Chipolopolo Iyeeeeeeee!! We can do it again

Congratulations to Chipolopolo for winning the Africa Nations Cup Final. This victory did not come in an easy way. Going into the tournament jointly hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon as under dogs, the Zambia National Football Team had to overcome pre tournament favorites Senegal, Ghana and Ivory Coast to win the continents highest prize in football. Winning this tournament has given Zambians a sense of euphoria and a new sense of hope.

During the final game against Ivory Coast during the penalty shoot outs, Zambian player Sunzu scored the most important goal that made Chipolopolo win the cup for the first time. To win this cup Chipolopolo worked hard for their victory and deserved it. President Sata in his congratulatory message to the team observed that the team’s momentous achievement had further galvanized the country which had under gone great renewal of hope in the last few months.

This victory can be replicated in other areas. One such area of interest is the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. The nation has waited since 1994 to once again reach the African cup final and finally emerge as winners. This demonstrates the country’s determination and fighting spirit. Zambia can do this again. Thirteen years ago our nation and other UN member countries set ambitious goals for themselves to eradicate poverty by 2015. To meet the MDGs by the years 2015 we need a visionary political leadership which inspires the whole nation to greater heights. We have come a long way and the end is in sight. What we need is a big score to meet the MDGs. This can be done in the same way that we won the African Football cup.

President Sata is our penalty taker and we are depending on him to convert that important goal to win over poverty in our country. Actually the president realizes the importance of this task. In his own words when congratulating the national team on its success said that “Zambians have the capacity to fight poverty in the same manner the Chipolopolo Boys have fought and won the 2012 Africa soccer extravaganza”. He went on to say that “the victory at the just-ended Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament was an indication that Zambians could effectively fight poverty if they worked hard”. With the same spirit of resilience and determination that enabled us to win African’s top football tournament, we can overcome extreme hunger and poverty in our country. Our eleven national team players did not achieve this success on their own. During the final match against Ivory Coast we had in attendance the Vice President Dr Guy Scott, First Republicans Presidents Dr Kenneth Kaunda and fourth Republican President Rupiah Banda accompanied by various ministers and thousands of soccer fans.

To win the battle against poverty we need everyone to be involved from the president to the woman who sales fruits at the street corner. We agree with President Sata when he says; “If we work hard we can achieve what we want. We can reduce poverty, if the boys did it, we can also do it.”  As we are all united in celebrating the victory of our national team, we can unit again in our fight against poverty and push for the attainment of the MDGs. Working together we can see more people having enough food to eat, more boys and girls starting grade one and completing their secondary school education and more girls and women empowered and protected from gender based violence. We also believe that if we work together as a nation we can reduce the numbers of children below the age of five dying from preventable diseases and also safe guard the heath and lives of pregnant women. HIV AIDS and malaria infections can also be reduced in our country if we willing to work together. With the same unity of purpose, we can all work together to safe guard our environment.

Zambia waited for about 19 years to reach the African Football cup final. Now we only have three years to go to reach the completion point of the Millennium Development Goals. Our eyes on our penalty taker President Sata to provide us with the needed leadership to score big on attaining the MDGs. We call on the whole nation to join our president to make sure Zambia meets her side of the MDGs and as a result millions of people will be released from poverty.

 

Congratulations Chipolopolo boys for showing us that all things are possible if only we are willing to try.

 

Martin Kapenda

Micah Challenge Zambia

Water and Sanitation Campaign

Micah Challenge Zambia will be carrying out a campaign on water and sanitation on the Copperbelt and Lusaka, which are Zambia’s main urban centres. We would like to call on you to participate in this campaign. We hope that through this campaign you will be able to:

1. Participarte in the development delivery system in your constituency
2. Hold elected officials accountable on their promises
3. Monitor issues that affect the daily lives of your members and assist commmunities to hold government accountable for commitments and promises made

This document will give you an over view of the water and sanitation situation in Zambia. Then towards the end we will invite you to participate in the 2012 main campaign activity. This activity will be followed up with capacity building in advocacy training for church leaders who will be willing to participate in this campaign. Its the wish of Micah Challenge to ensure that 50% of the people particparting in our advocacy campaigns are women, and members of marginalised groups, such the people with disabilities. This will ensure that social exclusion and gender is taken into account in our camapings.

Click on the link below to download the document in PDF

water and sanitation Campaign_Micah Challenge Zambia

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012

Dear Friends,

“Peace on Earth, good will toward all people.” It is hard for me, and I think it must be equally hard for you, to imagine any time in history that has been more in need of peace and good will among all people. Or a time when even those of us who name ourselves Christian have been more vulnerable to cynicism and doubt. Where do were look for hope?

Christmas reminds of God’s love and care for all of us. Indeed Christmas demonstrates God’s desire for Shalom. During this festival season let’s continue to be agents of Hope and God’s love by reaching out to people who may not be privileged like us to have shelter, good health and other the necessities of life.

Many thanks for all your support through this year. As always your encouragement and participation in the Micah campaign continues to be a great source of encouragement. A special thank you for praying for us and contributing to the growth of the Micah Challenge coalition in Zambia. Your support is vital in helping with the fight against poverty and achieving the dream of meeting the MDGs. I am always humbled that you consider the work worthy supporting given the myriads of choices you have!

Once again, huge thanks to our many Micah Challenge supporters worldwide, Micah Challenge International and Tear Fund. Your contributions continue to be insightful and relevant. They provide a valuable source to steer the thinking and prioritize issues that need to be covered.

Wishing you all a wonder Christmas and fantastic 2012!!

May the Lord keep you safe and secure during this festive period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin Kapenda

Micah Challenge Zambia

Campaign Coordinator

Micah Challenge Zambia Toolkit

There is a lot about the world that we would like to change; famine, war, pollution etc. However, we can also act to make those changes, through creativity, prayer and campaigning.  Find out how the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can help to make that happen.

Kindly click on the highlighted link below to download Micah Challenge Zambia Toolkit for District Steering Committees.

MCZ Toolkit

Prayer Bulletin–Micah Sunday 2011

Prayer Bulletin

Micah Challenge Zambia

A Ministry of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia

Introduction

Micah Sunday is a global day of prayer to mobilise 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.

10.10.10 Prayer Bulletin

10.10.10 Prayer Bulletin

Introduction

Prayer underpins all our actions and on Sunday 10th October 2010 it will affirm the importance of listening to God, seeking his wisdom and relying on His strength

and guidance. We want to affirm the importance of listening to God, seeking his wisdom and relying on his strength and guidance. The global prayer for Micah 2010 echoes the themes of Nehemiah who fasted and prayed day and night before he embarked on the mighty task of restoring Jerusalem. The prayer of this campaign arises out of the heart of the Bible itself. The heart-rending prayer of Nehemiah claiming for a full life for its people that return from exile is the theological framework that inspires the 10.10.10 and that will motivate Christians all over the world

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. 

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.

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.