Luyaba is a satellite community in Zimba about 54 kilometres from Kalomo town.
She says being a member of the club has helped her in more ways than one.
“Before I joined the radio listening club, I did not know that I had the power to question our leaders on matters affecting us,” she says.
 |
| Lessly |
Ms Chibele is one of the 35 members of the listening club that gather under a tree every Monday to listen to the People’s Voice, a radio programme that airs on Voice of Kalomo.
The hour-long programme is a Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chapter sponsored programme.
The programme is made possible with funding from Diakonia, a Swedish non-Governmental organisation under its Strengthened Accountability Programme (SAP II).
Under the SAP II programme, Diakonia is working with MISA Zambia, Women for Change and also Caritas Zambia to increase people’s awareness on good governance and enhance citizens’ participation in governance.
The project started in February and will run for two years.
Because of the project, Ms Chibele foresees a tough time for all those that will aspire for public office in the coming elections.
“Things have changed from the time that we launched the project and all those aspiring for public office will not have it easy this time around because now, we know what we want,” she says.
How does it work, perhaps you might be wondering?
“We meet every Monday and listen to the radio programme that features civic leaders. After that, we pick topics that are closer to us and dissect whether or not our interests are being represented,” explains Frank Siluwaile, the club’s chairperson.
Not only that.
“We have also been empowered with a phone to call in on these radio programmes and hold these leaders accountable. Where we can, we applaud them and where we want them to do more, we tell them,” he adds.
And on this particular day, the host on the radio programme was Zimba Town Council chairperson Grave Muleya.
As usual, the group is gathered under a tree, surrounding a car with doors open, listening to the radio programme.
Others would be seen with paper and pen, busy taking notes and waiting for the phone lines to open so that they can ask Mr Muleya who touched on a number of cross cutting issues, their burning questions.
 |
| The group listening to a radio program. |
“For a long time, pregnant women have cried for a maternity wing at the clinic and up to now, there is nothing. You also said you were going to build us a market shelter but up to now, we have not seen these things. What is happening,” he was asked.
Another one queried Mr Muleya on when Government will consider upgrading the clinic and introduce a dental facility.
“Whenever we want to seek dental services, we always have to go as far as Zimba to access them. We want one here too,” he said.
Among the other issues the club members raised were the need for speed humps, improved water supply, cattle diseases and also the model being used by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to sell maize.
Yes! Mr Muleya did attend to most of the issues that were raised.
“Government will try to address most of the issues raised though some of them might not be attainable, most of them will be addressed,” he said.
Well, whereas calling in and holding the civic leaders accountable is one thing, implementation and fulfilling them could be another.
Nonetheless, the people of this community are happy that they have been empowered with skills of holding their leaders accountable.
“We never used to pay attention to these things. But ever since this programme started, we have been taught a lot of things and we now understand that these leaders owe us and they should be answerable to us,” said Barbara Simbwalanga who is the vice chairperson of the Njokwe radio listening club.
Jane Chirwa is MISA Zambia programmes manager and she is optimistic that the project is yielding fruits.
“The project is all about increasing awareness of good governance and encourage communities to take a leading role in holding civic leaders accountable,” she says.
How does MISA Zambia come in?
“As MISA Zambia, we have running projects with partner community radio stations under our Good Governance programme and it is with those same partner radio stations and their audiences to encourage and engage communities through different platforms and fora,” she says.
 |
| Participants pose for a group photo. |
Diakonia programmes officer Maimbo Kalenge says her organisation will continue to empower communities with knowledge and skills that will lead to livelihood change.
“How we work is that we will not give people money or handouts, but we will impart knowledge in people, through our partner organisations with a presence where we are not that will open their eyes and change the perspective and mindset towards self development,” she says.
In Mapatizya, WfC is at the SAP II centre stage there.
The organisation has been holding training camps with traditional leaders to sensitise them on issues to do with gender equality.
WfC monitoring and evaluation manager Shadreck Chembe says the organisation has partnered and trained a number of headmen in the small mining community and surrounding communities.
“I am very happy that today I have been given an opportunity to learn about the dangers of gender imbalance. Before this workshop, I always used to fancy a male child to a female,” says Edwin Mweene, a local that underwent a gender mainstreaming training.
The SAP II project is not being implemented in Southern Province only.
With different partners, Diakonia which has been in existence for over two decades is implementing the project countrywide.
