The search of nuclear man

In Henri Nouwen’s ‘The Wounded Healer’, Nouwen looks at ministry in a dislocated and fragmented world and at nuclear man’s [he apologises for the male-dominated language] loss of faith in technology. In technology’s power to create new life also lies the potential for self-destruction by nuclear or chemical warfare or by pollution and contamination. Nuclear man can not only destroy life but also the possibility of rebirth. It is into this situation in the Zambian uranium mining industry that the Council of Churches of Zambia is speaking.

Earlier this month Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) published its draft policy on uranium mining in Zambia suggesting how Zambia might use best practices from elsewhere to regulate its exploration, mining, processing, marketing and transportation and thereby establish a transparent, well- functioning and balanced uranium mining industry in Zambia.

The mining industry plays a crucial role in the Zambian economy and it is the recent boom there that moved Zambia from least developed to supposedly lower middle-income status according to the World Bank earlier this year.

An area of concern for many people here is the multinational-controlled uranium mining companies that have recently acquired uranium exploration concessions.

In order to protect people, the flora and fauna and the environment the report recommends training for those regulating the industry and for those monitoring the health of workers in the uranium industry.

There is a need to provide sustainable livelihoods that do not threaten the well-being of the workers or the people living in the area but these jobs should contribute to genuine poverty eradication through being economically sustainable. While uranium exploitation can bring benefits to communities in job creation, foreign exchange earnings and overall economic growth, there is also a need to protect lives and the environment.

Uranium is hazardous in water, food and air that we all drink, eat and breathe, to say nothing about its controversial use as a fuel for energy or the other immoral uses it is put to in weaponry.

The Report advocates better conditions of service for the local workers, and urges investors to use their social corporate responsibility to benefit the people in the areas they operate in and to do so but not just out of guilt, because of the considerable profits they were making.

CCZ Secretary General, Rev Suzanne Matale, said the Church, as the body of Christ, was concerned that the people to whom God had given the resources were being short-changed. She believed that the Church had a God-given mandate to be stewards of the earth, take care of one another and ensure life in abundance for all. CCZ was not against investment, but wanted to ensure that locals lived in a safe environment and benefited from the investment.

Reverend Matale said CCZ had commissioned a study on uranium mining in Zambia in early 2010 and that the findings of that study were published in a report, Prosperity unto Death: Is Zambia ready for Uranium mining? This can be googled

Rev Matale said for the Church there was no better way to preach the gospel than to act as a voice for the voiceless poor and clearly articulate their voices on issues that affected their livelihoods and put their lives in jeopardy, coupled with robbing them of their dignity.

"We believe that we have a God-given mandate to be stewards of the earth, to take care of one another and ensure life in abundance for all.” she said.

And on that uplifting note we wish you all the compliments of the season as we celebrate the Incarnation and look back with thanksgiving across the year which is passing from us now. May we in the words of Psalm 90, in the coming year, be taught to count our days and gain a wise heart. May the beauty of the Lord, Our God, be upon us and may he prosper and establish the work of our hands. Amen

Photos from World Aids Day



Choir with traditional Instruments



Group of footballers Injectors (Hospital) were playing the Chalk breakers (Teachers) the Hospital won at football and the teachers won at Netball

High school pupils Traditional Dancing

Hosp staff and Teachers netball

Little girl from Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Programme who later recited a poem

March past of the Girls and Boys Brigade with the drums from Houston

Doing More with Less

INTERNATIONAL AIDS DAY - Getting To Zero

Zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero Aids related deaths
(this year's theme)

There is good news from a recent UNAIDS report released for World AIDS Day (1 Dec). www.unaids.org/en/resources/unaidspublication/2011/  New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths continue to fall, and the number of people on treatment in the less developed world is almost 50 percent of those eligible. This has happened in spite of a decrease in finances.

Especially encouraging for us in Zambia is that access to HIV treatment has improved greatly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the region which has long been worst hit by the AIDS epidemic, making up some 68 percent or 22.9 million of all HIV-infected people.

Access to antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) has increased in SSA by 1/5 between 2009 and 2010 though 1.2m people still died of AIDS-related causes last year. Zambia has reported coverage levels of between 70 and 80 percent; nearing universal access (considered 80%).

The overall world statistics are encouraging too; while 2.7 million people contracted HIV in 2010. This represents a fall of over 1/5 since 1997.

6.6 million people are now accessing ARVs , an increase of 1.35 million in less than two years. With improved access to treatment, new HIV infections are also declining sharply.

It seems that ARVs play a role in reducing transmission of the virus to partners. Infection rates are 1/3 to ½ fewer than would have been the case without ARVs. This amounts to 2.5m people alive today who would not have otherwise been.

Changes in behaviour such as abstinence, condom-use and male circumcision are also contributing. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission is another success, where 400 000 new infections have been prevented.
To continue to do more with less, the UNAIDS Report suggests a 4- Goal Investment Framework to use funding more efficiently and effectively.

1.Maximise benefits of HIV Response

2.Use national epidemiology to ensure best allocation of resources

3.Implement programmes based on local context

4. Increase efficiency in prevention treatment care and support

This new approach in funding could prevent some 12.2 million new infections - including 1.9 million children, and 7.4 million AIDS-related deaths between now and 2020 says the report.

For universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2015, an estimated US$22-$24 billion annually is required.

In the past two years donor funding has been cut by 10 percent from $7.6 billion in 2009 to $6.9 billion in 2010.

Without stable funding, opportunities to prevent new infections will be missed and there is a risk that the progress gained in the fight against HIV could be lost.

Our Aids Relief Programme at the Mission Hospital here in Mwandi continues with its static clinic based here at the hospital and the 6 mobile outreach clinics. The outreach is now undertaken weekly. There are 1478 people on ART, 164 of whom are children.

We are grateful to many people for being able to look after our clients in many different ways. Starting at the top we have PEPFAR and AIDS Relief with the funding and other structural and logistical support. On the ground here we have a number of Church Partners who help such as IPC with reagents, Aiken and Goldsboro and other individuals for their contribution to the Formula Programme. There are over 250 children alive today who benefited from this programme that uses WHO guide-lines. The Church of Scotland Guild ’s Food Support programme that brings nutritional support to the Hospital and Home-based Care programmes. There are numerous churches and visitors who by buying bags and craft items made by the Mothers’ Support Group give this group a small but steady income throughout the year.

This year in Mwandi the Community will meet as usual on AIDS Day Eve for a candle-lit service in memory of those who are no longer with us and who have been lost to HIV/AIDS. At the service we will have a large number or Orphans and Vulnerable Children, a visible legacy and testimony to the destruction caused to ordinary families by this appalling pandemic. It is a sad and moving occasion but also one of joy and hope in the presence of these children.
The next day, AIDS Day, there will be a march through the village, an all-age gathering for some speeches, songs and drama; a Fun-Run and Football Match are the sporting events planned.

Dedication of the new church at Mabumbu

We were invited this Sunday to attend and take part in the Dedication Service for the new church at Mabumbu. I suppose we should be careful in using the word ‘new’. Mabumbu Congregation is a long-established church from Paris Mission times. Infact, Mabumbu meaning ‘the groves’, is named after an older Mabumbu to be found nearer Mongu.

Mabumbu is about 30 minutes from Mwandi. The road is still easily passable, though sandy and dusty. The daytime temperatures are fierce, around 40C, at the moment, as we await the frontal rains from Congo. There have been the odd few spits and drops but that has been convectional. The trees have shot new green leaves in expectation of the coming rains and most people have prepared their fields for sowing. A few courageous individuals have even sown a ‘lima’ or two, gambling on the arrival of the rains in the next week or so. Mubita’s Aunt last week came to say good-bye to us as she was leaving the cattle and fishing camp at the river and returning home to Kakulwani to prepare her fields.

After leaving the tarred road the first major settlement is the village of Namango. It is a typical rural village with daub and wattle houses, thatched roofs and reed-fenced lapas and is situated in a sandy clearing, scattered with baobabs, local palms and other indigenous, deciduous trees that provide wild fruit and shade. Traditionally Namango was the village where our Senior Chief had his fields. At this time of year the Palace moved to Namango for the sowing and the fields were tended by his wife. In the middle of the village we passed the ‘lutaitai’ the special thatch shelter built for the Senior Chief to sit in on arrival and hear submissions from local people needing his help. The Chief stays in Namango at his Kwandu (residence) for a week during the sowing, but his wife will stay longer if required. At Namongo there is also a full Kuta (Court) with its own Indunas.

The party from Mwandi arrived at Mabumbu to a warm welcome from the excited congregation. A beautiful and well-built daub and wattle sanctuary and vestry had been constructed and roofed by 70 zinc corrugated sheets. It had been completed in September taking about 12 months to build; the rafters costing K1.6m and the roofing sheets K4.2m (around GBP800/US$1200). The PC(USA) Church in Albemarle helped with the purchase of the sheets, and were thanked and remembered in prayer. The former thatched Church is being retained as a Church Hall. Future plans include the purchase of a new Communion Table and more congregational benches.

The Convenor, Lewis Banda, is supported by an Eldership of 8 men and women drawn from 3 Alume (MCF) and 15 Anamoyo (WCF). This lively and growing 215 member congregation is divided into 4 Sections and all live within a 10km of the Church. The Church is a focal point of the community and has a Sunday School attendance of around 48 most weeks and its Jericho Choir a membership of 18+.

There was a certain familiarity to the Dedication Service as it followed the Scottish Common Order to a great extent with the Opening of the Doors and ‘Ye Gates’ from Psalm 24 to begin with, then the Offering of the Keys. The prayers and readings were shared out amongst the eldership and Consistory visitors including us.

After the Dedication of the Church and its furnishings we moved on to the Proclamation, Scripture Reading and the Sermon based on Matthew 21:12-17, concerning the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus. Rev Manda said while it was important to keep the Church building clean, sweeping out the dirt and re-arranging the furniture was not enough, God’s House is to be a House of Prayer for all, not a den of thieves, we were not in Church to be in business for ourselves. Our bodies as Temples of the Holy Spirit needed to be kept clean too, so that all who entered the new building would be blessed. In other words our business as a Church is outreach to others.

After the Restoration of a Backslider we moved into Holy Communion, served in the French way in a horse-shoe formation round the Table. This was followed by the closing hymn and Benediction.

The Congregation gathered on reed mats under the trees in the Church yard to cook a bring-and-share lunch. The Rev and Mrs Manda, other Consistory visitors, the Uniting Church of Australia visitors and ourselves were served in the vestry. We enjoyed fried chicken, fish, gravy and buhobe. Outside the congregation cooked in their sections mainly reconstituted dried fish stew and mangambwa (pumpkin leaves cooked as greens). At the moment there is little grazing available so there was no mabisi (thick sour milk), only a small amount of fresh milk was available. Maheu from a plastic bucket was the drink on offer. Commercially-produced maheu and mabisi can be bought now in town for those urban Lozis pining for the rural food of their childhood. Maheu is made from left-over porridge to which water and flour is added and left overnight to make a refreshingly tart drink. Sugar can be stirred into it for those with a sweeter tooth.

Matters of Life and Death

Banji ni lumbu, kuilu ni ku mundi  (This world is a cattle camp, the homestead is in heaven.)

This old Lozi proverb emphasises the transience of life and demonstrates that is a universal theme. The ephemeral nature of human life on Earth with our short entry into and exit from this world is a matter all cultures seem to try to come to terms with.

A cattle camp is a group of temporary wooden and grass shelters built on seasonal pastures. The herdsmen live there while they are looking after the cattle. The closest Scottish rural equivalent from yesteryear would be the ‘bothy’. At the moment there are many of these camps at the riverside around Mwandi as the cattle graze on the islands and floodplains. With the onset of the rains these ‘bothies’ will shortly be abandoned and the herds and herdmen will return to the village or homestead -the permanent settlement. It is this transhumance that is being compared to dying person leaving this world for an eternity in heaven.

On Wednesday evening we received news that Rev Manyando’s father had passed away in Mongu. Rev Manyando is one of our Livingstone Ministers. His father, Mr Green Sitali Manyando, was a former teacher, a former Council Chairman for the District and Village Headman. He was 80 years of age and had been ill for the last 8 months.  So on Thursday lunch-time we set off for the Manyando homestead in rural Bulozi, at Litoya, about half-way between Mongu and Senanga. Rev Manda, Getrude Kambole, the Consistory Secretary, Ida, Keith and Mubita  were the Mwandi Representatives. We picked up Rev and Mrs Nyambe in Sesheke and drove up the back road, reaching the pontoon in good time and then visiting the manse in Senanga. We finally arrived at Litoya at around 2200h.

We were welcomed into a dim and crowded lapa. (courtyard surrounded by reeds). As is the Zambian custom, a substantial marquee, made from a large tarpaulin, had been erected in the yard, and in front of it, the usual three-logged campfire was burning. The sofas and armchairs and any other extra seats from the home or borrowed from neighbours were placed outside for the use of visitors, mourners and those coming to pay condolences.

The lapa, at this time, is traditionally split into male and female areas. The men generally sit on the seats under the tent and the ladies in chitenges, legs straight and out-stretched on reed floor-mats. On arrival at the mourning-house (Zambian-English: the dead person’s home) you are expected to shake hands with all present, then enter the main house where the widow and her entourage of female relatives and neighbours are again sitting on mats. There you shake hands and express your sorrow and this is the time for tears. If the bereaved are Christian, you may be asked to offer a prayer of consolation here. You then return outside and sit with the other visitors who have also come to express solidarity with the family in their time of grief. You may now chat and discuss lighter matters with the people around you.

We were offered some of those ubiquitous white plastic garden chairs in front of the main house and a wooden coffee table was placed in our midst. A daughter of the house brought water, soap and a towel to wash our hands before eating. Then we were offered chunks of stewed beef and liver cooked in gravy and buhobe ( thick mealie-meal porridge). Eaten with your fingers, this was most welcome after our day’s journey. Cool drinking water is always served after eating. It is a breach of etiquette to drink with your meal as Europeans would tend to do.   

It was exceptionally atmospheric after eating to sit and look up at a clear night sky with its tiny electric blue spangles of glittering stars in their constellations, smell the whiffs of woodsmoke and listen to singing of hymns and choruses accompanied too by the rhythmic cadences of the drumming of youngsters from the Church choir.

Most people wrapped themselves in blankets or chitenges and settled down to sleep after midnight, others kept watch and dozed on and off throughout the night. The night-time temperature at this time of year does not fall below the mid-20s Centigrade. We three were very kindly given the privacy of an igloo-tent pitched in the lapa; inside too was the luxury of a mattress. Our middle-aged bones are no longer as good as they once were for sleeping directly on the ground! Incidentally we used our bath-towels as bedding and were perfectly comfortable.

By 0530h next morning most people were up and about. And the choir had started to sing again. Hot water was being prepared and lugged to the ablutions for visitors to wash themselves. Again kind neighbours put their toilets and bathrooms at the disposal of visitors at the mourning-house. We bathed en famille at the neighbour’s bathing area, a  reed-screened rectangle with a plank to keep your feet off the sand and an old maize sack served as the bathmat. Buckets of hot and cold water, an empty basin and jug were  available to make a simple shower.

After washing and dressing, a breakfast of bread, marge and cocoa was served in the main house. In the corner stood a magnificent polished wood coffin with two pictures of Mr Manyando, one as a young man and the other just before he died. After breakfast we were presented with a printed burial programme, as other members of the family and dignitories kept arriving. There were representatives from the Government including the Lady Mayor of Mongu and the Barotse Royal Establishment. During this time the choir and the congregation gathered in the lapa and sang hymns and choruses.

The main Church Service started at 0930h after the arrival of the Presbytery Bishop, Rev Sipalo from Mongu. The Funeral Service followed the Lozi Liturgy with Hymns, Scripture Readings, a short Sermon, Prayers and a Blessing. I was asked to read Job 1:17-22 and Philippians 4:12-13 in Silozi. This is what brought me to ruminate about the transient nature of life and think about the Lozi perspective on this.

At the end of the service is the body-viewing. This is when all present take leave and say farewell to the deceased. It is the Lozi custom that one should be self-controlled in the Church during the funeral service with no noisy outbursts of emotion but it is permitted to grieve freely at the body-viewing. If you cannot contain yourself in Church, you go outside till you have composed yourself then return. Once everyone had filed passed the body the coffin was closed and the bearers carried it to the burial site. Normally this would be the local cemetery.

However, as the founder of the village Mr Manyando was buried next to the special tree in the middle of his village. The Headman’s house is usually about a dozen paces to the east of that tree. This tree symbolizes the existence of that particular village and its people. The area “under the tree” as it is called, serves as a meeting place to resolve disputes. Traditionally too the tree serves as the village shrine and the founder is buried in an unmarked grave at its foot. The dead body next to the living tree is a symbol of the continuing interaction between life and death and the area where the living commune with ancestral spirits when necessary. The village headman is the go-between. It was interesting to witness, to our eyes, this example of animism and syncretism.

Talking about graves I recently learned a new idiom. When Mr Kapui from Kandiana died a few months ago, I asked Julius if he could arrange for some young men ‘kuyepa libita’ literally ‘to dig the grave’. Now to the Lozi ear that sounds incredibly direct, harsh and callous, they use the euphemism ‘kulukisa ndu ya mutu’ literally ‘to prepare the person’s house’.

The congregation gathered round the grave and again the choir sang. The coffin was lowered into the grave and some sticks as tradition dictates were thrown in as well. Mourners may also come at this stage with a handful of earth and throw it in the grave.

If you are unable to go to the grave a young man will circulate with a shovelful of earth that you may touch instead. The young males of the family continue to shovel in the earth, often spelling each other and taking turns on the shovels, until there is a rather untidy heap on top. However, the four corners of the grave are marked with sticks.

The female relatives then come out and ‘pat the grave’. They use their hands to make a truncated rectangular pyramid. When that is done people present at the graveside; family, colleagues and visiting dignitories are called out in order of precedence to place flowers on the grave. These are provided by the family. You take the flower, go to the grave, kneel, stick in the flower and then say a prayer of thanksgiving. There appears little concern here regarding “Prayers for the Dead” that seemed to exercise many of the reformed persuasion in the past!

Then came the eulogies. There were speeches from the Local Authority and the Barotse Royal Establishment then a male family member gave a short biographical life-history of Mr Manyando and thanked all who attended for their care and support. The Minister closed the proceedings with The Grace and Benediction. Visitors then proceeded back to the home to say farewell to the family and set off on their way home.

Visiting a Lozi cemetery comes as a bit of a shock to Europeans who are used to carefully manicured and tended graves with lawns, flowers, shrubs and individual stone gravestones. These you will find in the urban areas of Zambia but not in the rural areas. Mwandi is a typical rural example. Wild, natural and unkempt rural cemeteries tend to be found to the west of the village roughly a mile away from the village centre. Traditionally the bush starts here and the graveyard is found right on the border between the village and the bush and so those who die are buried near to their living relatives. That is why so many bodies are brought home to Mwandi at great expense from all over Zambia to be buried here.

A Lozi village is a shelter for both the living and the dead and animistic belief says they should be able to communicate with each other. The graves are a clear demarcation of where the village begins and where it ends. To some extent you could say the living are placed between the dead at the shrine and the dead at the cemetery.  The fact that you have the dead so close to the living perhaps makes death something less to be feared by the living and more recognizably a process on the journey to heaven as the Lozi have traditionally seen life as a metaphorical journey to a heavenly paradise called Litooma .

TEEZ

Last week we had a visit from a team from TEEZ (Theological Education by Extention in Zambia) who ran a three-day Tutor Course for 18 Church members from Mwandi Consistory, at the Church. This had been arranged by our Minister, Rev Wezi Manda.

TEEZ  is an ecumenical project which came into existence in 1979 based at the Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation Campus. Its main function is to equip Church members in socially relevant and biblically–based coursework to better serve the Church. “To prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service….” Ephesians 4:12

Participating Churches are: African Methodist Episcopal Church, Anglican Church, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Community of Christ, Lutheran Evangelical Church, Reformed Church in Zambia, UCZ, Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa and United Methodist CChurch

Since it started, over 12 000 people have successfully completed courses and over 5000 tutors have been trained. The TEEZ courses are taught in a group by local tutors and this involves individual home-study, weekly group learning discussions and practical work.

The courses are available to anyone who needs them and subsidized so that they can be afforded by most people. Prisoners and rural women are provided with free courses as well.

TEEZ offers Basic Certificates in Church Ministry in the areas of Preaching, Counselling, Teaching, Worship and Leading Church Meetings in six different languages. For those with a stronger background in Bible and with Basic Certificates Advanced Certificates in Church Ministry are offered. Each course has 24 weekly lessons and covers the areas of the Gospels & Acts, Old Testament, the Epistles of Paul, Biblical Doctrine, Psalms and Bible Study and Church Administration.

A good time of learning and fellowship was enjoyed by those taking part in this useful and challenging course. It was well organised by capable and committed staff who willingly bring these courses to the rural areas as well. TEEZ is a Zambian organization belonging to Zambian Churches and is doing a commendable job. It is worthy of material and prayer support in order to help it carry out and expand its ministry.

The three members of staff, Rev Kangwa Mabuluki, Rev Banda and Rev Rebecca Jones who came are testimony again to how interconnected the Christian family is. The Director of TEEZ is Rev Kangwa Mabuluki. His son, Kapamba, was a student of ours and a classmate of our children at Chengelo. He is also a friend of Rev Alex Slorach, another family friend and former Zambian Missionary. Rev Rebecca Jones is from PC(USA) and is on a year’s secondment with TEEZ. There is a Mwandi posting on her blog at http://www.mapc.com/outreach/blogs/a-year-in-zambia/

The Mwandi tutor group (photo by Rebecca Jones)

Elections 2011

We are delighted that the will of the electorate was eventually permitted to prevail and Zambia has continued in her democratic tradition of a peaceful handover of power from the ruling party to the opposition. It is good that political leaders were able to put the national interest before party advantage. "Now the Lord is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom." (2 Cor 3:17) - an appropriate verse for Zambia at this time we think. This blog is compiled from notes made over election day and the count afterwards.

Election Day dawned on Tuesday 20 September and there were three long and orderly queues at Mwandi. Pastor Percy and the Reverend Mwanda were there as Church Monitors for the Mwandi Constituency. The
Returning Officer for our Constituency is another old friend, the former and now-retired District Director of Health, another Church Member and Anamoyo. Before 0700h we were visited by a brother from the Mens Christisan Fellowship (MCF) who had been queuing since 0430h with many others to vote as soon as the polls opened at 0600h. He showed us the indelible purple ink on his thumbnail. He reckoned that if voting continued like it was doing then most of Mwandi would have voted by lunch-time. There were no results that night but Electoral Commission promised the final results in 48 hours from the close of polls.

Next morning on 21st we hear that Sata is doing well in Northern, Luapula, Copperbelt and Lusaka. This is by Parallel Tabulation of Votes (PTV - counting of votes by observers before official declaration, used as a check) not official results. One of the strengths of the Zambian system is that the votes are counted locally with locals verifying the count at each polling place and the results posted outside for all to see. These results are then texted to all the Parties’ Constituency and National HQs. The Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC - state broadcaster and mouthpiece of the governing party) is playing solemn music and vainly advising people to listen to it and not to social networks or the private media as only the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) can officially declare results. Zambian Watchdog, Lusaka Times, Tumfweko and the Zambian Economist are the best sites for us living in the bush with dongles. They cover a wide spectrum of political opinion. Bantu Watch is being jammed at the moment as is the Post. Muvi TV and QFM Radio in Lusaka and the towns are apparently doing a commendable job in keeping the nation informed on what is actually going on.

The Patriotic Front (PF) are likely to pick up Mongu Central in Western. With us, United Party for National Development (UPND) (Hakainde Hichilem) won Mulobezi and Sesheke. It is suggested Banda will hold on
in Central and North West Province but with a reduced majority. There may be a few PF gains in Eastern but (the ruling) Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) should hold on there too. It is still too close to call.

There have still been no results from the Electoral Commission so it is suspected that there may be some rigging going on. There has been some rioting in Solwezi, Kanyama and John Laing in Lusaka. The rest of the country seems quiet. There have been a number of electoral malpractices exposed so that is good. At Lusaka Civic Centre there were reports of electoral officers altering results. Zambian Watchdog is the best site. Bantu Watch is being jammed at the moment as was the Post yesterday. The ECZ finally announces that the results for president in 33 seats out of 150 which gives Sata 140 000 lead over Banda.

After this the ECZ website is hacked into, PTV Presidential results for over 100 seats were posted. This was closed down and so the ECZ website became inaccessible.

On Thursday at 1800h after 116/150 constituencies have been verified the Electoral Commission announced Michael Sata had 44.4%, Rupiah Banda MMD 36.1% Hakainde Hichilema UNPD 15.5% Of the 34 left 19 were being 'verified' at HQ and the other 16 results were being awaited. As usual Godfrey Miyanda, Edith Nawakwi & Kenneth Kaunda's son are also-rans.

Last night the MMD went to court and got an injunction to prevent the private media from publishing results until they are announced by the ECZ.

There has been unrest today (Thursday) in the Copperbelt (mainly Kitwe & Ndola) Kasama and Nakonde and some compounds in Lusaka but things have quietened down again this evening. The main fear from the opposition is that there will be rigging to ensure the MMD stays in office. The MMD are refusing to concede till the fat lady sings. There are also complaints that the ECZ is being too slow and allowing the ruling party to massage and manipulate the results. On the whole the elections have been free but not really fair as the ruling party has mobilised many of the resources of the State in their party campaign.

In Western Province many of the former MMD seats are now in the hands of the UNPD. An exception is Mwandi where the former Social Welfare Minister Michael Kaingu was surprisingly returned with a 2000 majority.

The next ECZ Intimation is to be at 2200h. In the meantime more solemn music and finally a cheesy film from our national broadcaster. However, there was great activity behind the scenes. The Chairwoman of the Electoral Commission was put under great pressure by the ruling party not to announce the result. She threatened to resign. The other Presidential candidates stormed the Mulungushi National Counting Centre and insisted that the final result be declared as their results showed that Michael Sata had won.Also from the social networks we learned that at 2030h President Banda had left the Presidential Palace for State Lodge and that State Security had passed to Michael Sata.

This appeared to be the case as there were reports of a PF Victory Cavalcade headed by Silvia Musebo and company winding their way through the streets of Lusaka. Again from these sources we heard at 2130h President Banda had formally conceded defeat. We read a post that at 2255h the Chief Justice as Returning Officer for the Presidential Elections was called to Mulungushi Centre. Two hours late the Electoral Commission announced the final results for the Presidency. 143/150 seats Michael Sata received 1 150 045 votes (43%) Rupiah Banda 961 796 (36%) Hakainde Hichilem 489 944 18.5% There are 7 seats remaining but their numbers will not affect the final outcome. Sata wins the presidency but a hung parliament seems likely from the National Assembly results.

The success of this election depended on hundreds of professional and reliable hard-working people who were committed to the democratic process, who diligently checked through, sorted and counted all the ballot papers and with others ensured that an honest job was done despite attempts by a few to spoil this. We are grateful too for patriotic Zambians of integrity who kept the people informed of what was going on behind closed doors. And our thanks as well to the millions of Zambians and friends of Zambia worldwide who prayed for this nation and for the Lord’s peace and presence to felt and to be close to all especially at this time.

Blousing

On the 25 August we set off to the Annual Women’s Christian Fellowship Western Presbytery Conference. It was held this year at Sefula Mission using the dormitory, dining and conference facilities provided by the UCZ Secondary School there. As well us Keith Ida and Mubita, we travelled with Dorothy Kataknekwa, Mwandi Consistory Choir Director and two other choir members from Mabumbu Congregation, Prisca Sinamu and Georgina Mutuluti.

 

We picked them up at the Celtel Tower on the outskirts of Mwandi and headed for Sesheke for fuel and to drop off some milk formula for little Liseli at the Social Welfare Department. On leaving we learned by text that the Reverend Mandi and wife had just been blessed with the gift of a little daughter, Taonga (Thanks)

 

We made good progress along the M10, the Livingstone-Mongu Road, also called the Nakatindi Road. The tar runs out at Katima Mulilo, but the Chinese who are rehabilitating the road have built a well-graded temporary road all the way to Sioma; it is harder going through Nangweshi and across the Matabele Plain to Kalongola using the untouched old road. Saying that we reached the pontoon ferry 2 hours earlier than our previous trip to Presbytery in November.

The recently acquired Church of Scotland vehicle has made travelling such distances on such surfaces much easier too. The pontoon costs K56 000 (GBP7) for the one-way crossing of the Zambezi. The causeway to Senanga on the other side is still in need of some repair. An hour later we reached Sefula, the whole journey of 375km taking just under 7 hours.

 

There we greeted old friends and we registered, then left to find accommodation in Mongu, as we were tasked with bringing ice and daily provisions. A bus had been hired by Sesheke congregation and around a dozen Mwandi Consistory members had travelled on it. Livingstone had used an overlander truck, they passed us having lunch en route.

Friday and Saturday dealt with Topics based on the theme of Seeking a Transformed Church. The speakers were Ministers from within the Presbytery.

It was moving and humbling to be welcomed ‘home’ by the Provincial Secretary and District Commissioner as descendants of William Waddell who was the artisan Missionary who accompanied Coillard.

 

Since it was a woman’s conference Keith met up with Rev Mubita, the former Moderator of the Church of Barotseland before it joined the UCZ. The book ‘The Spread of the Gospel in Barotseland” by the former Paris Mission Missionaries which is a chronological history from 1885-1965 has been warmly welcomed as a valuable contribution to sources for early Church History in present-day Zambia. The Western Presbytery Bishop has tasked a Committee with doing a similar job from the genesis of the UCZ till the present day.   

 

 

The next day 15km a drive was taken down the K1.3Trillion Mongu to Kalabo Road, still under repair, to the former Royal Capital at Lealui, once a thriving and busy settlement but looking rather drab and run-down. The Royal Palace is now little used, the King (Litunga) lives most of the time at Limulunga. This was a flying visit to Lwatile, a small island in the wet season, where the Paris Missionaries built a Church a clinic and school to serve this area. William Waddell built the church here, though now it is decaying and crumbling but the roof timbers are still in good condition.

 

On Sunday morning a huge congregation gathered outside the Dining Hall under the shade of a grove of stately trees for the ‘Blousing Service’. The Women’s Christian Fellowship are a uniformed group of women who play an important role in the life of the Church, helping to foster unity and oneness. They encourage and help those in difficulties as well as witnessing. They are also an important wing in the social and welfare work of the Church.

 

 

After receiving the invitation to join at last year’s Presbytery Meeting, Ida has undergone training and was bloused with 110 other women from all over Bulozi (Western Province).  She was helped into the blouse by the Rev Akafekwa’s wife and Mrs Mubita tied her headsquare The Bishop Louis Mubita Sipalo gave the charge and welcomed the new members. The benediction was given the Former Moderator the Rev Mubita.

 

After a photo session and farewells we set off for home, meeting 3 cavalcades of campaigning politicians between Senanga and the ferry.

Election and reprobation

Earlier this week the President, Rupiah Banda, dissolved Parliament and set September 20 2011, as the date for presidential, parliamentary and local government election. In response three Church bodies - Council of Churches in Zambia, Zambia Episcopal Conference, and Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia have issued a joint pastoral letter called, ‘A call to vote in peace, truth and justice’.

It is a Christian duty, they said, for citizens to chose their leaders freely and peacefully and to build for peace and avoiding violence. ‘ Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody.’ (Romans 12:18)

They also said that Christians should realise that they had a moral responsibility to vote for candidates who followed the example of Jesus Christ. They suggested too that only leaders with demonstrated integrity, a concern for social justice and with the courage to speak the truth should be elected so that clear and convincing political, economic and social programmes are implemented to reduce poverty and human suffering. This is a timely reminder that politics everywhere are about offering service to the people, especially the needy in society. Politics should not be self-serving or about self-enrichment. Political leaders, the letter continues should respect the needs of fellow human beings and works towards addressing them. This at times calls for personal sacrifice and the realisation that one is serving God's children

In the same letter, the Church criticized the Electoral Commission of Zambia for its refusal to accept parallel vote tabulation (PVT). This position says the Church is undermining ECZ’s independence and reputation as being free from manipulation but there was still time for all parties to reach an amicable solution regarding parallel vote tabulation. We have since heard that CCZ has asked for election monitors from the WCC to help to ensure a free fair and transparent electoral process

The Church urged the media to be fair and courageous in its reporting, the police to be impartial in policing the elections and called for issue-based campaigns.

However, the Church was saddened that these elections would be held still using archaic and discredited laws following the failure of constitutional reform. The Church, therefore, hoped that whoever won the 2011 elections they would commit themselves to revisit and conclude the constitution-making process.

Taking a break ...

We've no access to update this blog or approve comments for the next few weeks – sorry!  Back soon.

Summer update & prayer requests

We had a special celebration on Trinity Sunday, the induction of Deaconess Given Nanyangwe at Mwandi. It was a joyful time with the presence of the Western Presbytery Bishop, Secretary and Ministers from neighbouring Consistories of Livingstone and Sesheke and their wives.

There were three combined choirs from Mwandi and the outlying congregations who provided a wonderful musical accompaniment to the proceedings. After the service and charge by the Bishop, Deaconess Nanyangwe was presented with gifts from various bodies in the consistory to welcome her, these included an electric stove, a mattress, cooking pots, mealiemeal, chickens (live) and blankets. Deaconess Nanyangwe served at Senanga prior to coming to Mwandi. Deaconesses in the United Church of Zambia often take on the role as Social Workers. A celebration lunch of fried fish, chicken, stewed beef, cabbage buhobe and rice was then served to over 100 invited guests.

This year’s Mission Centre Programme continues at Sooka Church. This is the church that was roofed by Houston and Killellan. Fourteen young people are living there by faith for four months of hard work and study, a balanced combination of the practical and theoretical. It is a call to service, equipping them for incarnational work that is a reflection of the work of God in Christ in the Church and in the world. They are called to be expressions of his transforming love and to be his Body, a Church in Mission, through engagement and involvement in their local communities.

Two weekends ago the Anamoyo met at Sikuzu for a weekend of prayer and fellowship. Ida and the Deaconess and other ladies from congregations through out the Consistory walked there. Keith was drafted in to transport all the supplies and baggage that was needed there and back. It was a memorable occasion holding devotions in the dark round the campfire and sleeping in the church. There was nowhere to hang a mosquito-net so it was a new experience learning to sleep under a blanket with it covering your head. This is what is done in many rural households where there are no mosquito nets. Fortunately at this time of year, the cold season, the mosquitoes are fewer than at other times.

Gregor has just got engaged to Sarah, a lovely Welsh girl he first met at Mwandi where she was a volunteer. Mwandi is gaining a growing reputation as a place where matches are made. To our knowledge there are at least five couples who have married after meeting each other at Mwandi during our time here.

Finally, following the death of the Second President of the Republic of Zambia Frederick Chiluba on Saturday 18 June there are seven days of national mourning. The former President was a strong Pentecostal Christian and came from a background in the Trade Union Movement. He stood against President Kenneth Kaunda in 1991 in the first multi-party election held as the period of the one party African Socialist State, called Humanism in Zambia, was coming to a close. Under his presidency, freedom of expression was guaranteed for the first time, and more controversially the structural adjustment plan to liberalise the economy was implemented and Zambia was declared a Christian nation. On leaving office he was troubled for a long time by allegations of corruption.

We leave you with a number of prayer points:

- We give thanks for Deaconess Given Nayangwe and pray that she and her dependants will settle down and she will be blessed in her role as deaconess ministering to those in need.

- We give thanks for the young people at the Mission Centre at Sooka and ask God’s blessing on them and on Pastor Percy Muleba as he runs the programme.

- We give thanks for provision of funds to build the Community School at Sikuzu and ask God to bless its construction and keep the workers and members of the community working there safe from any injury. We pray that the Lord will continue to meet the other needs to complete the project.

- We pray for continued peace in Zambia as we head towards the election campaign

Mabizo-Names

I think it is easier to answer each of the most recent enquiries in a special posting. (I have tried to reply using the comment box but my replies to Kalumiana and Etambuyu, I see, have still not arrived.)

Firstly, the meaning of Kalumianna it means a small, slightly-built man. It is Siluyana.

It is made up of the diminutive prefix Ka-, the root is –lume (ie mulume - man) and –ana the Sisotho diminiutive suffix.

Etambuyu: I am sorry I can’t be of more help here. I happened to find by chance a copy in Bookworld at Manda Hill about a year ago. It was the only one there at the time and although it had some pages missing I, nevertheless, hastened to purchase it. Amuzume hande!

Thirdly, Grace: Musa is the direct Biblical translation. Nasishemo is another Siluyana equivalent close in meaning to Grace.

Several variants are available for “listener”. The first set of names is derived from Itwi, the Siluyana for ears; therefore, a good listener. Other possibilities are Kamatwi or simply Matwi.

Another related name is Muleteetwi (Muleta-itwi) literally ‘ear-bringer’ so a good listener.

Humble: Noocana (*c is pronounced ‘ch’ and oo is a long o) or Noobu

(Na-ubu) both mean associated with small things so born of a humble family.

Another variation is Ikaacana

Matwi is found in the Siluyana proverb: Matwi a mwelwa luyupela kuule. The ears of pauper hear from afar.

Nasishemo: Lya sishemo ku mutala, lya ng’ole ku moyo. A kind one at home but a cruel one in government.

Another useful little book is Silozi Se Lu Bulela by YW Mupatu first published by NECZAM in 1978. It gives a simple Siluyana conversation and explains other more difficult idioms and proverbs.

I hope this is all of help - Keith

Doughville

Following the G8 Summit in Deauville in France, we hear the promise of more transparency by these Governments with their aid. This will involve the quality and outcomes of their aid. There will apparently now be a two-pronged approach: the quantitative reporting of disbursements and also a qualitative approach based on effectiveness, the measurement of results and best practices.

While this is encouraging, Oxfam have accused the G8 of manipulating figures to cover up shortfalls and ignoring inflation. To improve matters it is suggested Governments sign and implement the International Aid Transparency Initiative which provides a common standard for defining and disclosing aid information. This would make it easier to compare aid budgets and projects.

Transparency is vital to ensure that aid reaches where it is supposed to go. It is useful for taxpayers, NGOs and donors to be more efficient and could help expose corruption. It would help ordinary people to track the money – from the donor down to the jotters delivered to the school, or the vaccines to the rural health post. It will also make it difficult for donors not to give what they have promised in the fight against poverty and injustice. In Zambia it would be good to know how much aid the government is receiving, and how it is disbursed. Aid information needs to be comprehensive, comparable, current and accessible.

This week we learned the Zambian government has just received funding of about US $300 million from the Global Fund after the government returned part of the money and promised to pay back the rest of over K9.1 billion that was mismanaged by recipients. These funds were meant for the fight against HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB.

The re-imbursement of misappropriated funds has been justified by saying Zambia would not have received this new funding had the refund not been not done.But the refund of the misappropriated K9.1 billion to the Global Fund has not come from those who had originally misappropriated the money but from front-line cuts to the Health Budget.

Recent statistics showed that the formal employment sector in Zambia employs only about 10% of the available workforce. With so few formal jobs, small informal businesses such as tailoring, hairdressing or a small grocery stand or tuck-shop known locally as a ‘Kantemba' are run by many families here. Other outlets in Mwandi provide firewood, furniture, vegetables and fishing-nets. Profits from this kind of trade are often small and offer little opportunity to expand the business.

Zambian banks take little interest, though they earn great interest, in lending. The present annual Interest Rate is around 50%. Our nearest bank is in Sesheke over 70km away. The required minimum opening balances range between $150 and $300 depending on the type of account. This is far beyond the reach of most Zambians. Even monthy servicing fees are more than $10. A retired Headmaster we know is charged a K20 000 ‘service fee’ each time he withdraws his monthly pension of K90 000!

With most of the people living on less than a dollar a day, these minimum balances are designed to prevent most people from having access to basic banking services.

More people are instead turning to microfinance institutions (MFIs) which are increasingly becoming more accessible. Two groups, have with American church help, started this month at Mwandi. Unfortunately most people here have still have little choice but to turn to loan sharks.

There are only 25 MFIs registered in Zambia, and the total number of borrowers it is reckoned at less than 100,000. How to make banking services and reasonable credit facilities available and affordable to a majority of Zambians is a problem, but necessary to solve if the economy is to continue to grow and the country develop.

After all this talk of Mammon perhaps a little related linguistic levity is in order, especially for Scottish readers in particular - threats of banker super-injunctions forby. We sometimes get our messages in Katima Mulilo in Namibia which is just across the Zambezi from Sesheke. The two main Banks there rejoice in the names, believe it or not, of ‘FNB’ (Apologies to Matt McGinn!) This officially stands for First National Bank. I leave any locally suggested alternatives to your imagination. The other is called Nedbank! We wonder if this name is a reflection of the corporate leadership or of the clientele

And finally the Chinyanja for ‘No’ – the main language in Eastern Province, is 'Awe' pronounced: Away.

As in away ye go!

Sharing the Burden

25 May is a continent-wide public holiday, Africa Freedom Day. It was chosen by the African Union then (the OAU) as a celebration of the African people’s determination to free themselves from colonialism and foreign exploitation.

Yesterday afternoon we set out for Sesheke. That is the District HQ which is about 70km upstream on the border with Namibia. As usual we were killing two birds with one stone but more about stones later

Our first concern was the father of the little baby girl, Liseli, whose mother had died in childbirth. He had phoned us to let us know she needed more milk formula. We agreed to meet him at the Social Welfare Office for the hand-over. We arrived to the family waiting for us. Liseli, is now no longer sickly, but a healthy, active little two month old baby. After giving the milk Liseli’s asked if we could drop his son at Simungoma as he was being sent to the wife’s family farm to bring back food that they needed. God’s provision in all this was evident as we had been sent a gift for him which had arrived this week.

We also caught up with the District Social Welfare Officer. He would arrange the payment for some bags of maize purchased for Kandiana next week. The heavily-pregnant woman being held in prison had been released by the Magistrate and was back at home in Masese. This is near the Health Centre that we are working with an Irish Jesuit organisation to rehabilitate. We were able to report that Mubita’s mother too, is responding well to the monthly visits and treatment at the Psychiatric Wing at Livingstone Hospital. Ida reported too on the most recent baby to be put on formula as the mother has become psychotic and was refusing to feed the baby.

After some organisational teething troubles on the ground, work on the UCZ Sikuzu Community School has finally commenced. The Steering Committee is now in place and assuming its role to ensure effective and efficient use of resources, human and material in the construction process. Our suppliers had difficulties with a bearing on their truck and were reluctant to deliver to such a ‘remote place’! After much negotiation and assurances that they would not get stuck in sand, they came to Mwandi earlier in the month to pick up the 200 pockets of cement they were to deliver to Sikuzu earlier but could not because of the truck difficulties. There were steel bars and conforce to move as well that we were storing for them.

The first tranche of funding came through the IPC in March and all the cement and materials were bought then and have now been delivered to Sikuzu. There will need to be another three deliveries to bring all the cement that has been ordered. The 704 pockets are enough for the slab and superstructure to ringbeam level. The other 286 bags will be ordered later for the floor screed and plastering.

As you can see from the photo, brick-moulding is progressing apace and work has now begun on foundation footing. 60 tonnes of stones are required for the concrete for the foundations, the slab and ringbeam and our nearest quarry is on the farside of of Sesheke. Hence our trip yesterday. The stones by themselves cost K8 142 000 ($1800 or GBP1200) but the six trips to deliver them will cost much the same K8 051 400!

This morning we have just had a rather distressing visit from a teaching colleague. His nephew, one of our Grade 8 boys, went fishing on the river the day before yesterday in the afternoon to check the nets set earlier. The mukolo (dug-out canoe) he was in, was smashed by a hippo and he fell into the water. All that has been recovered is his jacket. The Uncle was asking if the Mission boat could be used to look for the body....

Figuring things out

A belated Happy Easter. It is often very difficult in Zambia to get official statistics and so very often estimates are the only things you have to go on so it is good now and again to get some official and approved figures.

According to the Times of Zambia the population of Zambia has increased from 9,885,771 in 2000 to 13,046,508 according to the 2010 Census. 61 per cent (7,978,274) live in rural areas while 39 per cent (5,068,234) live in urban areas. 6,394,455, representing 49 per cent of the total population, were male while 6,652,053 (51 per cent) were female.

Lusaka Province had the largest population with 2,198,996 people, followed by the Copperbelt with 1,958,623, Northern Province with 1,759,600, Eastern Province at 1,707,731 and Southern Province which had 1,606,793 people. The region with the least population was North-Western Province with 706,462 while Western Province had 881,524 and Luapula Province at 958,976 people.

The census results showed that there were 6,069,753 eligible voters - people aged 18 years and above - representing 47 per cent of the total Zambian population.

Zambia now has 2,635,590 households of which 1,607,267 are rural areas while 1,028,323 are in urban centres. According to the Ministry of Finance, 700000 people are in formal employment. The labour force numbers around three million giving an unemployment rate of 77%

The Central Statistic Office states that 67% of the nation lives below the poverty datum line with 46% living in abject poverty.

It is not only in Britain that there has been a recent interest in elections. Although the Zambian elections due to be held later in the coming year and have not yet been called, campaigning by the ruling party and opposition carries on apace.

We had a Presidential election in 2008 following the death of President Levy Mwanawasa. Rupiah Banda (MMD) was elected on 40.09% Michael Sata (PF) gained 38.13% and Hachilema Haakainde (UPND) 19.4% and Godfrey Miyanda (Heritage) 0.8%. The presidential elections are FPTP as well though it has been suggested in the new constitution that the French system of 50%+1 should be adopted.

A bone of contention is that the Government has threatened to arrest anyone undertaking 'parallel voting tabulation' (PVT) as it is considered illegal. According to the Government only the Electoral Commission of Zambia may publish election results. However PVT can be a useful monitoring tool for ensuring free and fair elections, so this is likely to be challenged in the courts.

Mwandi on Facebook!

Did you know .... Mwandi Mission has its own Facebook Group - Friends of the Mwandi UCZ Mission

short break ...

This blog is taking a short technical break - back in a week or so!

Missing Money, Missing Drugs and Missing Jobs

One of the consequences of the suspension of funding to Zambia by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has been an increasing number of stock outages and drug rationing that has affected all hospitals nation-wide, Mwandi Mission included.

Stock outages at clinics and hospitals have been so far fairly short term, but Central Medical Stores have sometimes run out of stocks for a considerable period as they wait for emergency shipments to arrive. In cases of low stock levels, drugs are rationed.

Regular readers will remember in an earlier blog the covering of the allegations of corruption at the Zambian Ministry of Health (MoH) uncovered by an investigation by the auditor general. The audit found that the ministry could not account for more than US$7.2 million. The repercussions from this are still being felt.

Another audit undertaken by the Global Fund* reported on poor financial management at the MoH, Ministry of Finance, the Christian Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) and the Zambian National AIDS Network. These bodies used to receive Global Fund monies directly for programme implementation and then pass funds on to other organisations called sub-recipients. The audit found that $10.7 million of Global Fund money was not passed on and, to date, none of it has been repaid. The alleged financial mismanagement includes the purchase of vehicles for personal use, inflated salaries - sometimes more than double the going–rate locally, and funds disbursed to sub-recipients who could not provide auditors with financial records.

The Global Fund only funds CHAZ directly now; the MoH no longer receives funds, its responsibility in this area has gone to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Zambia. Teething troubles with these new procedures have brought delays for us on the ground in receiving funding for our AIDS Relief Programme. We have also suffered two major stock-outs of antiretrovirals (ARVs) recently. Fortunately we had a Hospital vehicle in Lusaka at the time that waited for one of the drugs to arrive in the country. We are relying on UNICEF and USAID who are scrambled to bring in more expensive emergency supplies until the new bodies get their procurement procedures properly functioning. TB drugs have also been in short supply. A week’s supply of the children’s ARVs was borrowed from the District Hospital.

The knock-on effects from this was that we could only give a week’s supply which meant the children and parents having another walk in a week’s time to the Clinic to receive the rest of the month’s supply. This meant further unbudgeted transport costs for the rural poor with an increased risk of defaulting and subsequent resistance.

Those responsible for the misuse of funds are still not being held accountable. It will be up to local courts to prosecute those suspected of fraud or the misappropriation of funds. Civil Society and some NGOs are pressing for this. Patients and clients in this area rely on these funds to provide their medication; if there are no drugs available or they are in short supply they need to know why. They have a human right to universal and equitable access.

Linked to this we have four workers facing immediate redundancy. The Government has recently been recruiting mission workers and has put on their payroll some who were formerly paid by CHAZ through a grant from Government which came originally from outside donors. The Government is keeping that grant to pay workers directly. CHAZ workers who are under 45 years of age and in possession of a Grade 12 School leaving Certificate were eligible to apply. The grant to the Hospital to pay the CHAZ workers is being cut in proportion to the number of workers put on Government payroll and linked to the ‘on paper’ establishment. So we now have four over-aged or under-qualified workers with many years of good experience and loyal service who are about to be thrown on the scrap heap as surplus to requirement. The change-over was supposed to be done over time and using where possible natural wastage. The Hospital cannot at the moment generate enough independent income to pay them or pay their retrenchment package.

Like our clients and patients living with HIV and Aids, these four people are another set of victims of the world’s greed and injustice, their dignity in work destroyed. Wealth that has been given generously is not shared fairly but kept in the hands of a few and misused to promote inequality and injustice.

*The full report can be found by googling 'Global Funding Country Audit Zambia'

Women's Day photos

Half the sky?

Women hold up half the sky – Chinese Proverb. Pie in the sky more like! Of course they do, but it is still a glass ceiling!

On Saturday evening Ida received the following text from the Nursing Officer:

'Good afternoon, how are you and the family? I am asking for cleaning materials which you can spare. Women’s Day is on Tuesday and women will come and clean the hospital but up until yesterday I have not been issued with anything. Please, cleaning is on Monday morning at 0830h. I won’t be around, as I will be on the salary trip. If possible women are supposed to work on Monday, freeing men then, so that the women will be free on Tuesday for their activities. Contributions for Women’s Day is K50 000 Thanks.'

Not a lot of warning, but we managed to get a driver who was on an airport run to buy some mops, Windolene, and Surf on Sunday in Livingstone. On Monday morning we cut up some rags for cloths. Early in the cool of the morning regiments of women, Zambian Molly Weirs to a woman (sic), from various Church and other Associations clad in chitenges and headsquares and shouldering rakes and hoes marched onto the Hospital premises and immediately got down to much needed and appreciated business of tidying up the grounds, washing windows, mopping floors and cleaning beds and lockers.

There was none of the annoyance that women from more developed countries may have felt at undertaking such ‘demeaning and menial’ work but there was a pride in doing this women’s work for the common good. The fundamental divisions of labour apportioned to the two sexes here are not yet a great issue. Women still are expected to do most of the child care and tidying up after their menfolk.

Women’s Day on Tuesday will begin with a March from the outskirts of town to the Basic School. The theme: Equal Access to Education and Training: Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women. A speech from the MP’s wife will open the programme . Next will be some ice-breaking activities followed by traditional dances, a drama, a tug-of- war and an educational talk for women and girls,. After lunch a netball tournament will be held, comprising of teams of teachers, hospital, OVC staff and women stallholders from the market.

The ideal girl in Zambia is passive and submissive, serving others and speaking only when spoken to. This is not to say that girls are especially maltreated they are loved and treated humanely within the family. It's just that cultural norms are different. It is not that she doesn't count, it's just that she counts less than her male relatives. This is reinforced at initiation ceremonies.

A problem in rural areas are young girls being 'married off' at an early age despite this being illegal. There is a local case at the moment of a 12 year old being pregnant. There are also a number who fall out from school because they get pregnant. This is allowed to happen because insufficient value is given to girls' education. Why waste your money, she's only going to get married and be a housewife anyway? Your boys'll - (actually their wives!) -look after you in your old age.

Much status for a woman comes from being a wife and mother. After the birth of your child you no longer publicly keep your childhood name but become someone's mother, i.e. Fiona is Bo-Ma Sepo (Mother of Sepo).

Girls of school age are often their Mother's right hand and are burdened with childcare and household chores and duties such as drawing water, fetching firewood, cooking, sweeping, washing clothes and gardening. Many have worked 2-3 hours before they turn up for school, so it is no wonder they are often late. They may have had to walk a considerable distance as well. When they get back it's not homework that is a priority but more housework. With HIV and Aids prevalent, they may be the head of the household or be living with an elderly granny so again a large load falls on the young shoulders.

Many parents, and sadly teachers (male and female), continue to have the expectation that girls will not do well. They, by their attitude, encourage the stereotypical behaviour: the male teachers through prejudice and their perception of what makes a good girl; the female teachers as well because they were brought up in the same way also tend to perpetuate the system. You find this typically in Maths & Science. Home Economics after Grade 7 is purely a girls' subject while the boys do woodwork! Unfortunately too, a number of male teachers also see their female students as fair game.

40% of Mwandi households are woman or child-headed. A lack of economic opportunity and any other alternative make many of these local women look to selling fish, beer brewing and unfortunately these activities often go hand in hand with casual prostitution. Education, training and decent work is certainly a must.

When you can see all this coming through culture and the education system, it is not surprising that you end up with rather a negative self-image and inferiority complex from the attitudes of parents, teachers and the wider community.

There are a number of organisations in Zambia attempting to address this issue, such as GEMS(Gender, English, Maths & Science) and FAWEZA (Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia).

Mubita’s great-aunt, resting on her hoe met and greeted me on the way back from school. The maize crop will be a disaster this year with dry periods and rain at the wrong times.

We saw that on our visit to Kamusa Church on Transfiguration Sunday. It was harder to get to than normal now that inland flood water has started to spread. We were invited after the service for lunch. The people have little maize left from last year so the portion of buhobe that was served was much smaller than usual, the green vegetable was pumpkin leaves. There was sour-milk as dessert and warm milk to drink but no tea-leaves…

International Womens' Day, 8 March 2011

A Fairly Civil Disorder

I was in Livingstone again yesterday visiting the bank. I was paying the next instalment on the new High School furniture and in the interests of economy I went in by bus.

I was surprised to see on alighting from the bus, police in riot gear squatting on the backs of pick-ups and patrolling up and down the main streets. Had the turmoil in the Middle East now reached Zambia, I wondered?………. Not quite.

At 0930h there was still a tense atmosphere in town, and the noisy altercation was being observed from a distance by engrossed spectators, offering commentary on the proceedings despite the occasional whiff of teargas wafting through the air; a vain attempt by the police to disperse bus conductors, drivers and taxi operators who had blocked town centre roads in protest against a rumoured rise, in various fees and fines by the police and Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA).

As I passed the Post Office the Police were somewhat prematurely and optimistically starting to remove stones and other street debris that had been used by the protesters to block the roads in the town centre. The Livingstone Police, unlike their Mongu colleagues, thankfully only fired tear gas at the mini bus and taxi drivers. This resulted in retaliation by the protesters with rocks being thrown and rolled to block the road, and a tirade of insults and catcalls launched at the Police, prompting bystanders to scatter and take temporary shelter in less exposed areas. Things were now getting serious; even business at the Zimbabwe Market in the town centre came to a standstill.

Meanwhile officials at the RTSA office denied knowledge of any hikes in fees, saying the agency was still charging ‘old prices’. The police then asked the drivers who had gathered along the main street, Mosi-Oa-Tunya Road, to disperse and go back to work as this was an illegal assembly but that the Government would address their concerns.

It was a blessing that that common sense prevailed in the end and no-one to my knowledge was beaten by truncheons nor was any police officer hit by stones. Irene and Dorothy both have relatives who are women police officers in Livingstone.

A by-stander informed me, as we crossed the road together, on the way back from the Finance Bank, that the main gripe was the cost of renewing PSV licence, the fees were to be increased to K1 million (GBP140 or US$220) from the previous charge of about K200,000 (US$45 GBP30). There were also loud complaints from two taxi drivers behind us that the Livingstone Police allegedly pursue and fine motorists unnecessarily to help supplement their low pay. No other city in Zambia it is said is subjected to the same number of ephemeral roadblocks mounted by the Livingstone Police within the city limits.

Taxi drivers the world over are an opinionated and independent-minded group of people. Zambians are no different. Most drivers that we have met are decent and honest family men, very willing to help and trying very hard to scrape a living in order to feed, clothe, house and educate their family. The drivers are not usually the owners of their vehicle and competition for trade is stiff, so life is not easy. They are also expected to raise a minimum amount each day for the owner. The proposed rises were unreasonable and would have been almost impossible to meet. Some street wit suggested because it is election year and because of all the trouble caused, it looked like RTSA (a Government Agency) was ‘decampaigning’ the MMD, the ruling party!

As regards Livingstone City Council charges, apparently taxi drivers were paying K2,000 (45c or 30p) per day while mini-bus drivers were still paying K5,000 per day with large long distance coaches paying K80,000 per trip. These charges have not increased for some time.

It all seemingly ended later in the morning with the Southern Province Permanent Secretary Gladys Kristafor asking the Ministry of Home Affairs to direct the police and RTSA to revert to old fees charged to motorists.

Business was back to normal as we left Livingstone on 1430h bus to Mwandi.

*Decampaigning – a Zambian English neologism meaning to campaign against political opponents.

Awaiting further developments

I have asked for my teaching be compressed into 4 days so that I can use a Wednesday if necessary to travel on business to Livingstone. On returning from there yesterday I noticed at Makanga, a settlement about 15km away from Mwandi, a long gang of piece-workers shovelling sand and digging out a long trench. This is to contain the Chinese-sponsored fibre-optic cable that will eventually be laid from Livingstone to Sesheke once the Lusaka-Livingstone stage is complete.

I was struck by the stark contrast there: the inhabitants of a daub and wattle village digging the trench for 21st century technology to be made available to a fortunate minority in Mwandi and Sesheke, who will be part of the much vaunted global village, but which like the electricity pylons on the other side of the road, will pass the inhabitants of rural Makanga by.

On the other hand, we have made good progress with the Sikuzu Community School. The Bill of Quantities has been calculated and to build the three classrooms; materials and labour included, comes to K233m, $51,850 or GBP32,500. On Tuesday the Committee signed the contract and we hope to start work very soon.

We have at the moment a group of medical students and tutors staying with us at Simba. They come from Eastern North Carolina which too, like this part of Zambia, has a number health issues directly related to poverty. There is an important community aspect to their training and it is good for them to get to see matters from the perspective of a developing country. Most of them are paediatricians, so they have been happy to visit the Orphan and Vulnerable Children Project.

With the moving of the Labour Ward to the Maternity Unit that has freed up the second theatre, so Ida is working on organising the operating theatres and Central Stores. She is looking in particular at infection control and the possible establishment and future workings of the two theatres. They are also preparing for Quarterly District Assessment. Another task in hand is the repair of the leaks in the hospital roof.

We are expecting the return of Ruairidh from Australia in early March and Fiona and Lucy a month or so later when Fiona is given the all clear from with her thyroid from the Doctors there. We have missed them, Lucy has taken her first steps and now has her front teeth.

On Friday fuel was raised by over 11 per cent, the rise in global crude prices and the depreciation of the Kwacha against the dollar being given as the reasons. This will have an adverse affect on prices, food prices in particular and on the annual inflation rate. It takes 40 litres of diesel for a return trip to Livingstone. This will now cost K320,000 instead of K280,000. (GBP45 or $70)

The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) has urged President Banda in a meeting with him to deal urgently and constructively with the contentious matters raised by Barotseland Agreement of 1964 and the issues arising from the recent sad turn of events in Mongu. The difficulty is that although Zambia is a unitary state, the Agreement brought about a quasi-federation between Northern Rhodesia and Barotseland which has in effect brought into being a state within a state, Western Province within Zambia. This is evidenced by the President of Zambia having to pay a courtesy-call on the Litunga (King) any time, he visits Western Province for any reason.

The underdevelopment being complained about is also being blamed by the Central Government on the traditional Lozi custom which forbids the purchase, selling or freehold ownership of land. It is being argued that no investor will invest in an area where they will not own the land. This argument, I imagine, is not unconnected to the fact that a number of multi-national companies have been recently allocated by the Central Government, blocks to prospect for oil, gas and other minerals.

This is election year for President, National Assembly and Local Government and so the CCZ also urged the Government to restore confidence in the Electoral Commission whose Director was suspended and did not have his contract renewed. The Chairwoman, widely viewed as a woman of integrity, resigned because of outside interference.

The Church expects a free, fair and violence-free election to be held on a level playing field and that people found abusing, stealing, diverting or misapplying hard-earned taxpayers money or other donor or government money be prosecuted without fear or favour. The Church also requested that the Government help to gather in and store the bumper maize crop too much of which is now rotting and going to waste in rural areas.

Finally, the Human Rights Commission in Mongu has been criticized by a Catholic body CARITAS for being ineffective in defending local people’s rights. In fact, the Commission is on record as supporting the police in its ‘noble’ efforts to maintain law and order, thereby defending the use of live ammunition to kill people. Arrested suspects were imprisoned and kept in containers along with injured people for 4 days without food or access to medical care. There are still 106 detainees incarcerated at Mumbwa and 22 people charged with treason in cramped conditions in Lusaka.

Jesus is good / big / important

This (above) is embroidered onto the pulpit drop at Luanja Church. Silozi uses the same word “tuna” for big, good or important. (You can usually work out the meaning from the context.)

Gertrude Kambole (the Consistory Secretary), Mr Museisei (an Elder), Ida, Mubita and I set out on Sunday. Percy Kaleba, the Youth Pastor stayed to introduce the newly-arrived Minister to Jerusalem Congregation at the Mission. We five went to Luanja on a Consistory visit to encourage the local congregation and offer some outside input. We have been visiting all the rural congregations in turn in the absence of a permanent Minister.

We were warmly received by the congregation, though they had been struck a bitter blow earlier in the week. A young father of five children, and a Church member, who was still under 30 had collapsed and died on the roadside while herding his cattle. It is assumed that it was a heart attack but there are no facilities for a post mortem to be done. Luanja is about 40 km into the bush from Mwandi. They had buried him on the Friday but were still all reeling from the shock, but it is amazing how the Holy Spirit works, and the sermon Keith had prepared on prayer and withdrawing to spend time with God spoke into the situation.

After the Service we were able to visit the home of the young man’s parents and spend time with the family, neighbours and friends who had gathered at the house to offer their support and comfort. We were touched by the quiet, loving and dignified atmosphere in the house, there was sorrow but also joy, not generated by our human effort but as a direct result of the grace of God in the lives of his people.

On Thursday afternoon our new Minister and family arrived in a truck with all their belongings. He is the Rev Wezi Mwanda, and newly graduated from Mindolo Theological College, so Mwandi is his first charge. He has come with his wife, Mary, and young son, Kondwani. He has had a busy time getting to know everybody and visiting all the different ministries of the Church here. This weekend we have a Consistory Meeting where the Interim Moderator, Rev Lubasi, will hand over. All the various Consistory Departments will give their annual report. The meeting will close on Sunday with Morning Worship.

We are at present working to try and reduce the Hospital’s electricity bill. ZESCO, the national energy company, has increased electricity prices for consumers by substantial amounts over the past two years. There was a 40% rise in August this followed an earlier 35% hike in the same year and they will be permitted to raise them again. We are trying to get all areas of the Mission metered separately. The school has already been done and this week the first classroom block of the High School will be electrified.

We know that carbon emissions and global warming are linked, and there are worries here that the rising cost of electricity will force many more people to start using the cheapest source of energy – charcoal. This already is a curse and is being produced on too large a scale and is leading in many areas to serious deforestation. It is totally unsustainable as there is no re-afforestation to replace the trees cut down. You can clearly observe the effects on our road from Livingstone to the Western Province border at Kasaya, where recently a number of settlements have been established. The forest alongside the road is being cleared at an alarming rate and the resulting sacks of charcoal are piled high at the roadside for sale. Fotunately, our Chief is enlightened and has banned charcoal production in his District.

We are now in the middle of our rainy season and there appears to be a more extreme rainfall pattern emerging according to local people. For 10 years from the early 90s our area suffered from regular droughts. For the past five years we have had more than average rainfall for the area. The Zambezi too has reached record levels over the past few years suggesting that there has been more run-off rather than the rain sinking through the ground cover into the groundwater. Deforestation would certainly have contributed to this.

Saying that, we need to remember that alternative forms of energy need to be offered and made available to both the rural and urban people. The biggest market for charcoal is in the high density townships in the towns and cities where there is still no widespread electrification. Over 60% of the population of 13 million lives on less than a dollar a day. Formal employment stands at around 25% of the population, so even were electricity available many simply could not afford it anyway.

Please continue to keep Western Province in your prayers. The 92 year-old former Prime Minister of Barotseland and alleged treason suspect, Mr Maxwell Mututwa, has been discharged from custody. There remain another 22 in remand in Lusaka. 106 detainees who will now, it is said, be charged with breach of the peace and riotous behaviour have been moved from Mongu to Mumbwa Prison 400km away. There are concerns about their continued detention without trial and their being detained so far away from home and their families.

There has been disquiet expressed too about the police use of live ammunition to disperse the crowds resulting in two deaths and a number of gunshot wounds. The local independent Radio Station is still closed though the Roman Catholic Oblate Liseli station has been permitted to continue.