Single Mums Club Zambia is a Non Governmental Organisation that was established in 2014. It was officially launched in 2015 at Ster Kinekor Cinemas in Lusaka. On 2nd July 2016,the Organisation celebrated its 1st Anniversary at Lusaka’s Protea Lusaka Tower.
Founded by Zambia’s Award winning Philanthropist, Speaker and Writer, Mwansa Bwale. The Single Mums Club, which she founded after having a child out of wedlock, tackles the stigma against single mothers as well as the harshly solicited comments against them. Mwansa says, “There are very young girls out there in school who believe that getting pregnant and getting married are tickets to a comfortable life, and that horrifies me! We want to get rid of such a mentality and build young ladies into strong, confident and independent women.” The organisation also aims to support struggling single mothers financially,emotionally and Socially. Members are engaged in skill based training in order to help them sustain themselves and support their children. Also to give hope and inspiration to the single mothers. It additionally aims to dispel child marriages by mentoring young girls to invest in education.
The Anniversary event was sponsored by Society For Family Health under their product “MAXIMUM DIVA”, a contraceptive for women ( female condom). The event was a huge success with Power House women like Beauty Katebe(Board Chairperson of Zambia Womens Lobby), Miyanda Katiwa(CEO Pro soft Group of companies) Karen Nakawala(CEO Zambia Fashion Week, Zambia Women of the year Awards, Afro Multimedia Events). The event was also attended by singer Salma Shikapwashya and Cleo Ice Queen , who is currently the Brand Ambassador for Maximum Diva.
Single Mums Club founder encourages more single mothers and teenage mothers to join by contacting Bwale on her Facebook page “Mwansa Bwale”. The organisation aims to empower women and equip them with independence and self Reliance. Miss Bwale adds “our next target is the Vice President Mrs Inonge Wina. We wish for her to take time to listen to our vision and support us for she is an icon, a pioneer towards observing womens rights”.
The event had a number of speakers such as :
Beauty Katebe emphasized on the relevance of investing in women. She stated that women should be respected, protected and accorded equal rights as men. She added on about raising her children single-handedly and how her children have excelled regardless.
Cleo Ice Queen is Society for Family Health’s MAXIMUM DIVA’s Brand Ambassador. she spoke about her journey as a Brand Ambassador and what Maximum Diva means to her as a woman. She also spoke about life being a single mum herself and how she conquered all odds and became a successful Artist/Single mother.
Miyanda Katiwa discusses her life as a single mother and how tough life was after her divorce. She talked about how at some point she had no job but had to fend for her kids single handedly and eventually joined the marketing business and grew as an entrepreneur. She also talked about the challenging realities of life single women face in corporate decision making by virtue of being unmarried. She concluded with her story of eventually remarrying and having a child after 40. She explained how her entire story is in her book RISING FROM THE ASHES .
Priscilla Schaufelberger is a woman and child ambassador who speaks and campaigns against GBV,Child marriages, & Defilement. She tells her story of being abused by her father in her book STOLEN CHILDHOOD.
Artist Salma Sky talked about her experience as a single mum before she got married to her husband Tivo Shikapwashya. She expresses her passion in girl-child protection through her campaign “nakana chimubabe”. She mentors girls from falling prey to Sugar Daddies and peer pressure which can lead them to being single mothers.
Founder Mwansa Bwale ,who through her organization helps single mothers attain Legal Aid towards Child support .
Pictures from the event
To become part of the Single Moms Club contact Mwansa Bwale on her Official Facebook page HERE.
BY KAPA187
That is a good initiative . Single mothers should not be looked down upon .
Hmmm…these women are starving. they should publish there contact numbers on a website so we can sample
What needs to be established are child support laws for dead beat fathers to support their out of wedlock children.
Lol..ironic at the single mum function with a lot of advertisement for diva condoms…..probably single but ready to mingle right. give us your house numbers we come bless you while your sisters remain in our houses doing nails while watching zee world….or and that child you have can leave us to visit the daddy who might just be me again..confusion
Well spotted …Imagine…simply reinforcing the stereotype about single moms, surely how do you have a condom manufacturer advertising at such an event.
well said
Condoms prevent unwanted children that is why they are being advertised at this event. Simple logic!
It is refreshing to see women supporting each other . I like this
what will happen to membership upon marriage
I understand the vision of the club very well. The only unfortunate part is that this club is not culturally sensitive to our Zambian context and the sanctity of marriage. regarding having children after 40 please avoid this dangerous behaviour.
Nonsensical event…the fact of the matter is – to raise a child to become a man and a black man a child needs a father. Instead of coming together for worthy causes they are there celebrating being single moms as if there was no man involved for them to become that.
I wouldn’t turn down an invitation to attend this place!!
I AGREE Nonsensical event
I totally support your cause and this is wonderful organisation to support single mums. However, your statement below has also horrified me especially the part that says young girls should not believe in getting married??? I think you have lost it here, what kind of society are advocating?
Mwansa says, “There are very young girls out there in school who believe that getting pregnant and getting married are tickets to a comfortable life, and that horrifies me! We want to get rid of such a mentality and build young ladies into strong, confident and independent women.”