Angeline Murimirwa of Zimbabwe has really accumulated congratulations for her work as head of Camfed, a charity that allowed millions of girls in five African countries to stay in school – and prosper with the help of mentors. Murimirwa is one of Time The 100 most influential people in the magazine of 2025. Above: she accepts a prize at the 3rd annual Rihanna ball in 2017.
Images Kevin Mazur / Getty
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Images Kevin Mazur / Getty
I don’t want to boast, but I’m on a first name with one of the most influential people in the world (according to the new list of Time review).
It is not Serena Williams. He is not the Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum.
It is Angeline Murimirwa, who goes through “Angie”.
I interviewed Angie in 2018 in an Oxford ad. We attend the Skoll World Forum – an annual rally of social activists and defenders. She was then director of Camfed Africa – the women’s education campaign). It is a charitable organization that gives full scholarships covering tuition fees and all related expenses to girls in five African countries so that they can finish their main and secondary education.
Camfed started when Ann Cotton, a Wales teacher, visited Zimbabwe and was struck by the way it was difficult for girls to stay in school. The now supported charitable organization has increased from 32 first scholarships in Zimbabwe in 1993 to put millions in school.
Angie herself, the daughter of Zimbabwean subsistence farmers, was one of these girls. Without a Camfed scholarship, she says that she would have abandoned after primary school.
Over the years, she has been on many interesting lists, but now she is in the “icon” category of the most influential people of time!
The winner of the Nobel Malala Yousafzai Prize has written the test explaining why Angie is one of the winners of this year in its current role as CEO of Camfed: “The education of girls is the foundation of healthy and strong societies. But in many places, the obstacles to school attendance are girls and to deprive girls of their own resources.
We have caught up Zoom. Angie was in New York for a gala event celebrating the Time 100. (The group of this year will also be presented in a special ABC-TV broadcast on May 4 at 9 p.m. He.)
I am a little intimidated to speak to a newly crowned “icon” which is one of the most influential people in the world.
Oh come on, if I did not intimidate you in this ad at Oxford, I could not intimate you on virtual.
Angie Murimirwa in the English pub where I met her for the first time in 2018. I know that the legends should be objective but … she is bubbling, charismatic and has the most contagious laugh. Before the start of the interview, she said: “I’m going to go African on you” – And called a colleague from Camfed through the room to join us. “What does that mean, going to African?” I ask. “In Africa, you always cry:” Come here! “” She says and laugh.
Marc Silver / NPR
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Marc Silver / NPR
I remember that day that you told me your own life story – which is very linked to the work you do now.
When you were a little girl in the Zimbabwean village of Denhere in the 1980s, your family could not always afford school fees for supplies. An inspector came to your primary school and called the names of the students whose parents had not paid and told them that they had to leave the classroom until the debt was paid.
And the school has designed a plan to protect you from the inspector.
We were very strategic. The professor said: “Oh Angie, I think you want to go to the bathroom right now.”
How was the bathroom?
The word “bathroom” is very generous. They dug a few holes and had concrete on the floor and the walls around him. And it’s the bathroom for hundreds of girls.
So you would hide in the bathroom …
And then when the inspector left, someone came to say, “Angie, the professor said you could now come.”
You are surely the only icon with this experience.
I came to hide in the bathroom to be intimidating!
Even today, many girls find it difficult to stay in school.
It’s so true – the exclusion of school girls – exclusion of (all) exclusion of marginalized children from school – is really a reality
Camfed works in regions where only 5% of girls can finish their secondary studies. It’s always a huge problem.
How about these girls who find it difficult to stay in school – often because their families like yours cannot afford the costs and also because families could give boys priority to education compared to girls.
I’m going to break my English here – you know that I always take liberties.
I would say to them: “If I did it, you can do it – you can do it better, faster. It’s not elusive, it’s not wild, crazy to imagine that you can.”
If there is something that can give them energy and momentum, it is knowing that it is possible. It is for me the biggest gift for all those who believe in education against all expectations.
It would therefore be a good time to ask you to boast of Camfed’s work.
I have an influence. I know how to boast now. When we met at that time (in 2018), there were 4.8 million children supported by Camfed to stay at school. We now have 6.8 million that we have supported by the end of 2024. This number is enormous.
And when we met in 2018, we had around 178,000 members. You must write this very carefully: we now have 313,000 members. Be sure to put the zeros there.
Can you explain what you hear by members? Are they… volunteers?
These are young women who were supported by Camfed and who have registered to support the next generation.
On average, they support 3 other children – you know, girls like me who had to hide in the toilet. They meet them, follow at home, meet the parents, support the girls not to abandon.
We create a movement that helps children not only register but to prosper in the school system.
Do you also get a support at the top?
What happens if governments come to say, can we associate ourselves with you to create national programs?
With your now official status as “influential” what influence do you plan to make in the future?
I always insist that it starts with sending a girl to school. It’s time to support more girls, support them better and support them now – in capital letters.
Can I ask a few personal questions? What is your age?
You never ask a woman her age. I am mature, I improve with age like wine.
And how many children are you?
Four children. I don’t widen.
The oldest is 24 years old. The youngest is 12 years old, so this is the age I have.
How did they react to your “influential” icon status?
The youngest (a girl) was like: “I am superpred from you. I see that Serena is on the list. Can you get a photo of you and Serena?
My other daughter said: “I’m so proud of you because grandmother tells me all these hard work stories – I hope they really know how hard you work.”
And the boys were like, “congratulations mom, that’s good.”
I was treated, I had breakfast in bed – almost edible.
I might have asked for it first – but how does it feel to be part of the Time 100?
As much as everyone says: “Angie is on the Time 100, “My sisters in the world, the women that Camfed has supported, our male and female employees, my village, they say,”We are on the Time 100. “
How did your parents react to this new honor?
My father has passed. My mom knows nothing about the Time 100. She simply says: More girls will go to school because of this? You can celebrate, but what has it to do with net profit?
And you think?
Mom, can I just have that, okay?
