Women for Change and Diakonia working to curb gender imbalance in communities

IT is a play depicting Mutinta, a married woman in rural Zambia. She has come back from the market where she had gone to buy vegetables to cook for lunch.

 

She gets home, with her husband sitting in the comfort of a shed from the tree within their compound.

 

Upon realising that the dishes are not cleaned and the mealie meal is finished, she now has to take maize to the nearest hammer mill plant to have it grind for mealie meal.

 

“Hurry up. When you come back from there, I need you to prepare me some food so that I go and see my friends,” he husband shouts as she leaves for the hammer mill.

 

As soon as she comes back, she arrives almost the same with their daughter who has just knocked off from school.

 

She too is demanding for her breakfast. “I am tired, let me get some rest first,” Mutinta responds to her daughter as she washes the last plate.

 

At this point, her daughter then turns to her father, asks him why he is not helping out his wife with some chores.

 

“I am a man, I cannot be washing plates. That is for women and girls. How are people going to look at me,” he responds.

 

These are just some of the things that happen in many homes, especially in rural Zambia. Upon realising the gender gap and in its quest to try and bridge it, Women for Change (WfC) working with support from Swedish faith based organisation Diakonia is implementing the Strengthened Accountability Programme (SAP II) in Zimba and Kalomo.

 

According to WfC programmes, monitoring and evaluation manager Shadrick Chembe, the organisation is working with Chief Chikanta and Chief Siachitema in Kalomo and Chief Simwatachela in Zimba to build, educate and empower their subjects on gender equity and equality.

 

“We are also responsible of building capacity in our partners in terms gender mainstreaming because all the issues that we are handling have a very strong gender component and so if gender mainstreaming is not properly done, you will find a situation where even if service delivery was improved, it will only benefit one sex,” he said.

 

Mr Chembe said his organisations’ role on the project is to ensure that there is accountability in the communities for a strengthened voice, especially among women.

 

“...when you are talking about issues of service delivery, they [women] will be able to cover issues that affect both women and men,” he said.

 

In a recent interview, Media Network on Child Rights and Development (MNCRD) executive director Henry Kabwe had highlighted the need by parents to raise their children equally, irrespective of their gender, in a bid to enhance equality.

 

Mr Kabwe said encouraging boys and girls to play together without stereotyping the toys would enhance gender equality.

 

“That division gives a wrong foundation supported by cultural misconceptions that are misinterpreted in scripture to divide girls and boys. Making girls and boys play together makes them get used to each other and become partners in development. This will increase participation in national issues, including politics,” he said.

 

Speaking in an interview shortly after conducting a project monitoring exercise in Mapatizya in Zimba district recently, Diakonia Zambia programmes officer Maimbo Kalenge said there is need for a mindset change in communities if issues to do with gender equity and equality are to be effectively addressed.

 

Ms Kalenge said she is impressed with the strides that Women for Change (WfC) has made in bridging the gender gap in rural communities.

 

She said much as there has been behaviour and attitude change towards supporting the rights of women, more can still be done in changing the narrative.

 

“I think we have heard a number of success stories. One man is now able to share the responsibilities of house chores which were formerly female dominated. But with the knowledge of gender training, and leadership, we have seen that the women and the men are able to share responsibilities in a home,” she said.

 

WfC is one of the 14 implementing partners of the Diakonia Zambia funded Strengthened Accountability Programme (SAP II) which aims at holding duty bearers accountable as well as mainstreaming gender equity and equality in communities.

 

Ms Kalenge said she is happy to note that some men and women would today take up roles that were formerly adjudged to be for one sex only.

 

“...one key such notable change is where a woman from the group is chairing the community borehole committee. If the knowledge spreads to other parts of the community, we are going to see a community that is better empowered with knowledge to support women's rights and gender equity and equality. I think we have a lot more to do but we are headed in the right direction,” she said.

 

Cainos Mujuku is chairperson of the Jokwe community radio listening group in Zimba. He, together with 35 other members have been instrumental in implementing the programmes on the group, with the support of Women for Change.

 

“It may have just been a play, but those are things that used to happen here. Much as they could still be happening, at least we are happy with the progress we have been seeing so far. It shows that there is gradual change, at both community and personal level,” he said.

Livingstone's K9ine makes smart musical comeback

KENAN Chansa is a Livingstone based music artiste.

In truth, Kenan, whose stage name is K9ine has been in the game for quite a while – in fact, ten years to be precise. But like any other up comer, the challenge has always been in penetrating and making an impact in the game.

But that hasn’t stopped him from going again and again, nonetheless.

K9ine released his first single in 2010 – that was ten years ago. It was titled Imfa and in the song, he was somehow paying tribute to the country's fallen icons such as former Republican President Levy Mwanawasa, and musicians Levins and Lilly T.

Unlike others, K9ine is not very proud of his first production. “It didn’t do very well. I was young and very new in the game so the production was not as great. I didn’t even market it well enough. It was mostly local and given a chance, I would have done a better job on it had I recorded it at such a time when I have grown in the game.”

Moving on from his first blushes, he went on to record Monga Mpepo with a producer known as Shaker, who at the time was a producer at what was at the time, one of the most happening music studios in the land, Digital X.

According to K9ine, the song which he went a step further and shot a music video for is what made him known – in Livingstone anyway.

“We recorded the song sometime in 2011 at Upper Gate studios right here in Livingstone and it did quite well, I must admit. People knew me because of the song and I am utterly proud of it up to this day,” he says.

In the same year, he recorded and released another song titled Nikuli Imwe Jehovah and featured Tobby Zambiano the other half of the Kamaflage musical duo. Other songs that followed were Prepaid featuring Kapansa and produced by Shenky Sugar, then Niwe Weka featuring P Jay.

“I recorded the song with P Jay three months before he died. I knew him from way back through Shaker and working together on the song was very nice because we collaborated so well both on the audio and the video. He was a very good guy,” he adds. “The song was recorded at Cabin Studios by Bishop.”

Other songs to his name include Mafi ya Mpombo (Nibambili) produced by Jerry D at Cabin Studios, and also Napeza Wanga featuring Shenky and co-produced by Jazzy Boy and Shenky Sugar.

On boxing day last year, the relatively towering artiste released a social commentary song titled Smartphone which seems to have been received well by fans, if the airplay it is currently enjoying on radio stations is anything to go by.

The song which is actually on a DJ Pooh sampled beat was produced by Jazzy Boy.

He says he decided to record the song to try and educate the people on responsible use of a smartphone.

“What I am basically telling people is to be careful with these smartphones. I just decided to record something that everyone can relate to. In courts today, we hear of how marriages are ending because of a smartphone, accidents happen because of talking and texting while driving and we have also heard how people have lost jobs and opportunities over something that had to do with a smartphone,” he says.

K9ine was born and raised in Livingstone. He was born as Kenan Chansa in the late 1980’s to Stephen Chisenga and Julia Kachuzu who are both late.

He attended Holy Cross primary and David Livingstone Secondary school. “I completed my Grade 12 in 2005,” he says.

Besides music, he has a side hustle of selling shoes and advises other musicians to take up entrepreneurial skills to supplement their music careers.

“Last year taught many musicians a lesson. We need to have many sources of income, even the Garden of Eden had four rivers to keep the vegetation green in case one ran dry. It should be the same with us, we cannot just depend on music. What happens if you are not getting shows?” he says.

Other than that, he has also done a course in Information Technology. He says his music is largely influenced by the likes of Eminem, Dr Dre and the late Notorious B.I.G. “On top of advising people on the responsible usage of smartphones, let us also remember to stay safe and mask up in this coronavirus era,” he says.

FRESH FROM CHOMA: C2 for Real collaborates with Roberto on 'Kuwama Kwako'

IN the music circles, when you talk of Choma, the first name that usually pops up is that of Mphande. 

Yes, Mphande, the Chelele Chelele singer who has made a name for himself by singing exclusively in his native language – ciTonga.

 

But, actually, there are more artistes and 23-year-old John Kapulula otherwise known as C2 for Real is one of them.

 

Already having worked with big names such as Kantu and Drifta Trek, C2 who sings in fluent Swahili has since released a new single which features Roberto titled Kuwama Kwako.

 

The song which was produced by KingTec was released on Christmas Day.

 

“I just decided to give my fans something new and fresh for the festive season. You know I love music and being in the studio recording songs for them to remain entertained and that is why I decided to give them something to close the year with,” he said.

 

His other recently released song which has a music video too Mapendo has also been received well and is enjoying massive airplay.

 

C2 who sings mostly in Bemba, Nyanja and Swahili came on the music scene in 2017 when he released and performed Chekecha at Choma’s Club Leelove, much to the delight of patrons.

 

The budding artiste who has since then gone on to work with the likes of Jae Cash on a song called Tapala Umuntu Umo told the Weekend Mail in an interview that his fans should expect more songs from him.

 

“To be honest, I am not surprised that the two songs have been received well by fans. I am very grateful to them for the support and that is why I always make sure to deliver to my best abilities so that I can go places with my music too,” he said.

 

C2 also also featured on DJ Cosmo’s King album on song number 15 titled Sukuma which was produced by Shinko Beats.

 

He also went on to share the stage with the famed dancehall artiste on his albums launch party in Lusaka in mid December.

 

“On that score, I can say I have had a very fruitful 2020 and I am looking forward to 2021 and I have a feeling it will be a really good year,” he said.

 

Born on December 25, in 1997, to a Tanzanian father John Kapulula, and a Zambian mother Beatrice Musawa Lwembe, in Nchelenge, C2 is a budding Afro pop and R n’B singer who has recorded songs with acclaimed music producers such as KB, Ricore, Shinko Beats and also Tivo Shikapwasha among others.

 

Already having shared the stage with a horde of top Zambian artistes, such as Chef 187, Drimz, Drifta Trek, Mampi, Judy, DJ Cosmo and also Kay Figo of the Kanyelele fame, C2 For Real is determined to excel even higher.

 

Other songs he has done include Brakata featuring Drifta Trek, Mapenzi Yakweli, My Miracle, Erika, Usanisiye featuring Lelwa, Stephanie featuring General Ozzy and King Illest, and also Ndakuyanda featuring Neo.