Source: allAfrica                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Those of us who have been fortunate enough to get an education know the power that education has to transform life.

However, there are still many children who are unable to access education because of financial constraints especially in our African communities. Many of us continue to see this as a responsibility of government and Non-Governmental Organisations.

There are a few who have realised that the cost of education for a child in a rural area in Zimbabwe, for example, is not that much compared to what most of us realise financially. It is therefore possible to take up the responsibility to help educate a child.

Caroline Maposhere was educated at Chimedza Primary School in the rural area of Zaka. Today she is a Consultant in Gender HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health and has travelled the world working on different projects. If she had not had an opportunity to get an education, she said that she would probably still be in Zaka today.

She has been moved by the plight of orphaned young girls whose future comes to end at an early age because of the absence of parents to put them through school.

"For most of these orphaned children, their dream dies when their parents die. I was moved by that and I decided that I was going to do something about it," she said. In 1999, she went back to her rural home and specifically to Chimedza Primary School.

She decided that she was going to make a difference there because as she put it, "charity begins at home." She offered to pay school fees for three orphaned girls who had a desire to get an education, but were being hampered by lack of school fees.

When she was told how much the school fee was, she realised that she could pay for more and she increased the number to 10. In 2000 she increased the number to 20 girls.

"From that time, I make sure that every year I put 20 girls through school no matter what my financial situation is. I am a Consultant and I don't make money every month. There are times when there are no projects and I find I have been unable to pay for a term or so. I always let the headmaster know when that happens and as soon as I have money I pay up," she said.

When she has been fortunate enough to get a number of projects she pays up the fees in advance.

Caroline said that she doesn't always manage to follow up on all the girls but she gets satisfaction from knowing that she is giving them an opportunity that has the potential to change their lives. She said that one of the girls whom she has assisted has gone through to university and she is very proud of her success.

Caroline was challenged to widen her circle one time when she had been invited to the school for a special event.

"They had listed all the names of donors and my name was included along with well-known international non-governmental organisations which are also helping at that school. When I saw my name on this list I felt very important and immediately it dawned on me that I was a public success and a private failure. I had done nothing to help pay school fees for my own relatives," she said.

As soon as she left the event Caroline went home and put word amongst her relatives that she was willing to help those who were struggling to pay school fees for their children. She increased the number of children she was assisting to include her relatives and continues to do so today.

"I feel I have an obligation to look after other people especially those who are suffering. I may not have everything that I need but I know that God provides for me. I believe that God sees the commitment I have made for the things that He cares about the most, people. Caroline said that if more people were to help educate a child we would each put so many more disadvantaged children in schools and assure this generation of a better and more prosperous future.

"We don't have to wait for the government. Everyone has the capacity to help," she said.