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Being Pupil Makes Solwezi Chief Role Model
A DRIVE to the north-western direction of Solwezi town leads to Kamatete, a traditional settlement under Kapijimpanga chieftainship where a subject, also recognised as Group Leader Mushiya, can be found.
It was amazing to find the group leader in his school uniform amidst pupils on their last day of sitting for the 2015 Grade Seven composite examinations.
The 44-year-old traditional leader is married with 11 children and four grandchildren. In 1989, he sat for the same Grade Seven examinations at Katandano Primary School but failed to make it to Grade Eight.
Many years later, he joined the Kamatete Adult Literacy education programme sponsored by Kansanshi Mine to promote education amongst elderly people in the community.
Adult literacy education is a life-changing intervention programme embraced by community members and local leaders from communities surrounding the mine.
In 2011, the mine and the government, through community development in Solwezi, got into partnership to roll-out an adult literacy programme to community members in Mushitala, Kabwela, Kabulobe, Kyafukuma, Kamatete and Wisdom.
The arrangement was that the mine would provide funding for the project whilst government (community development) provides materials in form of adult literacy guides and technical support.
It is the knowledge that the group leader gained from the adult literacy class that prompted him to rewrite his Grade Seven examinations this year at Kamatete Primary School after 26 years.
“I must thank Kansanshi Mine for introducing the adult literacy class here at Kamatete. This programme has been very helpful to me and many people in this community,” he says.
And now the traditional leader has contributed to an atmosphere dominated by learning at Kamatete Primary School through his friendly interaction with both teachers and pupils. And he is confident about the situation.
“I am happy that Kansanshi’s corporate social responsibility team has helped many people in adult literacy schools to learn how to read and write in kiiKaonde and English, and how to tackle basic arithmetic. I find this education most rewarding,” he says.
The mine runs the classes in communities around it to enhance basic and functional literacy so that they too contribute to the well-being of the province and the nation at large.
Group Leader Mushiya stresses the importance of a traditional leader going to school: “A leader should be educated, otherwise leading people when you are not educated has many challenges, among them, children in the area not attending school. There are great benefits in having community leaders with education at heart.”
Contrary to common aspirations of getting an education to secure employment, he says: “I do not have an intention to get employed, but to acquire enough education to sharpen my management skills in the village.”
APPETITE
Group Leader Mushiya says the two years he has spent in pursuing adult education have provoked an appetite for further studies.
“Grade Seven examinations were easy because I was fully prepared to pass with the knowledge from my adult literacy teachers. I long to continue with my studies after the results,” he says.
He confesses that he comes from a family where no one is educated.
“The absence of educated people in our family pains me a lot; and that is why I decided to go back to school so that one day I may lead the family towards education.”
He has appealed for sponsorship from the mining firm to enable him proceed to Grade Eight, should he passes his exams. He has been inspired by famous Kenyan adult school entrants like late Kimani Maruge who went to school at the age of 84 in 2004 and died five years later. Additionally, 90-year-old Priscilla Sitienei went to school with six of her great-great-grandchildren.
Group Leader Mushiya hopes to spark a revolution where older learners who stopped going to school long ago opt to go back to the classroom.
He is a God-fearing leader who condemns common practices of witchcraft and beer-drinking.
“I can’t join the sphere of wizards because practicing witchcraft has no future. And I cannot mix drinking [beer] with education. I shall remain a staunch member of the club of Christians and academicians,” he says.
He goes to Baptist Church, and for the past four years he has been a group leader, his charismatic leadership has been weaved by a mixture of benevolence and amity.
School head girl Bridget Kalota says Group Leader Mushiya is a role model in Kamatete area because he encourages everyone to go to school.
“We love the group leader because he is a motivator and he advises us on school matters,” she says.
School head teacher Lemmy Miyanda believes that the group leader’s positive influence on education will produce a change of mindset among the people in Kamatete.
“It is a great achievement for the group leader to go to school. He is the first parent learning among children in the history of this school which opened in 2000,” Mr Miyanda says.
FOCUS
Group Leader Mushiya’s commitment to fighting social vices that bruise the pride of women in Kamatete has helped the mine focus on the locality as a prime operation area for advocacy against gender-based violence and early marriages.
“Children are usually alone in the villages whilst their parents are many kilometres away cultivating farm lands,” Mr Miyanda says. “And these children are exposed to all sorts of illicit acts. I am happy the group leader and Kansanshi Mine have agreed to work together in the crusade against these vices.”
For Kamatete people, the long-awaited partnership with Kansanshi in the promotion of education and the fight against early marriages has just been born.
Source Suma
Posted by Editor
on November 17, 2015. Filed under LIFE & STYLE, STYLE.
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New Educated Zambia©❤√
November 17, 2015 at 8:50 am
Not really a good role model. More like a good example of everything that had gone wrong with out education system in zambia under pf. It should become a big case for kids that are enrolled late in school. There is a reason why we have a grade system that should match with brain development. Let us not be quick to celebrate unfortunate events such as this old man who missed an opportunity to get education at the right time.
UMUBEMBA NKONKO
November 17, 2015 at 12:22 pm
New educated Idiot,amaso pamputi.
New Educated Zambia©❤√
November 17, 2015 at 10:18 pm
When you insult a parent like me it means you have no respect for your own. Therefore everything you have said bawiso
Dr Akataka
November 21, 2015 at 11:06 am
If indeed you are a parent then you are a very foolish parent,I hope your children won’t be as useless as you are!
Czar
November 18, 2015 at 5:19 am
Was PF in power in 1989 when this character first attempted and failed his grade seven examinations?
Dr Akataka
November 21, 2015 at 11:04 am
Iwe chikampa why should you blame the pf government for pabukopo bwakwe umwine?infact the pf government wasn’t even there that time,you will die of bp when your stupid kachema fails to win in 2016 again.
kasantana
November 17, 2015 at 9:24 am
Alemoneka fye ati nadabwa mu exam.At 44 you have grand children?
Lamba boy
November 17, 2015 at 9:39 am
@ kansantana, at 44 en he has grand children! kuti nikumushi were education is an option! u can marry at 14 yrs!
Denkete
November 17, 2015 at 12:34 pm
So apapeene kaikeele ka chief ninshi kali nobwanga!!!Any way, education is good at which ever level.
IF NOT
November 17, 2015 at 12:53 pm
At the age of 44 he is in grade 7, meaning he will complete school at the age of 49, that is if he passes G7 and G9 respectively. In the event that he fails, completing school may be at the age of 51/52 plus 3 years in college then job hunt which can take up to another 3 years? For how long is he going to work in any organisation before retirement age?
kakolwe
November 18, 2015 at 5:33 am
You are one of those who go to school to HUNT for a job thereafter? You need a brain surgery.
timmy
November 17, 2015 at 2:41 pm
IF NOT u are very dull, the man stated cleary that he is not after job seeking he just want to acquare education so as he can govern well.
NDAIFULILA
November 17, 2015 at 4:16 pm
Why is this man troubling himself, please help him am sure something is wrong with him
spannerman
November 17, 2015 at 5:41 pm
@denkete imwe likulu.
Denkete
November 17, 2015 at 7:22 pm
@spannerman,ala utu tatusha ubwanga!!!! nitu MTN where ever they go ninshi Kali nobwanga mumusana.
tutu
November 17, 2015 at 10:27 pm
mmmmh bena ndekente kwena mwamusova justice shikulu uyu
tutu
November 17, 2015 at 10:32 pm
y is he ther! jst making the kids uncomfortable,let the kids learn without fear iwe chikala!! m sure evrytime they wnt 2 act ther age,they luk @ and decide nt to..these ar the same guys rallying 4 contraceptives 2 b introduced in skuls so d@ bakaletombafye utubaiche ubwaila no bwacha
tutu
November 17, 2015 at 10:34 pm
look napamenso alemonekafye uwasobana,obviously apali no bwamba nabwima ready 2 harm
Citizen
November 18, 2015 at 3:28 pm
I am so disappointed with ALL commentators of this story. You have missed the point of this story which is to show that it’s never too late. Because all you think is politics, especially ifya PF and UPND on this social media. The moral lesson is the man despite his old age (at 44) he still wants to have education like those old folks mentioned in Kenya. In other words one can go for education at any age. I am. Studying for my PhD at 66. They say age is just a numer. We should encourage such innovation in our nation than cheap comments I have read on this important story. Bravo headman hope you pass your grade 7 with flying Colours. Hope your sponsors continue helping you to go further in your education.
Czar
November 19, 2015 at 5:14 am
Your comment is equally cheap. You could be studying for your PhD but that doesn’t make you smart. Trashing ALL comments other than yours is an unwise thing.
tutu
November 18, 2015 at 5:36 pm
@citzen but d@ space h’z occupyin z actually @ the expense of a young potentious vibrant fella
Road Runner
November 21, 2015 at 2:28 pm
Awe mukwai ba Tutu I think you are used to free education where you talk if the space you have taken and bla bla bla. In Western countries educational space goes to whoever has paid for it
Road Runner
November 21, 2015 at 2:24 pm
NEZ and his blog rivals sound like the street kids in Kitwe. Kekekekekekeke!
“Nobe wine litee. Ilikulu kwati lya nsofu”
“Kebe ba wiso!”
Road Runner
November 21, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Awe mukwai ba Tutu I think you are used to free education. Thats where you talk of the space you have taken and bla bla bla. In Western countries educational space goes to whoever has paid for it