Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
Harriet Cheelo / Zambia

Class of 2016-2019

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Scholar: Hanan Sirat Ahmed Scholar: Hugo Bladimir Guardado Torres

Harriet is from a rural village in northern Zambia, where she was raised by her grandfather. As a child, she and her cousins worked the land and helped their grandfather cultivate maize, beans, bananas, vegetables and sweet potatoes. Harriet received a Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) scholarship and was able to attend a quality Catholic school, where she was active in various clubs and volunteered in underprivileged communities near the school. After high school, she was given a small grant to create her own business, and began a chicken project on her family farm.

After hearing about EARTH, Harriet was confident that it was the ideal place for her to further develop her leadership, agricultural, and entrepreneurial skills. “EARTH is going to empower me and change how I see things. It will boost my motivation and help me learn how to use the resources I have to accomplish my goals.”