Angeline Murimirwa of Zimbabwe has actually racked up kudos for her work as head of CAMFED, a charity that has enabled tens of millions of ladies in 5 African nations to remain in class — and thrive with the assistance of mentors. Murimirwa is one among Time Journal’s 100 most influential folks of 2025. Above: She accepts an award at Rihanna’s third Annual Diamond Ball in 2017.
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Kevin Mazur/Getty Photos
I do not imply to humble brag, however I’m on a primary title foundation with probably the most influential folks on the earth (based on the brand new listing from Time journal).
It is not Serena Williams. It is not Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
It is Angeline Murimirwa, who goes by “Angie.”
I interviewed Angie again in 2018 in a pub in Oxford. We had been attending the Skoll World Discussion board – a yearly gathering of social activists and advocates. She was then Africa director of CAMFED — the Marketing campaign for Feminine Schooling). It is a charity that provides full scholarships masking tuition and any associated bills to women in 5 nations in Africa to allow them to full their main and secondary schooling.
CAMFED began when Ann Cotton, a trainer from Wales, visited Zimbabwe and was struck by how onerous it was for ladies to remain in class. The now globally-supported charity has gone from offering an preliminary 32 scholarships in Zimbabwe in 1993 to placing tens of millions by way of college.
Angie herself, the daughter of Zimbabwean subsistence farmers, was a kind of ladies. And not using a CAMFED scholarship, she says she would have dropped out after main college.
Over time she’s been on many cool lists however now she is within the “icon” class of Time’s most influential folks!
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai wrote the essay explaining why Angie is one among this yr’s honorees in her present position as CEO of CAMFED: “Educating ladies is the muse of wholesome and powerful societies. However in lots of locations, the limitations to attending college are mounting, depriving ladies of the sources to decide on their very own futures. Few persons are combating to resolve this disaster as tenaciously and successfully as Angeline.”
We caught up over zoom. Angie was in New York for a gala occasion celebrating the Time 100. (This yr’s group will even be featured in an ABC-TV particular airing Might 4 at 9 p.m. ET.)
I am somewhat intimidated speaking to a newly topped “icon” who’s one of many world’s most influential folks.
Oh come on, if I did not intimidate you in that pub in Oxford, I could not intimate you over digital.
Angie Murimirwa within the English pub the place I first met her in 2018. I do know captions ought to be goal however … she is ebullient, charismatic and has probably the most infectious giggle. Earlier than the interview began, she stated: “I will go African on you” — and known as out to a colleague from CAMFED throughout the room to return be part of us. “What does that imply, go African?” I ask. “In Africa, you at all times shout, ‘Come right here!’ ” she says and laughs.
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Marc Silver/NPR
I keep in mind that day you informed me your personal life story — which may be very a lot linked to the work you now do.
If you had been somewhat woman within the Zimbabwean village of Denhere again within the Eighties, your loved ones could not at all times afford college charges for provides. An inspector would come to your elementary college and name out the names of scholars whose mother and father hadn’t paid up and inform them they needed to go away the classroom till the debt was paid.
And the varsity devised a plan to maintain you protected from the inspector.
We had been very strategic. The trainer would say, “Oh Angie, I feel you need to go to the toilet proper now.”
What was the toilet like?
The phrase “toilet” may be very beneficiant. They dug a pair holes and had concrete on the ground and partitions round it. And that is the toilet for tons of of ladies.
So that you’d cover out within the toilet …
After which when the inspector left, somebody would come and say, “Angie, the trainer stated now you can come.”
Absolutely you are the one icon with that have.
I’ve come from hiding within the toilet to being intimidating!
Even right now, many ladies have a tough time staying in class.
It is so true – ladies’ exclusion from college – the exclusion of (all) marginalized kids exclusion from college – may be very a lot a actuality
CAMFED works in areas the place solely 5% of ladies get to finish highschool. It is nonetheless very a lot an enormous challenge.
What would you say to these ladies struggling to remain in class – actually because their households like yours cannot afford the charges and likewise as a result of households may give boys precedence for schooling over ladies.
I’m going to interrupt my English right here — you understand I at all times take liberties.
I’d inform them, “If I did it, you may did it — you may did it higher, quicker. It is not elusive, it is not wild, loopy to think about which you can.”
If there’s something that may give them vitality and momentum, it is to know that it is doable. That is for me the best present for all who consider in schooling in opposition to all odds.
So now can be a superb time to ask you to boast in regards to the work of CAMFED.
I am influential. I understand how to brag now. Once we met that point (in 2018), it was 4.8 million kids supported by CAMFED to remain in class. Now we now have 6.8 million we have supported by the top of 2024. This quantity is big.
And once we met in 2018, we had round 178,000 members. It’s good to write this very rigorously: We now have 313,000 members. Be sure to put the zeroes there.
Are you able to clarify what you imply by members? These are … volunteers?
These are younger girls who’ve been supported by CAMFED and who’ve signed as much as help the following technology.
On common they help 3 different kids – you understand, ladies like me who needed to cover in the bathroom. They meet with them, comply with up at house, meet with mother and father, help the ladies to not drop out.
We’re making a motion that helps kids to not simply enroll however to thrive within the college system.
You are getting prime down help as properly?
What’s taking place is governments are coming to say, Can we companion with you to create nationwide applications?
Along with your now official standing as being “influential” what affect do you intend to do sooner or later?
I nonetheless insist that it begins with sending a woman to high school. That is the time to help extra ladies, to help them higher and to help them NOW – in capital letters.
Can I ask just a few private questions? What’s your age?
You by no means ask a girl her age. I am mature, I get higher with age like wine.
And you’re the mom of what number of kids?
4 youngsters. I am not increasing on that.
The oldest is 24. The youngest is 12 in order that’s how outdated I’m.
How did they react to your “influential icon” standing?
The youngest (a daughter) was like, “I am superproud of you. I see Serena is on the listing. Are you able to get a photograph of you and Serena?
My different daughter stated, “I am simply so pleased with you as a result of grandma tells me all these tales of working onerous – I hope they actually know the way onerous you’re employed.”
And the boys had been like, “Congrats mother, that is good.”
I have been handled properly, had breakfast in mattress — virtually edible.
Possibly I ought to have requested this primary — however how does this make you’re feeling to be a part of the Time 100?
As a lot as everybody says, “Angie’s on the Time 100,” my sisters on the earth, the ladies CAMFED has supported, our female and male staff, my village, they are saying, “We’re on the Time 100.”
How have your parentS reacted to this new honor?
My dad handed. My mother would not know something in regards to the Time 100. She simply says: Will extra ladies go to high school due to this? You possibly can have fun, however what has it bought to do with the underside line?
And also you’re pondering?
Mama, can I simply have this, okay?
