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."

Rise Up: Global Prayer For a Better World

The G20 will meet in London on 2 April 2009 amidst a current financial crisis which presents a number of potential problems for both communities living in poverty and the rich countries. As the leaders of the 20 leading economies meet they plan to draw up a blueprint for a new global economy that will rise out of the rubble.

The current financial crisis presents numerous challenges:

• It will hurt economies in both the north and south.
• Growing numbers of people in the North and majority South will fall below the poverty line and find themselves vulnerable to economic
• shocks and downturns
• Donor countries are likely to be more introverted, less concerned about international affairs, finding less money available to spend on matters other than their own economy and services.
• Countries may fall back into protectionist measures that will damage trade and market access for poor countries like Zambia

Micah Challenge Zambia is calling Christians to rise up and join together in prayer: that our new global economy might be

more squarely founded on the values of our creator God; that the poor amongst us would be lifted up; and that from beneath the shadow of the global economic crisis there might emerge the hope for a better world.

The systems and structures of our world either glorify God or they diminish His glory. And who will raise a voice and reach out a hand to conform these things to God’s model, if not us his people? Rise up with us in global prayer for a better world.

Personal Devotion

Use this guide bellow to pray on each of the 7 days in the run up to the G20

Pray with your family and/or friends

On 2 April join thousands in prayer across the globe. Get together with friends, organization, church or family and pray for the G20 Summit.

Get you church to pray

On 29 March during church service get your church to pray for the G20 Summit. Alternatively a organize church members to meet together early in the morning to specifically pray for this summit.

Tell others about this call to prayer. Email your friends this message to help spread the word.

 

To download Rise Up Prayer Guide and Powerpoint for use during church service click below:

http://www.micahchallenge.org.uk/resource/G20_Prayer_Resource.pdf

http://www.micahchallenge.org.uk/resource/Rise_Up.ppt

 

“…what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8

Government should cut NCC Delegates

On 31^st January 2009 Micah Challenge Zambia held a meeting at Savoy on the National Budget entitled A Reflection on the 2009 National Budget which targeted Christian Professionals. The main speaker was Mr Japo Mbetwa (A fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants -ACCA and the Zambia Institute of Certified Accountants. He is also Finance Director and Chief Operational Officer for the Jasembe Enterprises LTD). Rev Derrick Mutungu (Chairperson of the Zambia Christian Chamber of Commerce) was the respondent.

As we called for this meeting it was our observation that Christian professionals are socially, economically and politically alienated from the main stream of national development. The church most often does not have adequate and reliable data to engage with precision and certainty on the nature, extent and magnitude of national problems. We sensed that there is room for the church through its Christian professionals to speak prophetically into gaps that are in the policies and guidelines for government institutions dealing with development, especially in areas of HIV/AIDS, gender, youth, trade and poverty. We identified monitoring of the implementation of our national budget as one way Christian professionals can engage with national developmental issues. Government normally comes up with good budget to address issues facing our nation but the citizen especially the church rarely hold the government accountable in the way it implements the activities.

Resolutions of the Savoy Hotel meeting were shared with the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ). Some of the resolutions were part of EFZ’s presentation to the Parliamentary Expanded Committee on Estimates. See below an article from the Post Newspaper which captured the EFZ presentation on the national budget.

Government should cut NCC Delegates –EFZ 9th February, 2009.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) on Friday submitted to a parliamentary Expanded Committee on Estimates that the government should cut down on the number of National Constitution Conference (NCC) delegates due to the global economic crisis.

The committee, which was chaired by Lukulu East Member of Parliament Batuke Imenda, comprised chairpersons of all parliamentarian select committees.

Making the submission on the 2009 budget estimates, EFZ advocacy programme officer Myiya Mwandawande said the current economic situation could not support such a large number of delegates at the NCC.

“With the current economic meltdown, we ask government to scale down the number of membership in the NCC in order to free up some resources for economic development. We are aware that there are people participating in the NCC in the name of the church. But I would like to state that these are some of the people government can remove because EFZ is not participating in the NCC. So these people are either representing themselves or their individual churches, not the EFZ,” he said.

Mwandawande further submitted that the government should reduce on the number of ministries and channel more funds into job creation.

“We recommend that the government reduce the number of ministries in order to have a lean government which will exhibit government’s commitment to save money. These funds will in turn be redirected to the social sector such as education and health. We further recommend that the government should avail more funds towards the preservation of jobs and creating new ones and ultimately protecting those in the mines,” he submitted.

Mwandawande also said the government should cut down expenditure on VIPs.

Government should cut down expenditure on VIPs through Ministry of Works and Supply. We therefore ask government to rationalize expenditure toward actual poverty reduction programmes aimed at empowering communities through social and economic sectors’ increased funding. We ask the government to uphold to windfall taxes in the mining sector. Funds raised from same should be directed to the social sector,” he said.

On agriculture, Mwandawande submitted that members of parliament and the government review the use of funds channeled to the agriculture sector.

“The government together with all the stakeholders should develop an accountability and transparency programme to deal the agricultural sector. Members of parliament and government to review the actual expenditure for funds availed to small scale farmers and the improvement of food security. We recommend the review of staff and ministerial heads who mismanaged the resources in the previous financial year. It would be outrageous to give them custody of extra funds,” submitted Mwandawande.

Press Statement On the 2009 National Budget

Press Statement

On the 2009 National Budget

By Micah Challenge Zambia in conjunction with  the Ndola Pastors Fellowship

February 11, 2009

As pastors in Ndola we are very conscious of the environment in which God has placed us in. As we release our statement on the National Budget which was presented to Parliament on 30^th January 2009 by the Hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane for the year 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009. The Theme of the budget was “Enhancing growth through competitiveness and diversification.”

This budget was presented on the backdrop of the Global economic and financial crisis and which significantly affected performance of the economy in 2008 and will pose challenges in the quest to reduce poverty levels as desired under the FNDP and Zambia Vision 2030. As we look around on the Copperbelt we are already seeing the effect of the global economic melt down.

Positive Steps

We would like to start by commending the government for the positive indicators that the Zambia economy had registered in 2008. However, the good fortunes where turned round in the fourth quarter as Zambia started to feel the effect of global economic recession. We would like also to commend the government for some positive outlooks contained in the 2009 National Budget. Some of these are:

1. The proposed 37 percent increase in the allocation to the Agriculture Sector this year.
2. The Government’s commitment to extending the benefits of growth and development across the whole nation through the devolution of appropriate service deliveries to local authorities.
3. The Government intends to address the question of competitiveness by dealing with the high cost of doing business.
4. The Government has a commitment to the development of the agricultural sector as a key to the poverty reduction program.
5. The Government has set up three initial Multi Facility Economic Zones in Lusaka and the Copperbelt
6. The Government has outlined efforts to improve the performance of the tourism sector.
7. The government has allocated 12.9 percent of the budget to the health sector.

Major Concerns

1. Poverty Reduction

The budget speech does not march the deeds in the yellow book. Under poverty reduction programs (PRP), there is money allocated for workshops, conferences, audits, management of petroleum, paying outstanding utility bills, drafting legislation, construction of offices, travel and production of documents, honestly how low can you refer these aspects to (PRP) when you want to achieve growth by 5%. There is a lot of wasteful expenditure.

We would therefore ask our Members of Parliament to help the nation understand that the budget speech does not meet with the reflections in the yellow budget. We would like to see a more pro-poor budget that meets the aspirations of the majority of the poor and helps us to attain the Millennium Development Goals.

Surely, in a year of financial crisis, falling commodity prices and less revenue, the Ministry of Works and Supply used K9.537 billion in 2008 for very important people (VIP) residential furniture, curtains, carpets, linen and banqueting suite. This year another K3.286 billion has been allocated for maintenance of VIP houses and other leaders’ houses, translate all these amounts into education and health services. Genuinely, would you say these expenditures carry on appreciable social and economic return?

We therefore asks our government to rationalize expenditure towards actual poverty reduction programs aimed at empowering communities through social and economic sector increased funding.

2. Auditor General Report

It is saddening to know that huge sums of money as much over K700 billion are being plundered at the expense of National Development. We ask our honourable members of parliament to come together and formulate a plan together with civil society and the church on how we can recover that money because the government has proved to have failed to bring the culprits to book.

Our concern is that the same staff who mismanaged the resources in the previous financial year are yet to be in custody of even extra 2 trillion. We also call on Members of Parliament to strengthen various investigative wings of the government such as ACC, DEC and the Police in order to intensify the fight against corruption.

3. Mining

This year’s budget indicates that the mining sector recorded positive growth of 4.9 percent in 2008, comparing favourably with growth of 3.6 percent in 2007. Our concern in this sector is dropping windfall and reduction of mineral taxes. The mining companies have been complaining about costs of inputs in production. However, the recent development shows that ordinary oil has come down by US$ 100 per barrel which is about 60 to 70percent down. How has that affected the profitability of the mines? “How come they are closing?”

We are therefore asking government to re-direct that money for the windfall to the social sectors or rather than hike the P.A.Y.E for the worker. It is our sincere hope that our members of parliament will help us in the deliberations to ensure government changes this decision regarding the windfall and reduction of mineral taxes, Zambian also need to benefit from copper resources.

4. Agriculture and Food Security

We ask government to channel more resources to agriculture and other tangible agro programs that will benefit small scale farmers at household level. It is our conviction that our members of parliament will help during the subsequent deliberations on the budget to ensure the monies are utilized for the purposes that will serve communities at household level as compared to workshop, fuel and travel allowances for government workers. The K35 billion for small-scale farmers meant for ensuring national food security is welcome. However, as we ask our members of parliament to ask government to review the actual indicated expenditure of these allocations, with a focus to improve food security at household level.

5. Social Sectors

We welcome the increase to the allocation in the health sector by 12.9 percent. However, our concern is raised on why the Zambian Government has failed to adhere to their commitment to increase the health budget in line with Abuja declaration 2001 of 51 heads of state Zambia inclusive of 15% commitment towards budgeting to the heath sector. Zambia’s health sector requires urgent redress to end premature death resulting from deficiency in health service delivery. Our appeal to the government and our members of parliament is that for us to achieve all the MDGs related to health we need to ensure that all resources allocated to the health sector are prudently managed and ring fenced towards actual households and individual health priorities.

Final remarks

1. The economy is too dependent on mining though pronouncements have bee made to diversify the economy though not much has been done. We call on the government to learn from the current fall of copper prices and other commodity prices to institute measures to diversify the economy by seriously promoting agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.
2. The budget does not seem to address specific interventions which can lead to economic recovery. At the same time the budget is not realistic because the government is thinking in terms of raising more money without telling us how they are going to cut down on the costs. We recommend that the government reduces the number of government ministries in order to have a lean government which will exhibit government’s commitment to save money in order to redirect more resources to social sectors such as education and health.
3. We call on government to enact a specific bill which will lay out its plans and commitments to infrastructure development.
4. We observed that Decentralization is a good strategy. However, this can not be fully implemented due to lack of capacity in the local authorities and if not checked this can lead to gross mismanagement of the resources
5. We call on the government to release monthly reports to show how the budget is fairing. This information can be made available in the Parliamentary Constituency Offices. We believe that making this information readily available will increase accountability.
6. The government is called upon to devise an industrial revolution plan which will see us add value to raw materials such as copper, uranium, and cobalt in stead of the present trend of exporting raw materials.
7. Economic development zones: is this the most strategic way to develop our economy. Why only relocate economic Zones on the Copperbelt and Lusaka. We need economic Zones to set up in rural areas as a well of stimulating rural development. Furthermore industries should be taken to places where raw materials are found. It was also noted that the present design of the economic zones favour more foreigners than indigenous entrepreneurs. The government is also called upon to consider setting up an economic zone in Ndola’ as Industrial area which seems to be going to waste due to lack of economic activity in the area. As a way of expanding the manufacturing base we would like to call on the government to locate Multi Facility Economic Zones in places where there are raw materials instead of localising these facilities in Lusaka and the Copperbelt only.
8. We also call on the Government to quickly conclude business in the NCC in order to free up some resources for economic development.
9. We call on the government to reduce interest rates in order to stimulate economic activity by reducing the cost of doing business.
10. We call on the government to deal with the budget cycle in order follow through and implement the budget. We propose that the government considers presenting the budget to Parliament by October rather the preset trend of presenting the budget in January or February.
11. We call on the government recapitalize NCZ in order to show its commitment to the agriculture sector. It does not make sense to import fertilizer at a high cost when the same can be sourced locally and save the nation missions of forex. If the government does not have a capacity it should invite a reputable foreign investor to partner with in order to revamp NCZ. This we believe will help build the capacity of the fertilizer support program
12. We do not agree with government intentions to run the mines. Instead this can be done in partnership with companies local or foreign and shares floated on LUSE in order for citizens to participate in financing these institutions.
13. It is our sincere hope that our members of parliament will help us in the deliberations to ensure government changes this decision regarding the windfall and reduction of mineral taxes, Zambian also need to benefit from copper resources.
14. The K100, 000 increase on the threshold PAYE (K600, 000 to K700, 000) does not realistically represent majority of those in employment. We would like to ask government to increase the PAYE to the minimum amount of K1, 800,000 to meet the ordinary Zambian household needs according to the food basket.
15. We also call on the members of Parliament to prioritise the empowerment of the youth and scale up HIV interventions among the youth.

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.

Micah Sunday 2008

Sunday Liturgy and Guide

Micah Sunday is a global day of prayer to mobilize churches to engage with global poverty issues. It is a time for churches to learn, reflect and act on their belief about the importance of justice, and to commit to the fight for dignity for the most vulnerable.

Micah Sunday is celebrated with activities in church services around the world. These activities include prayer times, Biblical reflections and mobilization of faith communities to present public petitions in the fight against poverty within each context.

Micah Sunday 2008 is set for October 19, after the Stand Up 2008. However if you cannot mark Micah Sunday on October 19^th, please choose another Sunday before October 19. This year’s Micah Sunday will coincide with Stand Up 2008, a period of high profile for the reduction of poverty in various communities in Zambia.

Aims of Micah Sunday

The aim of this year’s Micah Sunday is to:

1. Mobilize Christians against poverty
2. Intercede for our leaders to keep their promise to halve poverty by 2015.
3. Pray for Zambia to meet her side of commitments to the MDGs.
4. Take stock of what your church has done to lessen poverty in your community

Service Plan

Pre-service activities

1. Discuss your aims for the service, including any local aims (e.g. Special Outreach)
2. Hang posters, send invitations etc
3. Involve all church members in preparing for the service (e.g. prepare posters illustrating the MDGs)
4. Ask children to prepare a play, poem and/or song around the MDGs.
5. Decorate the church in Micah Challenge Colours: Yellow and blue

Arrival Activities

Be ready to greet the congregation before the usual start time. Four options:

1. Display MDG posters in the church
2. Arrange the children to present Bible verses, poem or song to illustrate Micah Sunday
3. Show the Micah Challenge Zambia Video, Agenda to End poverty
4. Children and youth perform a 5 minute poverty drama.
5. Read out statistics illustrating the Millennium Development Goals, with pauses for meditation and prayer.

Welcome /Introduction

Briefly introduce Micah Challenge Zambia and read the Micah Call. You could mention the two aims of Micah Challenge and the meaning of integral mission.

Exaltations

Read Isaiah 62: 1-12

Songs of Praise

Choose songs that praise the God of life, protector and carer of creation

Prayer

Bible Reading

James 1:19-27

Sermon

Action

Please ask the congregation to join in one or more of the actions indicated below:

1. Read out the Micah Call and ask everyone to sign it as they leave the church
2. To pray for our leaders to commit themselves to halve poverty by 2015.

Prayer

Possible sermon Themes

Psalm 33:1-5 Justice and Righteousness, Isaiah 58 True fasting, Amos 5:21-24 Let Justice roll, Matthew 25:31-46 The least of These, Luke 4:14-19 Good news to the poor, Luke 10:25-37 Who is our neighbour? Luke 11:37-52 neglecting justice, James 1:19-27 Pure religion, James 2: 14-46 Faith and deeds.

Commitment

To bring to mind the people of many lands and cultures who are joined with us in the Body of Christ, prayers of commitment could be said individually or jointly in as many languages as are represented in the church gathering, or as many languages as you wish.

Blessing

Stand Up and Take Action

 

We are writing with more details for the two major Micah Challenge Zambia Mobilization events in the month of October. We warmly invite all District Steering Committees to participate in the Stand Up Take Action and Micah Sunday. They do not require significant financial resources and we hope that all District steering Committees will be able to participate.

Objectives-what do we want to achieve?

1. Mobilize Churches in your District to participate in Micah Sunday
2. Mobilize the community and the church to participate in Stand Up Take Action.

Theme: Stand Up Against High Food prices

Stand Up Take Action is a worldwide call to take up action against poverty and inequality and for achieving and exceeding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Between the 17^th and 19^th of October millions of people around the Globe will literally and symbolically stand up and speak out demanding their governments keep their promises to end extreme poverty and hunger. Last year more than 43.7 million people in 127 countries took part and set a new Guinness world record. This year rings even louder. Micah Challenge Zambia aims to mobilize over 100,000 people. Every person counts.

We need you to Stand Up and Speak Out to make the Zambian government honour its commitment on the attainment of MDGs.

Taking part is easy. Here’s what we urge you to do:

1. Make announcements in churches through the Ministers/pastors fellowships asking Christians to plan a moment between October 17 and 19 in their workplaces, schools, churches or homes, when they will stop, stand up, and share a moment of prayer and commitment focused on the words of the Micah Call.

2. Prepare churches by introducing Stand Up Take Action in announcements and news bulletin in churches, Sunday schools and small or cell groups before October 17. Encourage Sunday school teachers and cell group leaders to share or to discuss on the words of the prophets and the teachings of Jesus concerning the poor during the week leading to 17^th October. On October 19 invite churches to observe Micah Sunday; and during the service that Sunday ask church members to practice the Stand Up Take Action moment as it comes to a climax that day.

3. Demonstrate the challenge of poverty in communities by escorting a senior government or political leader (e.g. MP, PS, Mayor, DC, Council Chairman, or Provincial Minister) to the local market. Get them to spend the equivalent of one US Dollar (i.e. K3500) on their food supplies for the day. Hold a public rally at the market place or another suitable venue where different speakers can address the issue of rising food prices and the impact it’s having on the poor. Invite speakers from the church and the civil society and the government.

4. Invite Christian artists to participate in your stand up activities and endorse the Micah Challenge.

5. Invite like-minded NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and the public to participate in the Stand Up Take Action activities.

6. Approach local schools to organize classroom/school based actives. These can involve among other activities pupils sharing poems, songs, and sketches either at the start of the class or during assembly. The class teacher can explain the significance of Stand Up Take Action, and the need to reduce poverty in our nation. Furthermore pupils can be asked to write posters urging the government to reduce poverty and stick them on the notice board.

7. Plan for a march and a public rally where you can invite the public to participate and musicians and speakers dealing with the issue of high food prices. Use this forum to have people sign a petition that relates to local situation such access to ART, overcrowding in schools, high food prices etc.

8. Hold round table dialogues on MDGs in your district. Invite the public to participate in these discussions

9. Run phone in radio programs on your local community radio station. Contact the Campaign Coordinator’s office to find out what assistance is available for organizing a radio program

10. Hold a sports day for young people under the theme: kicking out high food prices.

11. Finally, you can also organize a prayer summit to pray for God’s intervention in the poverty and hunger situation in your district.

Micah Call

This is a moment in history of unique potential, when the stated intentions of world leaders echo something of the mind of the Biblical prophets and the teachings of Jesus concerning the poor, and when we have the means to dramatically reduce poverty.

We commit ourselves, as followers of Jesus, to work together for the holistic transformation of our communities, to pursue justice, be passionate about kindness and to walk humbly with God.

We call on international and national decision-makers of both rich and poor nations, to fulfill their public promise to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and so halve absolute global poverty by 2015.

We call on Christians everywhere to be agents of hope for and with the poor, and to work with others to hold our national and global leaders accountable in securing a more just and merciful world.

Visit with Zambian Mission to UN

Posted by Jason Alfonse Fileta

I had the great honor and privilege to travel with Bishop Paul Mususu and Pastor Lawrence Temfwe of Zambia for the last week. We began in DC, and soon made our way to New York City for UN meetings and civil society events. On Thursday night we were tired and a bit discouraged as some of our plans had not materialized the way we had intended, but that changed at about 7pm when we met with the Zambian Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Lazarus Kapambwe. As I travel the country engaging folks with Micah Challenge I always share with folks that the exciting thing about Micah Challenge is that our partners in the Global South are consistently and powerfully engaging their leaders on the MDGs, and are aggressively holding them accountable as well. This notion that we are working hand in hand with those in the Global South energizes the students and pastors that I meet with. I had the privilege of seeing this first hand on Thursday night.

The Ambassador shared with us his views on the MDGs, and the challenges for Zambia to meet them. He highlighted fair trade as one of the most significant barriers to Zambia meeting the MDGs. It was amazing to see his commitment to the MDGs and to Zambia, and a blessing to know that there ARE leaders in the Global South who will stand up for the MDGs. It was likewise amazing to see how talented and insightful my colleagues Bishop Mususu and Pastor Temfwe were as they engaged with him on the MDGs. One thing that was very obvious was that these men were well known by the Zambian government because of their advocacy and development efforts back home, and that allowed them to get the meeting in NYC on such short notice. It was their testimony as church leaders who stand up for poverty that allowed them to even have such a meeting.

I was definitely inspired, and as we continue to travel across the country meeting with church leaders and college campuses I look forward to what else I can learn from my Zambian Brothers. Will we follow their example and sensitize our political leaders so much to the MDGs that they become as articulate and passionate about them as Ambassador Kapambwe?

Take the time to write a note to our presidential hopefuls asking them to commit to meeting the MDGs.

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.