“No female Zambian has ever made it, the programme is too difficult.” Those are the words that greeted Beenzu Namanje before the dream of becoming an engineer even began.
However, at just 24 years old, the Mazabuka-born young woman has already made history as the first Zambian female to graduate from ENSA (Ecole Nationale de Science Appliqué) in Morocco with a Master’s degree and not just graduate, but with a distinction.
Born and raised in Westvilla, Mazabuka, Beenzu grew up in an environment that valued education and discipline, values that would later define her journey.
She attended Niko Girls Technical Secondary School where she excelled academically and scored six points at Grade 12.
Her academic excellence earned her a government sponsorship through HELSB to study in Morocco in 2019, a life-changing opportunity.
But her journey abroad was not a walk in the park.
Before even starting her engineering programme, Beenzu was discouraged by some people who warned her that the program was too difficult and that no Zambian female had ever succeeded at the institution.
Instead of backing down, she chose to believe in herself.
“I was told that very few Zambians had succeeded, and even more discouraging that no Zambian female had managed to progress because the program was too difficult,” she shared with Kalemba.
Her first challenge was language as all her studies were conducted in French, forcing her to first spend a year learning the language, a process that was later disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Six years later, last year she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with distinction, becoming the first Zambian female to achieve that milestone at the institution.
Beenzu gained practical experience during her internship at SOMACA-Renault Group in Casablanca, where she worked in a vehicle assembly environment.
Today, Beenzu is not only an engineer but also a growing designer, with dreams of dressing influential women such as the First Lady, Mutinta Hichilema, Vice President Mutale Nalumango and Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti.
Inspired by her mother who sews clothes, She recalled how watching her mother make her first pre-school uniform sparked her interest in design, a passion she later pursued while studying abroad.
She also recently presented a custom-made laptop bag to Jito Kayumba during the Rise Launchpad in Mazabuka.
By George Musonda
Kalemba April 14, 2026
