society. 37 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:46,440 Through our videos, we aim to nurture this bond and ignite a sense of camaraderie that 38 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,120 goes beyond geographical limitations. 39 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,720 Well what can you expect from the International Sibling Society's YouTube channel? 40 00:03:54,720 --> 00:04:00,680 Well allow us to give you a simple glimpse into the captivating content that awaits. 41 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,360 You'll find inspiring stories. 42 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:09,840 You'll discover awe-inspiring stories of individuals who have overcome challenges, embraced diversity, 43 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,880 and made a positive impact in their community. 44 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:18,080 These stories will touch your heart and remind you of the incredible strength that lies within 45 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,360 human relationships. 46 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00:06:42,840 Society's mission. 75 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:48,880 Together, we can create a world where individuals stand united, empowering one another, and 76 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:53,200 leaving a lasting positive impact on our shared humanity. 77 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:59,240 We encourage you to subscribe now and be a part of our global community. 78 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:08,120 In this season of SDGs Explained, we're exploring incredible projects under the leadership of 79 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:13,240 Mandela Washington Fellowship recipients across the African continent. 80 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:18,080 I'm your host, Cindy Burleson, chairman of the International Siblings Society. 81 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:22,940 Today we sit in the studio of the Innovation Center in Reno, Nevada. 82 00:07:22,940 --> 00:07:25,960 Our guest comes all the way from Zambia. 83 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:33,360 Please welcome Priscilla Bander, the founder of the Center for Research, Advocacy, and 84 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:37,320 Consultancy on Gender-Based Violence in Zambia. 85 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,600 Priscilla, it's a pleasure to have you here. 86 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:41,680 Thank you. 87 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,640 It's an honor to be on the show. 88 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,440 So, Priscilla, your work is truly inspiring. 89 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:53,000 You're not only running an organization focused on gender-based violence, but you're also 90 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:58,560 pursuing an MBA and working with the Northern Nevada International Center. 91 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:03,720 Could you tell us a bit about your journey and what led you to champion sustainable development 92 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,200 goals? 93 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,520 Absolutely. 94 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:12,700 Thank you, Cindy, for the opportunity to be on this amazing, amazing podcast. 95 00:08:12,700 --> 00:08:17,560 You guys are doing a great job, and it's just amazing to share your deep passion for addressing 96 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:22,320 the pressing issues that the world is facing. 97 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:31,560 And my passion for addressing women and girls in my community inspired us to start our work 98 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,400 with the center. 99 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,520 And now, just to provide context to where I come from. 100 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:43,100 I come from Zambia, and in Zambia, women mostly are marginalized. 101 00:08:43,100 --> 00:08:48,300 And I guess these are stories that we hear pretty much all over the world. 102 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:55,000 And in Zambia, the marginalization is mostly experienced by women. 103 00:08:55,000 --> 00:09:02,020 And now, women are the majority, and they share the unbanked population in the country. 104 00:09:02,020 --> 00:09:08,720 And the reason why women have been marginalized for so long, I explained by the many factors 105 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:13,800 such as lack of finances, basic budgets, and a huge scale of personal responsibilities 106 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,160 that are placed on girls. 107 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:23,260 And now, these factors pretty much contribute to women not having the opportunities to 108 00:09:23,260 --> 00:09:29,280 access resources such as education, economic empowerment. 109 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:37,520 Now, our work, my work in the center is not just usual work. 110 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,760 For me, this is a lifestyle. 111 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:47,920 I personally experienced discrimination as a girl growing up. 112 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:56,480 Now, I grew up in a time that taking a girl child to school was seen as a shame, as a 113 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:57,480 curse. 114 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:05,480 So, I was lucky that my parents really valued education, and they really did everything 115 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:10,640 they could despite the financial challenges that they experienced at that time to take 116 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,400 me and my siblings at school. 117 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:18,840 And now, I talked about how being a girl child was seen as a curse, and parents who had girl 118 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,480 children being seen as less than. 119 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:30,760 But at that moment, in a family of seven, where five of those children were girls, my 120 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:38,560 parents really did everything they could to provide an opportunity for me to go to school. 121 00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:46,400 And now, in Zambia, currently, according to the research that was done by the recent demographic 122 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:52,800 health survey, it showed that we stand at 55% literacy. 123 00:10:52,800 --> 00:11:00,480 And what that says is that most of our population do not really have access to education, and 124 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:04,880 women are a significant part of that population. 125 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:11,320 And this really inspired me to start the work with the center to make sure that women have 126 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:17,240 all the resources and opportunities for them to be empowered, to get an education, and 127 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:22,800 to ultimately get rid of the violence that is taking place in our communities, which 128 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,320 is exacerbated by these factors. 129 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:30,840 And now, most of these women that I've talked about that do not have access to employment, 130 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:37,440 for example, do not have access to education, most of these you will find that they find 131 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:42,720 themselves employed in informal settings, such as maybe just selling foods door to door 132 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:44,720 or at the market. 133 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:50,720 And we have seen in the recent past, especially after COVID, that the rates of teenage pregnancy, 134 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:56,340 HIV infection, and gender-based violence have been on the rise. 135 00:11:56,340 --> 00:12:06,440 And so we were challenged due to these ongoing activities or challenges in the country to 136 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,160 start our work at the center. 137 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:17,040 And what we basically focus on is empowering a woman, a girl, to make sure that they have 138 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,380 opportunities and resources that they need to thrive. 139 00:12:21,380 --> 00:12:27,300 And our work mostly, we work with young girls and young women in Zambia who are facing many 140 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:30,980 challenges when it comes to gender-based violence. 141 00:12:30,980 --> 00:12:38,180 And our work speaks to the urgent need that we thought needed comprehensive solutions. 142 00:12:38,180 --> 00:12:44,520 And so you will see that in our work, we provide advocacy, we provide consultancy, and we do 143 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:52,800 research that informs policy to enable governments, not only in our country, but many other platforms 144 00:12:52,800 --> 00:13:02,640 that we find ourselves in, to have informed information that can speak to the barriers 145 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,800 and challenges that we're currently facing as a country. 146 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:16,960 And so in short, that's basically my passion or what speaks to the reason why we even started 147 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:17,960 this project. 148 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:23,440 Now, a little bit about myself, I have a bachelor's degree in education, that was my foundational 149 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:24,560 degree. 150 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:30,440 And I went on to do my master's in public health, which led me to work with various 151 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:37,440 agencies that work in HIV management, dealing with women's issues and girls' issues, menstrual 152 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,760 hygiene, mental health. 153 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:46,980 And so that work and experience has significantly also contributed to my passion in dealing 154 00:13:46,980 --> 00:13:52,560 with issues in the community concerning health of young girls, education of young girls, 155 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:54,360 and also economic empowerment. 156 00:13:54,360 --> 00:14:01,160 Now, I'm currently pursuing an MBA with the University of Nevada, Reno. 157 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:07,320 And my hope with this degree is that it will help me attend the necessary skills to manage 158 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,400 and expand our organization more effectively. 159 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:16,760 Additionally, I'm also currently working with the Northern Nevada International Center, 160 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,880 their refugee placement and resettlement program. 161 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:25,960 And what this program really focuses on is rehabilitating and restoring the lives of 162 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:32,760 many refugees that flock in the United States from their war-torn countries to provide employment 163 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:38,320 services, for example, housing, and just a decent life. 164 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:45,760 So that also speaks to my passion to bring positive impact in the lives of many people. 165 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:50,600 So basically right now, that's what I'm currently working on. 166 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,880 Well, that's absolutely remarkable, Priscilla. 167 00:14:53,880 --> 00:15:02,120 Let's dive a little bit deeper into the specific sustainable development goals you're championing. 168 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:07,480 Sustainable development goal number three focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting 169 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,800 well-being for all ages. 170 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:15,640 How does your organization contribute to this goal, especially concerning gender-based violence? 171 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:18,080 Thank you, Cindy. 172 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:23,840 So at the Center for Research Advocacy and Consultancy, we recognize that gender-based 173 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,920 violence has severe physical and mental health implications. 174 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:34,080 And so we provide holistic support services to survivors of our violence. 175 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:40,040 We help with referrals to medical care, counseling, and psychosocial support. 176 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:47,180 And by addressing these health needs of survivors, we contribute to SDG 3, whose objective is 177 00:15:47,180 --> 00:15:49,640 ensuring the well-being for all. 178 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:55,120 We also conduct research to better understand the underlying causes of gender-based violence 179 00:15:55,120 --> 00:16:00,200 and use this knowledge to advocate for the policies that I already mentioned in the beginning 180 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,560 that prioritize prevention and support services. 181 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:11,000 Well, it's commendable how you're working towards SDG 3 by providing comprehensive support 182 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:12,000 to survivors. 183 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:19,880 Moving on to SDG 4, which focuses on quality education, how does your organization contribute 184 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:21,160 to this goal? 185 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:29,280 Now, I have already shared my story with regards to how a regular African girl has experiences 186 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:30,680 with education. 187 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:36,500 And so over the years, we have been working to ensure that we provide more opportunities 188 00:16:36,500 --> 00:16:40,320 for girls and young women to have access to this education. 189 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,720 Because as we all know, education is the greatest equalizer. 190 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:45,640 It doesn't matter where you come from. 191 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:52,080 If you're empowered with that too, it is an opportunity that you can use to make yourself 192 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,820 more economically independent, make yourself more valuable for your community. 193 00:16:56,820 --> 00:17:01,560 And so because we believe that education is a vital tool in preventing and addressing 194 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:09,640 database violence, we conduct awareness campaigns and educational workshops in schools, communities, 195 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:17,200 workplaces to promote gender equality, respectful relationships, and the importance of consent. 196 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:21,840 Our program aims to empower individuals with knowledge and skills to challenge harmful 197 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:28,200 social norms and build a society that respects and values everybody. 198 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:33,120 Now Cindy, we have worked on a number of projects, such as the Kumwezi project. 199 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:35,960 And now Kumwezi, people might be wondering what that means. 200 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,720 Kumwezi simply means moon. 201 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:44,920 And this came from the ancient days where our mothers used to believe that when the 202 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:50,200 moon is in a certain position, then a girl is supposed to experience menstruation. 203 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:57,200 And so this project is focusing on providing menstrual hygiene products for young girls 204 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:04,480 and women, especially in underserved communities, and also works on debunking the myths that 205 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:08,880 come with menstruation for young girls. 206 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:12,720 We have seen that menstruation is huge. 207 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,360 Almost every girl goes through that path. 208 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:21,120 And because of the challenges and the barriers, lack of resources to use at that time of the 209 00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:26,000 month, we find that most of the girls drop out of school. 210 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:30,400 And so what this project does is that it has made it possible for more girls to stay in 211 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:31,760 school. 212 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:36,360 And apart from that, we also offer mentorship, scholarship for girls that are struggling 213 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:39,840 to stay in school due to financial constraints. 214 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:45,680 And by engaging with educational institutions and communities, we actively contribute to 215 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:52,560 STG's full mission of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all. 216 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,280 Well, that's wonderful, Priscilla. 217 00:18:55,280 --> 00:19:01,160 It's critical to start at the grassroots level and empower individuals through education 218 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,280 to foster positive change. 219 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,640 And you all sound like you're doing an amazing job in that regard. 220 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:14,000 Well, let's move on to sustainable development goal number five, which focuses on achieving 221 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,720 gender equality and empowering all women and girls. 222 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,760 How does your organization strive to achieve this goal? 223 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:29,320 Okay, so I have talked about how my experience has been with challenges of inequalities at 224 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:30,320 school. 225 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:37,160 And so we as an organization work with various stakeholders to ensure that there is affirmative 226 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:38,200 action. 227 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:44,160 We are working with organization to ensure that we keep our girls in school and we ensure 228 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:51,000 that gender equality lies at the core of every organization's mission, not only in schools, 229 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,120 but every organization. 230 00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:58,360 And so we work towards achieving this goal through various avenues. 231 00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:04,120 First, we provide safe spaces for women and girls to share their experiences and access 232 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:05,120 support. 233 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:10,480 We advocate for laws and policies that protect the rights of women and girls, ensuring their 234 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,720 voices are heard and their needs are addressed. 235 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:19,840 Additionally, Cindy, we collaborate with other organizations and stakeholders to create networks 236 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,160 of support and foster collective action. 237 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:29,240 And we believe that by amplifying the voices of women and girls and challenging discriminatory 238 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:36,680 practices, we contribute to SDG's five objectives of achieving gender equality and empowerment. 239 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:40,840 Well, that's incredibly impactful, Priscilla. 240 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:45,520 Your dedication to gender equality is definitely inspiring. 241 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:50,760 Could you briefly share any ongoing projects or upcoming initiatives that our listeners 242 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:52,880 can look forward to? 243 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:53,880 Certainly. 244 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:59,920 So, Cindy, we have several ongoing projects focused on community outreach and education. 245 00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:05,040 One of the initiatives that we currently have involves establishing safe houses for our 246 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:10,560 survivors of gender-based violence, providing them with temporary shelter and support services. 247 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:18,640 And we are also on a research project to better understand the intersectionality of gender-based 248 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,440 violence and its impact on marginalized communities. 249 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:31,360 Furthermore, collaborating with organizations from Ghana called EcoPeriod has also significantly 250 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:33,320 helped our work. 251 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:41,100 And what EcoPeriod as an organization is focusing on is they provide and manufacture reusable 252 00:21:41,100 --> 00:21:42,560 sanitary pads. 253 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:49,400 And so with our goal to provide menstrual hygiene products for our girls, we are working 254 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:57,560 with this organization to provide more resources for our girls and also provide menstrual hygiene 255 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:01,120 education for the girls that are in schools. 256 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:06,320 Additionally, we also have a project in the pipeline that we're currently planning, and 257 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,720 it's going to be called the Amakwewo Project. 258 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:15,080 Now, I know our listeners are probably asking themselves, what does Amakwewo mean? 259 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:22,760 Amakwewo is simply a word in Nyanja that means business. 260 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:31,080 And so this particular initiative's goal is to ensure that we provide and create a lasting 261 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,880 change and address the root causes of gender-based violence. 262 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:40,000 Now, I mentioned in the beginning that one of the biggest challenges and barriers or 263 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:47,560 factors that contribute to the rising number of cases in gender-based violence is economic 264 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,560 dependency. 265 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:57,680 And so what this project seems to do is it's going to be providing entrepreneurship mentorship. 266 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:04,480 It will provide seed funds for young women who are victims of violence. 267 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:10,640 So whilst we provide the shelter, whilst we provide the mental health support, the counseling 268 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:19,480 that these girls need, we also want to make sure that we provide solutions that are sustainable. 269 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:26,600 And for us, our belief is that sustainability comes by empowering the woman who is going 270 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,800 through this violence to be independent. 271 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:34,880 And so this project will provide mentorship like I already mentioned, and it will also 272 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:44,720 provide financial resources to help her start a business to support herself and her family. 273 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:46,200 That's incredible, Priscilla. 274 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:52,180 I'm sure our listeners are going to be eager to follow your organization's progress and 275 00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:54,200 support your work. 276 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:58,040 We certainly wish you all the best in your endeavors. 277 00:23:58,040 --> 00:23:59,040 Thank you, Cindy. 278 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:05,800 I believe that together we can make a significant difference in creating a more equitable and 279 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,080 violence-free society. 280 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:13,520 Well, let's build on what we've talked about here a little bit more. 281 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:20,160 Can you tell us more about your project and how it aligns with the United Nations Sustainable 282 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:25,040 Development Goals in a way that we may not have talked about before? 283 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:32,440 So I have talked about how our multiple projects and community initiatives are happening, how 284 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:37,560 most of them relate to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, 285 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:43,960 promoting quality education, and also providing opportunities that eliminate barriers to economic 286 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,320 empowerment and equality. 287 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:52,640 Our project focuses on improving all forms and eliminating all forms of discrimination 288 00:24:52,640 --> 00:25:01,160 against women, not only physical but also economic and social forms of violence. 289 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:09,320 And our organization also works on menstrual hygiene promotion, economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, 290 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,960 and enterprise development for women. 291 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:16,800 And what we do is provide resources that provide women and girls access to recovery for more 292 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:22,800 forms of discrimination, such as physical, economic, mental wellness, support, and counseling. 293 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:29,120 And I believe that these are things that the UN is so much interested in as we are trying 294 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:32,200 to achieve the SDGs. 295 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,120 Right. 296 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:38,080 Well, that's wonderful. 297 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:43,120 And let's take a moment to talk about your country, Zambia. 298 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:44,800 Tell us more about who lives in Zambia. 299 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:46,320 Who lives there? 300 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:48,360 So Zambia is a beautiful country. 301 00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:50,700 It's a landlocked country. 302 00:25:50,700 --> 00:25:54,920 It's surrounded by eight amazing countries. 303 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:56,880 And we have a lot of safaris. 304 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:02,520 We have the mighty, one of the seven wonders of the world is housed in Zambia. 305 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,520 It's called the Victoria Falls. 306 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:08,360 And I hope one of these days, Cindy, you come and enjoy yourself. 307 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:10,360 Oh, fantastic. 308 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:12,860 Obviously, there's humans there. 309 00:26:12,860 --> 00:26:15,640 But what about some of the other life that's there in your country? 310 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:20,280 What are some of the animals at this safari and what else? 311 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:27,400 In the safari, we are so privileged to have the big five. 312 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,880 The big five, we're talking about lions. 313 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:34,680 We are talking about elephants, the cheetah, and all these amazing animals. 314 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:40,640 And we see a lot of people coming in to just have a lion and cheetah walk. 315 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,600 I just did my walk a few months ago. 316 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:44,840 And I miss home. 317 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:50,680 I hope to go back and enjoy the safaris again one of these days. 318 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:51,960 That sounds fantastic. 319 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:56,400 Well, let's ping pong back to your project. 320 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:02,160 And we just I want what motivated you in the first place to pursue your project. 321 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:10,720 So like I indicated in the beginning of my introduction, this work with the center and 322 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:20,920 my co-founder, our motivation was seeing the challenges and the barriers that various women 323 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,200 go through. 324 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,680 And that really inspired us to do something. 325 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:31,720 I always believe and tell people that if there's one thing that frustrates you, if there's 326 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:38,680 one thing that makes you feel bad, if there's something that you see in your community that 327 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:46,120 really just sets you off, that's the universe of God telling you that you need to do something 328 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:47,600 about it. 329 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,640 And that was my case. 330 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:55,680 I looked at the various challenges I went through as a girl growing up, even now as 331 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,160 a young woman. 332 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:04,960 And I want to make an impact in women who have the same experiences as I do, because 333 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,400 I always say I am not a victim. 334 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:11,640 I am the person that provides solutions. 335 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:18,160 And this is why there's power, so much power in the SDGs, because it gives us a unity of 336 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,560 purpose. 337 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,240 It doesn't matter where you come from. 338 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,520 It doesn't matter if you come from Zambia, if you come from Nigeria, or if you come from 339 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,040 America or from Britain. 340 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:29,720 We all have one purpose. 341 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:34,120 And that purpose is to make the world a better place to live in. 342 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:42,480 And so for me, I am driven by that philosophy that wherever I am, the world is better because 343 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:43,480 I'm there. 344 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:48,360 And so this is the work that really makes me feel that I will make that impact, the 345 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:50,600 positive impact that my community needs. 346 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaking of people around the world, I know you're an emerging leader from the African 347 00:28:58,360 --> 00:28:59,360 continent. 348 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:03,840 If there's another leader on the other side of the world who's interested in doing a project 349 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:12,560 similar to yours, or if there's something in your leadership qualities that was inspiring 350 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:19,880 to them, could you just walk us through the process of how you implemented your projects? 351 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:23,800 What steps have you taken to ensure their success? 352 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:29,880 So one of the things that I always tell people every time that we're talking about topics 353 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,120 like this, starting projects, making a difference. 354 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:39,840 One of the things that in the initial stages really stopped me from doing what I was supposed 355 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,280 to do was procrastination. 356 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:48,440 And so I would speak to the person listening to this right now that if you have a passion 357 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:53,440 that is burning within you, do it and do it right now. 358 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:56,840 Because we are not here for a very long time. 359 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:59,240 I believe that we are not here for a very long time. 360 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:06,480 And so the limited time that we have in this world, use it wisely. 361 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:10,800 Connect with people that are passionate about the things that you're passionate about. 362 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,480 Connect with people that will help you to grow. 363 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,920 Connect with people that will help you to be impactful in your community. 364 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,160 Connect with people that will challenge you. 365 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:25,280 And that's what has helped me, knowing that I cannot do it on my own. 366 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:30,420 And so I have harnessed the power of collaboration. 367 00:30:30,420 --> 00:30:35,720 Because sometimes resources can be hard to come through for projects that you start. 368 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:40,680 But one of the things that has really helped us is, for example, using strategies like 369 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,080 community engagements. 370 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:49,800 You will be surprised that communities are so supportive. 371 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:54,600 I come from an environment that believes in Ubuntu. 372 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,240 I don't know, Cindy, if you know about Ubuntu. 373 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:06,280 Ubuntu is just simply a philosophy that really advocates for collaboration, partnership, 374 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:12,000 and working together for one goal, which is to make life better. 375 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:16,840 And so when you put yourself out there and connect with people that can work with you 376 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,280 to achieve the goals that you want to achieve, do it. 377 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:21,280 Don't wait for tomorrow. 378 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:22,280 Do it today. 379 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:23,280 Excellent. 380 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:24,280 Excellent. 381 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:25,280 Excellent advice. 382 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:31,400 Are there any success stories or memorable moments from your project that you can share 383 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:33,000 with us today? 384 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:37,840 There are a lot of success stories. 385 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,880 And for us, it's impacting one life at a time. 386 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:49,520 And I will share a story of, I will use a fictional character name of Esther. 387 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:57,680 But this woman came to us when she was battered by her husband, and it was at a point of death. 388 00:31:57,680 --> 00:31:59,460 She was almost dying. 389 00:31:59,460 --> 00:32:08,000 And so when she came to the center, she was provided with the resources to recover medically, 390 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:09,000 physically. 391 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:16,680 We provided referral services to the hospitals in the community to help her to just recover. 392 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:25,680 We protected her, we made her get legal protection, Irish training order and all that. 393 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:29,800 And right now as we speak, this woman has gone back to school. 394 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:34,960 She's got two children and those two children also have been enrolled with the support that 395 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:36,920 we get from the community. 396 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,120 They have been enrolled back in school. 397 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:44,480 This woman has, as she's going to school, she's running a small business that sustains 398 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:46,160 her family, her children. 399 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:47,400 Now she's safe. 400 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:53,840 And so it's stories like this that really keep us going and keep our work going, seeing 401 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:59,080 that the work that we do really translates into a real life. 402 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:00,800 You can see the impact. 403 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:07,480 You can see the change that this woman is now at a point where she's mentally stable, 404 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:14,480 she's physically healthy, and she's about to take care of herself and her children. 405 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,360 That's truly inspiring, Priscilla. 406 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:23,560 It's incredible to see how the impact of your project is making on individual lives. 407 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:30,600 Now looking ahead, what are your future plans and aspirations for your project? 408 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:36,680 So I have talked about the center, which is a safe space for children. 409 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:44,040 So currently we do not really have a dedicated place where we house these children, or sorry, 410 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:45,720 where we house these clients. 411 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:53,000 We just work with the temporal help that community members provide us. 412 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:57,880 For example, motels, they would give us a room for a week or so, and then we work with 413 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:04,360 them to house our clients until they reach a point where they are stable enough and they 414 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:07,160 have a place to stay. 415 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:12,520 Because sometimes they come to us when they are at a point when things are really bad, 416 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:16,120 they are not safe, they're physically in a bad shape. 417 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:24,940 And so we are working to have a center that will house about 500 women. 418 00:34:24,940 --> 00:34:35,080 So we are looking for a facility that will help us to house about 500 women capacity 419 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:39,160 so that we can have and provide all our resources under one roof. 420 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:45,880 Or sometimes we have to, because of the constraints that we have with financial resources and 421 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,780 funding, we have to house these women in different places. 422 00:34:49,780 --> 00:34:55,520 And sometimes that can provide challenges to accessing the services that they need to 423 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:57,140 recover. 424 00:34:57,140 --> 00:35:08,100 And so our biggest goal is to have this center by the year 2026. 425 00:35:08,100 --> 00:35:15,320 And another goal is to have a training facility where we can train not only victims of abuse, 426 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:21,720 but just women so that we can keep them busy, we can keep them economically independent. 427 00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:25,680 So those are some of the things that we are currently focusing right now. 428 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:30,000 Well, it's impressive how comprehensive your approach is, Priscilla. 429 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:39,080 Now, I'm going to ask you this question almost as if it was like a bullet point type of assertion 430 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:40,400 here. 431 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:45,640 Is there some positive impacts that your project has had in the communities that you've worked 432 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:47,080 with? 433 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:58,360 So when we have trained and provided support for over 500 women, we have distributed over 434 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:03,720 5,000 menstrual hygiene products in schools. 435 00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:07,120 And sometimes we do prison visits for women. 436 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:14,400 And we have provided mental health support for victims of abuse. 437 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:22,320 We have provided support for even children or dependents that come with the women that 438 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:23,320 are abused. 439 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:30,200 Because those are also our clients, and we have also seen a need that not only do the 440 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,240 women themselves need their support, but the children also themselves need the support 441 00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:37,380 and also resources that can help them. 442 00:36:37,380 --> 00:36:42,080 So those are some of the things that we have scored. 443 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:49,200 And we are looking to multiply that impact into more numbers. 444 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:53,720 And it will require a lot of support, and that's why we urge people to come on board 445 00:36:53,720 --> 00:36:55,880 and have conversations with us. 446 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,160 Well, that's incredible. 447 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:01,920 We're moving towards the end of our time together here today. 448 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:07,080 Do you have any key advice or key learnings you'd like to share with our listeners who 449 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:12,920 might be interested in undertaking similar projects in their part of the world? 450 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:17,120 So like I have already mentioned, get started. 451 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:20,240 I think that's the first step, get started. 452 00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:25,400 Start connecting with people that are passionate about the things that you are passionate about. 453 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:36,760 And one of the things that I will also encourage you to do is to not only seek support and 454 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:43,600 collaboration and partnerships, but also have a mindset to say, even when things get tough, 455 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:47,320 we will still continue because at the end of the day, it's speaking to your purpose 456 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:54,960 as a person and it's also contributing to achieving the goals that the United Nations 457 00:37:54,960 --> 00:37:57,660 has set for us to achieve. 458 00:37:57,660 --> 00:38:01,280 I believe that together we can do amazing work. 459 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:02,680 It doesn't require one person. 460 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:06,680 It requires the efforts and contributions from everyone. 461 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:12,760 And if there's one thing that I know about you, Priscilla, is that you're ready to connect 462 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,800 with people who are interested in the work that you're doing. 463 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:16,800 Absolutely. 464 00:38:16,800 --> 00:38:17,800 So I hope that... 465 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:18,800 Absolutely. 466 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:23,700 I'm so ready to connect with people that are passionate about the work that we're doing. 467 00:38:23,700 --> 00:38:27,400 We believe that we can do more when you come and join us. 468 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:31,200 Well, your dedication and vision are commendable. 469 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:35,520 Is there anything else you'd like to share or any message you'd like to convey to our 470 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:36,520 listeners? 471 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:42,680 Apart from inviting them to come to Zambia, the beautiful country, I encourage you to 472 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:43,680 reach out. 473 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:48,160 We'll provide contact details for those that are interested. 474 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:49,160 You can reach out with us. 475 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:54,880 Then we can have a conversation on how we can make an impact together. 476 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:59,720 Tell us where we can find you both on the planet and Zambia and online. 477 00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:00,720 Okay. 478 00:39:00,720 --> 00:39:01,720 So... 479 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:05,400 If any of our listeners want to reach out, how can they contact you? 480 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:06,400 Okay. 481 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:11,760 So I am on LinkedIn as Priscilla Simone Banda. 482 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:13,920 You can reach me on LinkedIn. 483 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:18,840 And I also have a Facebook profile page. 484 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:22,680 It's called Priscilla McMillan. 485 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:26,800 And you can also find me on Instagram as Priscilla Banda. 486 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:32,160 You can reach out and we can have an awesome conversation about that. 487 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:33,160 Fantastic. 488 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:38,080 Well, Priscilla, thank you for sharing your incredible project with us today. 489 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:43,000 It's been an honor to highlight your work and the impact you're making in Zambia. 490 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,880 We wish you all the success in your future endeavors. 491 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:50,960 And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to the International Siblings Society 492 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:55,840 SDG Explained podcast. 493 00:39:55,840 --> 00:40:00,720 Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and projects aligned with the Sustainable Development 494 00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:01,720 Goals. 495 00:40:01,720 --> 00:40:05,000 Remember, together we can make a difference. 496 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,800 Priscilla, it's been an absolute pleasure having you here on the show today and learning 497 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,080 about your impactful work. 498 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:12,920 And thank you for joining us. 499 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:14,120 Thank you so much, Cindy. 500 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:15,120 Thank you for having me. 501 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:17,880 It's been a pleasure to be with you this afternoon. 502 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:24,360 Well, and to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to SDG's Explained today. 503 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:27,720 Join us next time where you'll find our podcast here today. 504 00:40:27,720 --> 00:40:31,840 The same place or you can search for us by name. 505 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:39,840 SDG's Explained on any of these well-known platforms, Spotify, Amazon Music, Sansum 506 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:47,000 Poncast, Podcast Index, ListenNotes, and of course the RSS.com community. 507 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:52,480 You can also find the International Siblings Society and the SDG's Explained series on 508 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:53,760 YouTube. 509 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:58,320 We urge you to take the time to look us up on YouTube and subscribe to our channel. 510 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:04,680 Indeed, we need your support to get our message through the algorithms so everyone everywhere 511 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:10,600 around the planet can hear it 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