EDUCATING
THE WHOLE GIRL
Empowering young women to build positive change from within
About Elizabeth Bowers
Download THE PROTEA Insert:
"A Life Well Lived"
20th Year Celebration of
Elizabeth Rachel Bowers
Our Mission:
EBZEF empowers women, children, and their community
in Lumwana West, Zambia
to break the cycle of poverty
through education.
Stay up-to-date with
EBZEF's latest accomplishments!
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From Vision to Impact: The EBZEF Journey
With the loss of ELizabeth "Beth" Bowers, an aquaculture Peace Corps Volunteer in the remote rural village of Lumwana West in NW Zambia, in a bicycle accident in 2002, the Elizabeth Bowers Zambia Education Fund (EBZEF) was born. Beginning with a scholarship for girls, over 300 “Beth’s Girls,” a name they call themselves, have gone to secondary school. Currently, over 30 girls on EBZEF scholarships have graduated from or are engaged in college/vocational education programs. The village has changed the way it looks at the education of women. More importantly, the women have changed the way they view themselves as leaders and providers for their families, their community, and their country.
The Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library, built as a Peace Corps Partnership Program with EBZEF, was completed in 2009, including 22,000 volumes of books at all levels sent in partnership with Books For Africa and World Vision. It is the largest library in the NW Province! EBZEF, in partnership with National Solar and the Goodman Family Foundation, also supplied solar panels for the Library, bringing the first light and electricity to the community as a gesture toward literacy for all. Tamara Weiss, a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota in Early Childhood Development, helped to establish a curriculum for a pre-school, initiated and supported by EBZEF. A partnership with Baal Dan Charities has helped to build 3 classrooms for the now-burgeoning pre-school, a rarity in remote rural Zambia.
Over time, EBZEF’s mission expanded from scholarships to infrastructure, culminating in a multi-phase effort to help Lumwana West build its own secondary school. In 2016, Zambia’s Ministry of Education granted authorization for the village to offer education through grade 12. This was a major turning point: children would no longer have to travel long distances and face the financial and safety challenges of attending boarding school to complete their education.
Phase I of construction included two three-classroom blocks, a girls’ lavatory with a septic tank and running water, solar panels to power the well, and two teachers’ houses. As enrollment grew rapidly—from 5,000 residents in 2016 to 8,000 by 2019—the need for more space became urgent. Class sizes reached 100 students per room, far beyond the intended 50.
Phase II added another three-classroom block and four modest teacher duplexes, most built by the community itself. EBZEF also purchased over 200 desks to support the growing student body. A boys’ lavatory was constructed with toilets, showers, urinals, washbasins, and a drain field.
Phase III focused on expanding teacher housing and constructing a science facility. By 2022, the school had nine classrooms and housing for six single and three married teachers. Still, many teachers had to rent one-room student homes in the village due to the housing shortage. That same year, EBZEF began work on the Njolomba Science Centre, named after a key education advocate, Mbongo Njolomba. With collaboration from World Vision and Engineers Without Borders, the Centre was completed and opened for use in 2023.
The Science Centre—wired for electricity, equipped with lab tables, plumbing, and security—has reduced classroom overcrowding and allowed the school to maintain its status as a government examination center. Solar panels allow for evening classes, and EBZEF has funded lab equipment, locking cabinets, and a new well to support the facility.
In 2023, enrollment totaled 702 students (333 girls and 369 boys) with 25 teachers and a student-teacher ratio of 28:1. By 2024, national policy changes offering free education across Zambia led to enrollment pressures. The school remains full to overflowing, and the need for teacher accommodations continues. Through each phase of development, EBZEF has partnered with the Lumwana West community, World Vision Zambia, and Engineers Without Borders to create a lasting impact. The growth of the secondary school reflects not only infrastructure success, but also the realization of a shared dream—to provide accessible, quality education for rural students close to home.
EBZEF remains committed to the long-term sustainability of Lumwana West’s educational journey, from preschool to secondary school and beyond. The success of this project will fulfill EBZEF’s dream to educate the “whole girl.” Beth’s vision is being realized on the other side of the world through the lives of students, teachers, and an entire community!
Phase I of construction included two three-classroom blocks, a girls’ lavatory with a septic tank and running water, solar panels to power the well, and two teachers’ houses. As enrollment grew rapidly—from 5,000 residents in 2016 to 8,000 by 2019—the need for more space became urgent. Class sizes reached 100 students per room, far beyond the intended 50.
Phase II added another three-classroom block and four modest teacher duplexes, most built by the community itself. EBZEF also purchased over 200 desks to support the growing student body. A boys’ lavatory was constructed with toilets, showers, urinals, washbasins, and a drain field.
Phase III focused on expanding teacher housing and constructing a science facility. By 2022, the school had nine classrooms and housing for six single and three married teachers. Still, many teachers had to rent one-room student homes in the village due to the housing shortage. That same year, EBZEF began work on the Njolomba Science Centre, named after a key education advocate, Mbongo Njolomba. With collaboration from World Vision and Engineers Without Borders, the Centre was completed and opened for use in 2023.
The Science Centre—wired for electricity, equipped with lab tables, plumbing, and security—has reduced classroom overcrowding and allowed the school to maintain its status as a government examination center. Solar panels allow for evening classes, and EBZEF has funded lab equipment, locking cabinets, and a new well to support the facility.
In 2023, enrollment totaled 702 students (333 girls and 369 boys) with 25 teachers and a student-teacher ratio of 28:1. By 2024, national policy changes offering free education across Zambia led to enrollment pressures. The school remains full to overflowing, and the need for teacher accommodations continues. Through each phase of development, EBZEF has partnered with the Lumwana West community, World Vision Zambia, and Engineers Without Borders to create a lasting impact. The growth of the secondary school reflects not only infrastructure success, but also the realization of a shared dream—to provide accessible, quality education for rural students close to home.
EBZEF remains committed to the long-term sustainability of Lumwana West’s educational journey, from preschool to secondary school and beyond. The success of this project will fulfill EBZEF’s dream to educate the “whole girl.” Beth’s vision is being realized on the other side of the world through the lives of students, teachers, and an entire community!
Secondary School
The success and momentum of Beth’s memorial scholarship program made clear the importance of continuing her efforts in Zambia. The Lumwana West Secondary School is the result of a powerful partnership between EBZEF, the local community, and key supporters. What began as a dream is now a thriving educational center serving hundreds of students from the region. Continued investment in classrooms, science labs, and teacher housing is helping to shape a healthier, more sustainable future for Lumwana West—built on the foundation of education for all. Get more information about the Lumwana West community and why construction of a high school is so important to its children and future.
Continuing the Dream of Sustainable Education
Support for Scholarship Funds
In memory of Elizabeth Bowers, and with Peace Corps’ help, a scholarship fund was established for the education of Zambian women in Lumwana West in the NW Province, where Beth served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Today, with World Vision Zambia acting as agent for the Elizabeth Bowers Zambia Education Fund (EBZEF), the scholarship funded 315 girls from Lumwana West in grades 10 through 12 for an education they would otherwise not receive. Today EBZEF is funding directly over 30 young women both in and graduated from college/vocational school. They are becoming teachers, nurses, a librarian, a physiotherapist, a radiographer, a pharmacist, a welder, an electrical engineer, a physician—and more.
Books for Memorial Library
To increase literacy in Lumwana West, EBZEF worked with the Peace Corps Partnership Program to build a library/learning center next to the Lumwana West Basic School as a gift to the community from Beth. With the help of partners Books for Africa, the Caritas Foundation, World Vision US, and World Vision Zambia, EBZEF sent 22,000 volumes of books to stock the Memorial Library. The ”Light and Literacy for Lumwana West” program supplied solar power for lights, computers, and communication in the Memorial Library. EBZEF's ”Textbooks for the Library” project has made learning available outside the classroom for Beth’s Girls and the entire community. The Elizabeth Bowers Memorial Library is the thriving center of literacy for Lumwana West and the surrounding area.
Pre-school in Session
Basic School Headmistress Ireen Sandu reports, “This year [2024] we have two categories of learners. First category is 5 to 6 years: Girls 32, Boys 20 = 52. Second Category is 3 to 4 years: Girls 30, Boys 21 = 51. We have a total of Boys 41, Girls 62 = 103 children.” The new classrooms allow the program to expand even more. The pre-school is also focusing on nutrition for the young learners as well as a playground for exercise to encourage their health and well-being. Teacher’s aides Jean Mutepeka and Belinda Kalumba are pursuing certificates in Early Childhood Education, with the help of EBZEF scholarships.
Verified Nonprofit and Global Partner
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Where in the world is Lumwana West, Zambia?
Lumwana West, Zambia
EBZEF's home office is located in
Salem, Oregon. Our focus is on the education of women, children, and their community
in Lumwana West, Zambia.
