MDGs-Voiceless being heard !

A testimony by Pastor Peter Chikoseleshi,

Dear friends

We had Micah Sunday on 17^th Oct where we were praying over the Millennium Goals after petitioning the Minister of Education on the 16^th October to consider the plight of Community schools around the country. A good number of pastors and people from different churches came together and we prayed for all sectors of our economy and that poverty should be swept out. 

Insert Photo: Presentation of petition to the Minister’s Representative

Some of the pictures you will see are of people marching. These are the people who participated in the Micah Challenge Millennium Development Goal campaign. About 50 community schools from Ndola District participated.

The prayer items for the Micah challenge were:

1. That the government deploys trained teachers to community schools on needs based system that is not influenced by school type.

2. Meet quotas established for enrolment in pre-service programs for community schools.

3. Provide alternate training for community schoolteachers giving credence to the teacher’s time spent teaching in the community school classrooms.

4. Give preference in deployment to former community school teachers trained by the government.

5. Provide books and materials to community schools in an equitable and transparent manner.

6. Improve school infrastructure by providing funds for improvement of water and sanitation at community schools.

Why should Christians petition over the Millennium Development goals?

According to the Bible, we are the head and not the tail. The Bible also tells us to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. In the past Christians only talked about heaven and left much of the work to the politician. We later came to learn that the constitutions in some western nations formulated by politicians were not in line as some ruled out the sharing of the gospel in communities and schools and public gatherings. This was when Christians woke up and realised that politics should not be left in the hands of the politician alone. Politicians instead should be accountable to us as people who listen from God. My appeal to christen leaders is to mentor Christians who will have influence in the political arena so that when a constitution is being implemented Christians shall be involved and ensure peace.

For several years, Micah Challenge in collaboration with the GCAP and the UN Millennium has been participating in the Stand and take Action Campaign to remind the 189 nations including Zambia who signed the MDG Declaration in 2000 to stay focused on the commitment to achieve the MDGs.

Finally, please as Christians let us not be quiet but take action. We have already told the government what needs to be done but we too have our own contribution towards the communities that are less privileged so that we act as an example to our leaders.

Thank you for being an active participator to this cause.

Pastor Peter.

Musonda Community Striving to Meet the MDG on Education

The Musonda School in Kitwe, Zambia, demonstrates the power of partnerships. A school originally undertaken as a Pro-Life Advancement and Education Project (PLAEP) project in partnership with Micah Challenge Zambia, the Musonda  School engages community leaders and the local church to reach its goal of providing a quality education to every child in Musonda compound, an unplanned "shanty" town.

Insert Photo: Mopani Copper Mine Offices

But its future was not always so bright, according to Prisca Kambole, Executive Director of PLEAP: "When [we began] here two years ago, [there were] five untrained, volunteer teachers, 400 children… classrooms lacking desks, stationary, exercise books and pencil. The place was anything but a school." Though copper prices have risen significantly in the last decade, Musonda has seen little of the economic benefit; even though it is located within a couple miles of an established copper mine. Most of Musonda’s residents live on less than a dollar a day, and education opportunities for children are severely limited.

It is in this community that PLEAP first rented a two-room building in an effort to support the struggling Musonda School. As a Christian organization, PLAEP also takes church involvement in its school project seriously. With an emphasis on improving the capacity of its teachers, PLAEP emphasizes the connection between the local church and the UN Millennium Development educational goals.

Insert Photo: Nathan Nanfelt, Allan Chisala and Prisca Kambole

The change in teachers is obvious, according to Paul Mulenga, Head Teacher at the Musonda School, “Though, I am a Christian, I did not [previously] know the connection between God’s concern for these children to attend school and the church’s responsibility. I now relate my work to the call of the prophet Micah, ‘What does the Lord require of you, But to do justice, and love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?’ This is my motivation as I serve these children."

And what began as a PLAEP and local church effort has become international in scope. Nathan Nanfelt, a Wheaton College HNGR intern at Micah Challenge Zambia, connected friend Emily George with PLAEP staff in Musonda, a partnership that  quickly grew deep roots. Emily furthered the partnership, involving her family and home church, Valley Springs Presbyterian Church. Children from her church raised $505 for school supplies, and an education partnership program was created, currently involving over fifty church families. Emily’s primary efforts, however, focused on education, as she invested in sixty students ages 10-16. A fresh approach successfully helped to change students’ apathetic attitudes towards education into creative engagement.

Insert Photo: Emily and the pupils at school

The school’s drama team was since chosen to participate in a national drama competition, one of only three schools selected in the entire country. At its closing performance, the drama team depicted a typical bleak Zambian household scenario, but concluded with a scene of reconciliation which demonstrated the faithfulness of God.

The Musonda School is a model of hope for schools in Zambia and beyond. By connecting the local church, international partners, and ngo’s MCZ and PLAEP, the school and its students benefit from the strength of partnership with the global church. Says Mrs. Kambole, "The hope of Musonda children…. realizing their potential does not lie on the government but lies on an informed church that cries out for justice."

Take part in attaining MDGs, Zambians challenged

Take part in attaining MDGs, Zambians challenged

TIMES OF ZAMBIA, Monday, October, 20, 2008 – HOME NEWS

By Times Reporter

MICAH Challenge Zambia has challenged the people of Zambia to actively participate in the attainment of the millennium development goals (MDGs).

The organisation’s facilitator, Lawrence Temfwe said on Sunday during an inter-denominational gathering at the Bread of Life Church in Ndola that people needed to work towards achieving the MDGs and not leave it entirely to the Government.

He said everyone needed to work towards achieving the MDGs in order to fight poverty.

“It is a duty of all Zambians to work towards the achievement of MDGs by doing something about it or by getting the Government to give the people what they need,” Reverend Temfwe said.

He said according to the 2008 Zambia Progress Report, seven MDGs were most likely to be attained leaving out one.

Rev Temfwe said the goal to attain eradication of extreme poverty was most likely not to be attained by 2015.

He, therefore, called on every Zambian to find something to do in order to achieve the attainment of eradicating extreme poverty.

Rev Temfwe said the Church should pray fervently and encourage congregants to act towards achieving the MDG of eradicating poverty in seven years.

One of the speakers at the event, Father Miha Drevensek said that to achieve the sixth MDG – to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases,- everyone had to participate.

NGO asks presidential candidates for commitment towards MDGs

NGO asks presidential candidates for commitment towards MDGs

THE POST, Friday, September 19, 2008 – Home News

A CHRISTIAN non-governmental organization has advised presidential candidates in the October 30 election to make a commitment towards the attainment of millennium development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

And National Royal Foundation of Zambia chairperson Chief Bright Nalubamba (right) has asked presidential aspirants to meet all traditional Leaders to explain their agenda for the rural poor before asking for their votes.

In a statement, Micah Challenge Zambia national facilitator Pastor Lawrence also called on Christians in the country to vote for a person who would promote integrity, righteous and justice.

“We call on all Zambians not to vote tribe, Chibuku, party or age, but character, vision and strategy on how we will attain the millennium Development Goals,” he said.

And commenting on the heads of state meeting on the MDGs to take place in New York on September 25, pastor Temfwe called on leaders from the developing countries to urge G8 nations to fulfill the pledges they made to poor countries.

Pastor Temfwe also expressed dissatisfaction with the US$60 billion pledged by the rich nations towards health.

And chief Nalubamba said traditional leaders need to know what the presidential aspirants stood for so that people know who they were voting for.

“ There is greater need than before for the aspirants to meet the traditional leaders through out the country so that they can explain what they have for the rural poor,” Chief Nalubamba said. We have been marginalized for some time and our people remain poor so we have to know this time around what we are voting for.”

Chief Nalubamba said traditional leaders and the rural poor had the right to know what was there for them from the presidential candidates in the October 30 by-election.

He advised the candidates to reserve some days of their campaign period for a meeting with traditional leaders to discuss issues that affected the rural communities.

“We need to know how each of the candidates intends to work with traditional leaders in the fight against rural poverty,” said Chief Nalubamba. “ There should be no restriction on how should meet traditional leaders to allow the rural people to elect the best candidate. We now have to speak out strongly about traditional leaders’ effective involvement and participation in governance and development as servants of the rural poor.”

Christian NGO challenges presidential aspirants

TIMES OF ZAMBIA, Thursday, September, 18, 2008 – HOME NEWS

By Times Reporter

MICAH Challenge Zambia a Christian non-governmental organization (NGO) has urged presidential aspiring candidates to make commitments on how they intend to achieve the millennium development goals (MDGS) once elected into office.

Micah Zambia national facilitator for the organization. Pastor Lawrence Temfwe said in a statement in Ndola yesterday that his organization was urging all candidates for the forth-coming elections to make commitments towards achieving the MDGs.

Pastor Temfwe said it was important that the voters were availed by each candidate what they were promising to uplift the lives of Zambians.

“We call on all Zambians not to vote on tribal lines. Or because of free Chibuku, or according to party lines or according to the age but vote according to the vision and strategy on how we will attain the MDGs.” He said.

Pastor Temfwe called on Christians to vote for a person who would promote righteousness, integrity, hard work, compassion and justice.

He said it was imperative that Christian voted properly because the majority of the voters in Zambia were Christians.

Pastor Temfwe called on the meeting on September 25 that would gather in New York for the eighth year since the signing of the MDGs to work out modalities to achieve them.

He especially called on the summit to effectively address the issue of children affected by HIV and called to intercede for the same meeting.

April – May 2008 Micah News

Central Province Launch

During the month of May we had a launch of Micah Challenge in Central Province. This is the fourth launch in the series of provincial launches. So far we have done launches on the Copperbelt (August 28^th 2007), North Western Province (November 20^th, 2007), Luapula province (February 5^th, 2008).

The Central Province Launch took place on May 28^th 2008, at Kabwe Chapel in Kabwe. A total of 150 church leaders, pastors, university students, and members of the civil society attended this meeting which was opened by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Central Province. Besides this meeting, we had two other meetings with ZAFES groups at Mulungushi University and Nkrumah College of education, where we introduced students to the work of Micah Challenge.

The essence of the provincial launches is to sensitize and engage church leaders and church members about the work of MCZ.

Engagement with the Media

Last month, we released three press releases. The first one was on price surge, the second one was on the occasion of the African Freedom Day, and the last one was on the Central Province Micah Launch

The Campaign Coordinator, Martin Kapenda also had a live interview with Radio Maranatha in Kabwe. The interview was centred on the work of Micah Challenge Zambia and the Central Province Launch.

MDGs Needs Assessment Training Workshop

The MCZ Campaign Coordinator attended the MDGs Needs Assessment Training Workshop organised by the UNDP at Chrismar hotel in Livingstone from 19^th to 23^rd May. The meeting was facilitated by UN staff from New York, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho. The workshop was attended by planners from government line ministries and the civil society working in the area of advocacy.

The main objectives for the training workshop were to expose the participants to the following:

• Translating the long-term goals such as NDP and the MDGs into operational targets.
• Developing a strategy for increasing absorptive capacity.
• Strengthening coherence between planning and budget processes and guide programming of expenditure.
• Providing a monitoring and accountability framework.

Participants were also introduced to MDG Needs Assessment Tools in the following sectors- Agriculture, Education, Energy, Gender, Health, Justice, Roads, and Water and Sanitation.

Stand Up Speak Out

The MCZ National Facilitator, Rev. Lawrence Temfwe, attended a meeting in Lusaka called by GCAP to meet with Mr Salil Shety, the Global Director of the United Nations Millennium. The purpose for the meeting was to discuss the Stand Up Speak Out event which takes place on October 17^th and to gain an insight on what was being obtained at a global level with regard to the attainment of the MDGs.

Monitoring Zimbabwean elections

The MCZ National Facilitator, Lawrence Temfwe, the Executive Director of EFZ, Bishop Paul Mususu, and a Steering Committee Member of Micah Challenge joined one hundred other faith based Elections monitors from different African countries in Zimbabwe from 25^th to 31^st March to monitor the Zimbabwean elections. During his stay in Zimbabwe, Rev. Temfwe was given a unique role of writing press statements on behalf of the group. Please continue to pray for peace to prevail during the forth coming rerun elections in Zimbabwe.

EFZ General Assembly

The campaign coordinator attended the EFZ General Assembly, which was held at GO Centre in Lusaka from 29^th to 30^th April. A Micah Challenge report was presented which highlighted the activities which were implemented from 1^stApril 2007 to 31^st March 2008. The report showed that Micah Challenge Zambia currently has over 700 churches, organizations and individuals who have signed the Micah Call. Moreover, the year 2007 marked the first year of the implementation of the MCZ three year Plan for the period 2007 – 2010. During the same period Micah Challenge was officially launched in Zambia.

September UN Summit

President Levy Mwanawasa is likely to attend a UN High Level conference to take place on 25^th September 2008 prior to the UN General Council. The aim of the High Level conference is to bring together world leaders, Civil Society and the private sector to help translate existing commitments to the MDGs into action, and strengthen the accountability of all parties in the global partnership for development. Pray that our President, Dr Mwanawasa, will be able to attend this summit and renew Zambia’s commitment to the MDGs. Micah Challenge Zambia will soon be writing to the President to request him to attend this meeting. We will soon be writing to all MCZ District Steering Committees to give them more information on this UN High Level Conference..

Announcements

We call on coalition members to take note of the following important dates on the calendar of Micah Challenge Zambia.

September 25^th UN High level Conference- We will send you more details on what is being planned soon.

October 17^th, Stand Up Speak Out –We have sent out a letter to all district committees. We ask you to look at the events you can do as church. Also look out for activities planned by other civil societies and engage them.

October 12^th Micah Sunday- We hoping that all Steering Committees members will ensure that this is observed in the churches they lead.

October 8^th: Prayer Gathering

Please organize or participate in prayer gathering.

Micah Challenge Zambia- Kabwe Report

150 pastors, church leaders, and twenty students met in Kabwe, in the Central Province of Zambia, on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, to learn about and discuss the Micah Challenge program. Micah Challenge, a worldwide Christian initiative to encourage social action within the church, seeks to promote the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) signed by world leaders at the UN meeting in 2000. Various speakers came to present information and provide vision for the attendants who responded through question and answer sessions and group discussion.

Pastor David Muwowo of Kabwe Chapel opened the program with a devotion based on Jesus’ parable of the rich man found in Mark 10:17-22. The rich man in the story became conscious of his unhealthy attachment to material wealth through an encounter with Christ. Pastor Muwowo argued that a true interaction with Jesus should result in conviction and recognition of personal corruption.

Pastor Martin Kapenda gave the first formal speech of the day. He introduced the MDGs and presented the current status of Zambia on reaching the proposed UN goals by 2015. He then highlighted the vision of Micah Challenge to build a global coalition of member organizations, churches, denominations, institutions, and individuals who are committed to engaging in poverty reduction and responding to the biblical call to ‘do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8).

The second speaker was the Jubilee Centre’s Executive Director and National Facilitator of Micah Challenge, Pastor Lawrence Temfwe. He exhorted the participants to put into practice the biblical commission to make disciples of all nations while calling on them to live out the greatest commandment to love God and to love neighbor. Fulfilling this call requires integral mission. Such mission, emphasized Pastor Temfwe, seeks to positively affect the entirety of a person’s physical, emotional, and spiritual life with the Gospel. The Church must therefore be relevant to the Zambian context. Relevancy requires engagement in the lives, struggles, and needs of the people, actively working to love them and serving them. He argued that the call to integral mission is based on the work Jesus outlined in Luke 4:18-19. According to this passage, Jesus came to restore relationships. As the body of Christ the Church holds the same mission as Jesus. Therefore, as a body the Church must respond to the MDG campaign not because the UN says so, but because God commands us. Pastor Temfwe offered the attendees practical means to get involved through prayer, signing the Micah Call, and taking action as an individual, church, community, and a nation.

The keynote speaker of the day was Central Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Christopher Mutembo. He called for the government, opposition parties, international institutions, the business sectors, civil society, and the Church to work together towards the MDGs. “To achieve the MDGs, Zambia needs everyone,” exclaimed the Deputy Permanent Secretary. He emphasized the role of the government as an entity for the Church and Civil Society to partner with in development. He also encouraged unity “across denominations, and tribes, across

Report submitted by

Chloé Lee, Ashleigh Rogers, and Bethany Wilson.

Times of Zambia, Thursday, May 29, 2008

“State, Church are partners”

By Times Reporter

Central province Permanent Secretary Denny Lumbama challenged the church to consider the Government as a partner in development and not its rival.

Mr Lumbama said this in a speech read for him by his deputy, Luke Mankapi in Kabwe on 28th May 2008 during the launch of the Central province Micah Challenge Zambia, a national coalition campaigning for poverty reduction and the attainment of the millennium development goals (MDGs).

He said the MDGS could only be met if all partners in development such as the church, civil society, the business sector, as well as trade unions worked as a team and not in isolation.

Mr Lumbama said the MDGs were attainable but such a resolve required seriousness by partners involved the world over.

“Government has and continues to remain steadfast in working towards meeting the MDGs as could be seen by some of the policies it has instituted”.

“We have an HIV /AIDS policy in place that has seen many patients access Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs free of charge and we have also instituted measures aimed at reducing extreme poverty,” said Mr Lumbama.

Mr Lumbama was encouraged to see that Christians throughout the world had realised the need to work with the governments in ensuring that the MDGs were met by 2015.

He commended Micah Challenge Zambia for taking up the initiative to supplement the Government efforts in meeting the MDGs and stressed that this was how it should be for the development of the country.

And Micah Challenge Zambia representative, Martin Kapenda said his organisation was building a coalition of member associations, churches, institutions, and individuals who were committed to engaging in poverty reduction and the biblical call to do justice and to love.

“as coalition of Christians committed to do justice and action, we will help the government meet eight MDG goals that include eradicating extreme poverty, achieving universal education, promoting gender equality and reducing child mortality through our actions,” Mr Kapenda said.

The other goals the organisation would assist the government in attaining were to improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop global partnerships for development.

As a coalition of Christians committed to standing for justice in Zambia, Mr Kapenda said his organisation strongly urged the Government to keep its promise on attainment of the MDGs.

Micah Challenge Zambia was officially launched in Zambia on August 4, 2007 and it is in the process of being launched throughout the country’s nine provinces.

So far the initiative has already been launched on the Copperbelt, North-western, Luapula, and Central Provinces.

LUAPULA PROVINCE MICAH CHALLENGE LAUNCH REPORT

February 4, 2008.

Micah Challenge Zambia was launched nationally in Zambia on 4^th August 2007 in Lusaka.This was followed by a Copperbelt launch on 27^th August 2007 and North Western Province on November 20^th 2007. This report contains the contents, process and outputs of the launch of Micah Challenge in Luapula Province on February 4^th 2008. The provincial launches are meant to introduce the work of Micah Challenge to the churches and to lay a foundation of District Steering Committees. District Committees will be the main vehicles to advocate for the achievement of MDGs at district level. Then their efforts will be picked up by Micah Challenge to ensure that the government knows what is happening in districts.

Luapula province is located on the northern part of Zambia and lying between latitudes 8 degrees and 12.4 degrees south. It covers 50, 567km/sq of land and mass. And it has five main physical features; plateau, the lake, rivers, the valley and the swamps; altitude ranges from 900m above sea level in the valley to 1,300m on the Kawambwa plateau. The land is well watered with a normal rain season which runs from October to April.

Martin Kapenda, Campaign Coordinator for Micah Challenge Zambia, introduced Micah Challenge Zambia – its goals and vision for the future. In his introduction, Martin started off by giving the example of Jesus when he began his public ministry. Christ read from the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…” Indeed, this good news is for the poor, the afflicted, and the oppressed.

Martin went on to remind the people that this good news is for the over 80% of the twelve million people who live in Zambia; because these were the ones who live on less than a dollar a day. They are the poor, the afflicted and the oppressed.

“My dream”, he said, “is to see a day when Micah Challenge Zambia will be fully established in Zambia because there will be a strong voice from the church to campaign for justice for the poor, the afflicted, and the oppressed”.

He echoed the fact that it was God’s challenge to us, to be his agents of hope in this hurting world. And that It was God’s challenge through us, to global leaders in every sphere of life, to play their part in securing a more just and merciful world.

Mr. Clement Siame, the acting permanent secretary for Luapula province gave his key note address on behalf of the provincial minister. He said it was an honour that for the first time Luapula was considered among the first places to launch such an important organization; claiming that many are the times that Luapula is last or even not remembered. “It is indeed a great honour to be considered among the first provinces for Micah Challenge launch, we rarely have such consideration”, he said.

In his speech, the acting PS reiterated the government’s total commitment to the well being of its people. He said that the government of Zambia was doing all that is necessary to meet the MDGs. “For example” he said, “the government has put the National HIV/AIDS Policy in place to guide us in the fight against the pandemic. So far there are over 100,000 people receiving free ARV treatment”. He was however, quick to say that the government alone cannot do everything; hence the need for the church and the civil society to partner with the government to meet the many challenges facing the people.

He further reminded the delegates that our nation is endowed with natural riches that need to be explored for our betterment. However, he conceded to the fact that we do not have the financial resources to explore the natural wealth we have, hence the need for foreign investors.

He also informed delegates that, being at the mid point between the adoption of the MDGs and the 2015 target our collective record is mixed. There is a clear need for church leaders to take urgent and concerted efforts, or many millions of people in Zambia will not realize the basic promises of the MDGs in their lives.

In conclusion, he urged the church to partner with government and political leaders in achieving the MDGs. He said to achieve the MDGS, Zambia needs everyone; young people, religious leaders, environmentalists, unions, and civil society organizations to work together and make sure the goals become a reality.

Hansen and Samuel, from the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR), a non governmental organization based in Luapula but having branches in six other Zambian provinces.

They were a timely resource organization for statistical information on the progress of the Millennium Development Goals during the conference. They outlined the primary economical activities of the province and challenges that most people in this part of Zambia are facing.

They also outlined their involvement in mitigating issues of poverty in the province by introducing sustainable income generating activities such as honey farming.

Finally, Pastors and church leaders from thirty-one different churches representing the seven districts of Luapula and other community based organizations from these areas formed groups to discuss at least three issues outlined in the MDGs, in order of priority, that most relate to, and affect their districts. During discussions and presentations, the following MDGs came out as prominent in most of the districts:

MDG # 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Issues cited were:

-During fishing season, children are taken from school to the fishing camps

-Free education must be provided to the children

-Long distances to schools

-Early marriages

MDG # 2 Achieve universal primary education. Issues cited:

-Building community schools were there are none.

-Free education from grade one to grade twelve should be encouraged

-Improve on quality of education

MDG # 5 Improve maternal health. Issues cited:

-Most districts have no hospitals and some unfortunate pregnant women die on the way to the nearest hospital which could be about 12km away and in some instances.

-Transport is not adequate and most of the time it is broken down.

-There are no doctors and qualified personnel.

MDG # 6 Combat HIV and AIDS, Malaria and other diseases, citing the need to have infrastructure so that everyone can have access to VCT and free ARV treatment. For instance, one prominent complaint on this MDG was that, even though ARVs are free, transport to and from the nearest place where they could be accessed adds up making it very expensive.

Since then four District Steering Committees have been formed. These district steering committees are going to lead the church in MDGs advocacy and campaign. In total, they were over 120 delegates who attended the launch.

STAND UP SPEAK OUT

REPORT ON 17^TH OCTOBER

PREAMBLE

Micah Challenge Zambia on October 17, joined with other people from all around the world to STAND UP and SPEAK OUT against poverty. This event is an initiative started by the UN Millennium Campaign and Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) with the aim bringing together people and organizations around the world to fight poverty. This event is designed to enable citizens to demand that their governments honor their commitments. In 2000, world leaders made a commitment through the UN Millennium Development Goals to halve poverty by 2015. Micah Challenge Zambia’s theme was, “access to quality education and equality”.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty eight Ndola based private, government and community schools took part in this event. We had community schools in Mapalo and Chifubu, a government school in Mapalo. We had private schools around town centre, Kansenshi, Northrise and Itawa participating in this event.

Students at the theological College of Central Africa also had special Chapel set aside for this event. Mr. Gehani Ntaimo, former Jubilee Centre Volunteer, also organized 70 students at The National College for Development and Business Studies in Kabwe. In the evening over a hundred people gathered for a debate Government efforts in meeting the MDGs.Officially we had a total of 8,621 people taking part in this event.

World wide over 43.7 million people, in 127 countries broke the Guinness World Record – set last year at 23.5 million – for the largest number of people to “STAND UP AGAINST POVERTY” in 24 hours. The “Stand Up and Speak Out” record attempt took place over 16th and 17th October and was jointly organized by the United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) and the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) with a wide range of other partners. The challenge saw millions of people physically and intentionally standing up against poverty, inequality and in support of the Millennium Development Goals.  They spoke out to demand a more urgent political response to the growing crisis of global poverty. United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon when he led a stand up action at UN Headquarters in New York, said “Today tens of millions of people are making their voices heard by standing up and speaking out against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. They are sending messages that call on their leaders to keep their promises. They are calling for the actions of citizens to be matched by the actions of Governments, in developing and developed countries alike, to demonstrate the political will required to end the scourge of poverty once and for all.”

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH

A prayer meeting dubbed the Stand Up and Speak Out prayer gathering took place on the 8th of October at the Bread of Life Church, Green Village, Ndola for pray for the stand up and speak event.

This meeting graced by the Ndola District Commissioner Mrs. Gladys Kristafor. Over a hundred church leaders took part in this prayer event. Special prayers came from

• Rev George Chanda of Bread of Life Ndola shared from Psalms 41: 1-3 and prayed for Government’s To bring poverty down in Zambia
• Bishop Ng’ona of Christ Gospel Church read Isaiah 58 and led in prayers For the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Zambia
• Rev Chilombo from the United Church of Zambia gave a presentation on the need for gender equality in Zambian society including the church prayed for Gender equality in Zambia

Rev Charles Mwila of Kanini House of Prayer shared from Romans 13 and prayed for the Zambian Government to the keep the Promise of halving poverty by 2015

During this prayer meeting there was a special presentation in form of Songs & +Poems on poverty by the Mapalo Bread of Life Community School, where at least a hundred churches took part.

WHY STAND UP?

Stand Up and Speak Out against Poverty and inequality campaign is an exiting and innovative challenge aimed at setting an official Guinness World record for the most number of people to STAND UP against poverty. The physical act of standing up against poverty is in itself a strong symbolic statement by the citizens of the world that we will not sit by and watch billions of people going hungry amidst all the riches of the world.  Micah Challenge Zambia has taken up this opportunity to bring organize this prayer gathering so that Christians can meet to pray together to bring poverty situation in our country before God.

Micah Challenge Zambia ’s involvement in the stand Up against poverty campaign is a response to the biblical “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8). We strongly believe at Micah Challenge Zambia that our God is a God of Justice and He defends the cause of the weak and vulnerable in our society.  Therefore, God is interested in our situation in Zambia, He would like the church to stand in the gap by being a moral force as we campaign for the MDGs.

Furthermore, at Micah Challenge we are concerned that midway through the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Zambia and other African countries are way below achieving most goals and targets in spite of significant progress made since the onset of the MDGs in 2000.

What is most worrying is that Zambia is off track in achieving most of the goals, despite the positive indicators with regard to the economic growth. In Zambia we have realized accelerated economic growth and working towards poverty reduction. However, our greatest challenges are: tackling the HIV AIDS pandemic and other diseases, fostering good governance, reducing poverty, provision of quality education for all and achieving gender equality. 

ACTIVITIES

The 17th of October was full of activities. We targeted school children from Nursery schools to post secondary institutions. Most children were eager to participate. As a result we had various activities raging from drama, poems, discussions, songs and sports. At one nursery school, the children had a public discussion on the causes of poverty.

One small girl aged 5 years argued that poverty is caused by beer drinking. She told a story of how her father misuses the money for food on beers and as a result the family remains without food.  She went on to say that this results in mother fight with father in the home. Other children shared similar story stories and the children where of the opinion that if beer drinking was banned in Zambia there could be no hunger in most homes. It was heartening to see that children in nursery schools able to take part in this world wide event. By2015 the children in nursery and primary schools will be their teens and this is the right time engage with them. At St Andrews High School we had a football game between grade eights and grade nines. The march was symbolic of kicking out poverty.

SUMMARY

The Stand Up Speak out event was made possible with the support from Micah Challenge international, Tear Australia, Tear Fund UK, The 2015 Millennium Campaign and the Support of Staff from jubilee Centre and Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia.

The Stand Up and Speak Out event was organised within a period of two weeks. This gave us a u number of organisation hurdles which needed to be overcome due to time constraints. For next year’s event we need to put in place the following measures:

· Have a clear budget line for the event

· Seek permission from the Ministry of Education to organise the vents in Government schools

· Train event facilitators. These could be pastors, teachers and other church members

· Extend the event to other urban towns on the Copper belt

· Plan for events like a music concert, sports activities, community leaders escorting their respective Members of Parliament to the local Market to buy breakfast, lunch and supper using the equivalent of one US Dollar.

· prepare in advance relevant materials

· have a strong media presence

 

by

Martin Kapenda

MCZ Campaign Coordinator

Global Leaders Forum

Pastor Lawrence Temfwe the National Facilitator of Micah Challenge in Zambia and Bishop Paul Mususu a Board Member of Micah Challenge International and a member of the Steering Committee of Micah Challenge Zambia where part of the nine member team from the Global South who were invited to a Leadership Forum that was co-hosted by the National Association of Evangelicals (NEA) and the Micah Challenge USA.

Photo: Pastor Temfwe second from left & Bishop Mususu second from right with Ban Ki-moon in Washington.

The two days Leaders Forum was officially opened by the U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. In his opening remarks he highlighted the common social concerns of the UN and the Christian church community. He also informed the 400 Christians of the progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). He assured the participants that, like Christians “who contribute so much to the causes close to our hearts-peace, good works and prosperity for all- … I believe in moral passion grounded in concrete action.”

The NEA’s president, Leith Anderson emphasized that the focus of the gathering was on the teaching of the Gospel. Fedelis Gathoni Wainaina a Kenyan and a member of the Micah Challenge International encouraged leaders from the Global North to listen carefully to needs and effective strategies the Global South was engaging to respond.

During the session dialogues Pastor Lawrence Temfwe led the discussion on “Holding Nations Accountable to the Millennium Development Goals.” He shared on how churches and communities are holding their elected leaders accountable by having them sign a declaration to address the stated needs of the community. Bishop Mususu and Andy Atkins of Tearfund UK led a discussion on “Global Climate Change”

Later in the week Bishop Mususu traveled to New York where he told the church and the community gatherings that “Our advocacy on MDG was rooted in our understanding of biblical justice.” Lawrence spoke at a large church in Michigan and encouraged them to be a church where people who live in the community are sincerely thankful for your presence. Lawrence also spoke at Calvin College Chapel and reminded the students of Isaiah 42 which calls us to be servants of God by being concerned with things that are not right in our communities and in our world. He called on the students to serve those in need with humility and with joy of the Lord.

Lawrence then traveled to Las Vegas where he was joined By Rev. Adam Phillips Chair of Micah Challenge USA. In Las Vegas Lawrence addressed volunteers from the One Campaign at a Luncheon that was attended by church leaders and community leaders. He shared on why Micah Challenge was mobilizing Christians to engage politicians on the MDGs. He was quoting from Mt 9:35-38 he said, “The kingdom of God is in part about relieving suffering: recognizing people’s mental or physical pain. And in part helping people see their own contribution to the suffering and pain through their own personal or social sin.”

Lawrence and Rev. Phillips attended the Barack Obama campaign and had an opportunity to pass him the bracelet with “Make Poverty History” written on it. Rev. Phillips asked Obama on what he was going to do about world poverty. Obama responded that he was first going to start by addressing USA poverty. Lawrence concluded the trips with interviews on the state of poverty in Africa. He was interviewed on Radio and Television stations at different times.

Photo: Pastor Temfwe with Barack Obama USA presidential candidate.

The trip was fruitful in that it helped the church from Global North hear from Christian leaders from the South about the challenges of poverty and HIV/AIDS and what the church was doing about these issues.