TEENAGE PREGNANCY, EARLY MARRIAGES: Mansa district has in the recent past recorded a reduction in the number of related cases

IN the heart of Mansa, a district once grappling with the alarming rates of teenage pregnancies and adolescent school dropout has undergone a remarkable transformation. Thanks to proactive sensitisation programmes initiated by the Government and other cooperating partners, the landscape is changing, and the future looks brighter for its young residents.

A few years ago, Mansa faced a critical challenge as the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and school dropout rates among adolescents surged.

Take for instance in 2020, the prevalence rate stood at 25.1 percent, according to the Luapula province health office, the number has since come down to 21.1 percent.

Recognising the urgent need for intervention, a collaboration of dedicated partners came together to implement a proactive sensitisation programme aimed at addressing the root causes of these issues.

Robert Zimba is executive director at Integrated Youth Development, a youth focused Mansa based non governmental organisation that works around four thematic areas that include health, human rights, governance and advocacy.

His organisation has been working closely with the Government through the the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education as well as organisations such as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Natwampane, and also Medicines Research and Access Platform (MedRAP) to address issues affecting youths and adolescents in Mansa, Samfya, Chembe and Kawambwa districts - all of which are in Luapula.

He has seen it all.

“We had a lot of these cases,” he said. “It’s just that I cannot provide you with exact figures just yet, but compared to past years, we are at a better place because of the many things that we have been doing to address these issues.”

Much as he is happy with the current trajectory, Mr Zimba still reckons that more can still be done, especially to address the lapses that may have been identified. 

“Some of the health facilities that we had sampled  had no structures for youth friendly services, instead the adolescents meet under mango trees, in areas like Kale, Buntungwa and Namwandwe,” he said. “We suggest that the Government comes up with some youth friendly structures that offer privacy in the mentioned facilities to improve the sexual and reproductive health service delivery among adolescents and young people.”

Mr Zimba is also of the view that Government and other stakeholders should increase awareness on services so that adolescents and youths are made aware about the family planning commodities found at the centres. 

“The government and other stakeholders should continue to monitor the utilisation of family planning commodities among adolescents and young people. The district health office should put up adequate monitoring mechanisms that will allow to reduce stock outs,” he said. “According to the findings, we discovered that adolescents and young people prefer using male condoms more than other family planning methods.”

One key factor contributing to this positive shift has been comprehensive sex education. Through workshops, seminars, and awareness campaigns, cooperating partners have worked hand-in-hand with schools to ensure that adolescents are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

This has not only empowered young people to take control of their lives but has also fostered a culture of open communication and understanding.

Patricia Njowe is senior nursing officer in charge of adolescents at the Luapula province health office. She says, among the 14 districts in the province, Mansa has performed exceptionally well in dealing with teenage pregnancies.

“To improve this picture further, the district has embarked on conducting quality improvement projects to reduce teenage pregnancies in selected zones. The outcome of this intervention can only be appreciated by mid-year of 2024 after monitoring and evaluation of the said projects,” she said. “All facilities in the district have adolescent health focal point persons coordinating adolescent health services and we have been conducting community dialogues with gatekeepers such as the traditional and religious leaders and others to promote adolescent health.”

Ms Njowe however notes that even though most parents may not allow their child to access family planning services during adolescence, they engage gatekeepers to enable those that are sexually active to be linked to adolescent health spaces where they can get more information on teenage pregnancies and its effects.

“Access to family planning or contraception is one of the rights of women in the childbearing age. Adolescents access this service through counselling and allowing them to make informed decisions on when to have children and how many to have,” she said.

Additionally, the cooperating partners have implemented mentorship programmes that provide guidance and support to teenagers facing challenges. By connecting adolescents with positive role models from various fields, these programmes have instilled a sense of purpose and aspiration among the youth, reducing the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours.

Furthermore, the community has witnessed a boost in extracurricular activities and skill development programs. By offering alternatives and avenues for personal growth outside the traditional academic setting, cooperating partners have played a crucial role in keeping teenagers engaged and motivated to stay in school.

The success of these initiatives is evident in the declining rates of teenage pregnancies and school dropout in Mansa district.

The community is experiencing a positive shift, with more adolescents realising their potential and seizing opportunities for a brighter future. The proactive sensitisation programmes have not only addressed immediate challenges but have sowed the seeds for long-term sustainable change in the district.

According to a research by the National Library of Medicine, an official website of the US Government, about three in ten young women aged 15–19 have begun childbearing among the Zambian population, with adolescent pregnancy levels as high as 35 percent in rural areas – with Luapula reportedly posting 32.1 percent adolescent pregnancies as of 2019.

The mean age of the adolescent mothers was 15.5 years. Mothers younger than 20 years faced a higher risk for eclampsia, anaemia, haemorrhage, Cephalopelvic disproportion, prolonged labour and caesarean section. 

Children born to mothers younger than 20 were at increased risk for low birth weight, pre-term delivery, low Apgar score and neonatal death; the risk for asphyxia, however, tended to increase with age.

The Government has committed to providing adolescents and young people with comprehensive sexual and reproductive information and services, including in the ESA Statement of Commitment. However, parents, teachers, health care workers, and religious or traditional leaders often have reservations about young people's access to HIV prevention, family planning or information on gender-based violence, due to social taboos and discriminatory gender norms. In addition, there is a lack of appropriate tools and methods for providing quality services in these areas.

“These are some of the things that we have always been advocating for - to have a lot of people come on board, talk about these things and denounce them as church leaders,” said Davison Lemba, a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor in Mansa.

He says the more the church, parents and traditional leaders begin to openly discuss issues of sexual and reproductive health, positive trends will soon be recorded as far as teenage pregnancies and HIV infections among adolescents and young people is concerned.

“It has to start with us,” he said.

Luapula province deputy permanent secretary, Prudence Chinyama attributed the drop in teenage pregnancies and early marriages to conducive policies that the government has put in place.

“There is the issue of free education which has come on board, the classrooms are full. The province, like any other place, is a construction site, increasing the school infrastructure, manufacturing desks and a lot of rehabilitation,” she said. “There is actually quite a lot that we have been doing to make sure that these numbers come down and stay down.”

Like many others, the GIZ through the National HIV/AIDS Council, has been implementing the Strengthening Girls’ Rights project in Luapula, Southern, Lusaka and North Western provinces, with the aim of addressing the triple threat of HIV, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.

“The goal is for young people, especially young women and girls, to be able to exercise their rights, access counselling services, and take action for their sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention, and non-violent gender relations.”

Note that this story was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of ****.

UNEARTHING THE HIDDEN GEM: Artisanal Mining and its struggles in Rural Zambia

The author interacting with the miners at a mining pit in Mapatizya.

NESTLED in the heart of Southern Africa, Zambia is known for its rich mineral resources, including copper, cobalt, zinc, and emeralds. While large-scale mining operations dominate the industry, artisanal mining has quietly emerged as a vital source of livelihood for rural communities.

This feature article aims to shed light on the often-underreported artisanal mining sector in rural Zambia, exploring its impact on the local economy, environment, and the lives of those involved.

Artisanal mining refers to small-scale, often unregulated, mining activities conducted by individuals or small groups using basic tools and methods. In rural Zambia such as Mapatizya, in Zimba district, artisanal mining plays a crucial role, particularly in communities left marginalised by large-scale mining operations such as Kariba Minerals, operating a gemstone mine in the area.

It provides an avenue for local residents to extract mineral resources independently, sustaining their livelihoods and empowering local economies.

These miners sweat it out and risk their lives in the mining pits dotted in various hills, to get at least a kilogramme of tin, which they then sell cheaply to buyers from outside town, mostly from Copperbelt and Lusaka province.

One such miner is Estely Siambalo. She is a 42-year-old mother of seven and can be easily located at a site in Chilobe, a community in Mapatizya area in Zimba.

She, together with her children, including her youngest child who is only seven, come to dig in the pits. Make no mistake, it is a dangerous venture - and they do not wear any protective clothing at all.

Ms Estely has to involve her children if she has to increase her chances of getting enough tin to sell and meet her family’s needs. A cupful of tin is roughly about 200ml and can weigh about three kilogrammes.

“On a day, if I am lucky, I can get a cup or two,” she says. “We used to sell it at K35 per kilogramme.”

On the London Metal Exchange (LME), the prices of tin nearly doubled from between US$18,184 and US$18,530 per tonne in October last year to trade somewhere between US$27,030 and US$32,950 per tonne.

“But that is after the buyers have sieved and separated the bad ones from the good ones. So, sometimes, what you thought was three kilogrammes can even come down to 1.5 kilogrammes after the process.”

Clearly, it’s a huge gamble. “Sometimes, it can take you a week to get a cupful of good quality tin,” says Ms Estely who has been mining in these pits since 1985.

Asked to single out at least one tangible item that she has bought from the money she has earned, she couldn’t even find the courage to lift a finger.

“There is nothing significant,” she says. “We just do it because there is nothing else to do here. The area is hilly and farming is not easy because of the stones and landscape.”

Sorting out the quality.

She is not alone.

Similonga Makowa is also a regular at the site. He says on some days, the site can have as many as 30 people digging for tin with rudimentary tools such as shovels, chisels and hammers.

Some women can also be seen with woven sieves which they use to sieve the mineral in readiness to separate the good quality from the bad ones with a magnet.

“One of the things that delay us is the benching [the process of putting some kind of scaffolding to protect the pit from caving in]. It takes a lot of time, but otherwise, on a good day, you can get even more than three kilogrammes a day,” he says.

Ironically, it seems Mr Makowa knows what risks come with mining from the site but for obvious reasons, he turns a blind eye to them.

“It’s not safe, I know. But what can I do?” he asks. “That is why we need enough manpower here to guarantee safety.”

Luckily for the miners, there has been no accident at the site, maybe yet.

“There is another tungsten pit nearby where the walls caved in and injured a woman. As for us here, we haven’t recorded any accident yet,” says the miner.

The Government recently gave a 90-day amnesty to illegal miners to have their operations formalised or legalised.

Paul Kabuswe

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka recently, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe announced the reopening of the Cadastre Department, which signifies the resumption of the issuance of mining licences. 

He warned that small-scale and artisanal miners that would be operating illegally after the amnesty period would be arrested.

“The Ministry of Mines has been given Cabinet approval to start the formalisation of the small-scale and artisanal miners,” he said.

Artisanal mining acts as a lifeline for communities without access to alternative income sources. In rural Zambia, where job opportunities are scarce, artisanal mining provides a means for survival. The sector ensures equitable wealth distribution, as earnings are retained within the community and spent on essential needs such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.

Moreover, artisanal mining preserves traditional practices and cultural heritage. Through the passing down of mining techniques from generation to generation, community members maintain a deep connection with the land and their ancestors, reinforcing their sense of identity and belonging.

While artisanal mining holds economic and sociocultural benefits, it also poses environmental challenges. The use of rudimentary tools and lack of regulatory oversight often result in poor mining practices, leading to land degradation, soil erosion, and water pollution. Additionally, increased deforestation and wildlife disturbances affect the delicate ecosystems surrounding mining sites.

Addressing these issues requires a collaborative effort between local communities, government bodies, and non-governmental organisations. Initiatives aiming to improve mining techniques, offer training on sustainable practices, and provide access to equipment can help mitigate the environmental impact of artisanal mining.

Recognising the potential of artisanal mining to contribute positively to the local economy while preserving the environment, stakeholders in Zambia are beginning to devise strategies to improve the sector's sustainability. Encouraging artisanal miners to organise into cooperatives promotes better governance and access to support services. Cooperative members can also pool resources to acquire more efficient machinery, reducing the sector's overall environmental footprint.

It is these compounding reasons that Caritas Zambia through a Swedish faith-based organisation, Diakonia has had engagements with various artisanal miners in Mapatizya and other places across the country to try and see how they can turn the tables and be able to earn more from the mineral than they are currently earning.

Chepa Lesa is programmes officer at Caritas Zambia. She says since 2019, it has, with the help of the Diakonia-funded Strengthened Accountability Programme (SAP II) project, decided to step in and help.

Chepa Lesa

“Our role was mainly to facilitate the attainment of a mining licence because when we went there initially, they were mining illegally and the price at which they were selling tin for was very low, at K35 per kilogramme,” she says.

Apart from Southern province, Caritas Zambia has also worked with similar miners in North Western, Copperbelt and Luapula provinces where artisan miners face many similar challenges, among them safety and lack of proper equipment.

Ms Lesa wants the miners to quickly get a mining licence if they are to benefit from the mineral. She says the miners are being exploited by briefcase buyers because they lack proper documentation.

Whitewaters Development Trust (WDT) is also another organisation that has been working closely with the Mapatizya community in trying to make sure that they have a sustainable livelihood. The organisation has offices in Zimba and Choma.

WDT director and senior trustee Jeffrey Mikunga who is also a magistrate at the Zimba local court says the organisation's thematic areas are climate change, sports development for youths, agriculture and tourism and mining.

“When we went there, we found those people mining without safety measures and it got us worried and concerned. We started to try and legalise the process for them - it was an expensive venture so the quotation we got was somewhere around US$25,000 and we couldn't find people to help us with the money,” he says.

At the governmental level, strengthening regulatory frameworks and ensuring effective enforcement of environmental and labour laws are vital. Alongside this, providing support for alternative livelihood opportunities, such as agricultural and tourism initiatives, creates a diversified economy that reduces communities' dependency on mining alone.

Emelda Munashabantu

Mapatizya Constituency Member of Parliament Emeldah Munashabantu Ms Munashabantu who has been at the forefront advocating for better mining conditions and the formalising of the sector in her constituency, hopes that there will be order once the mining cadastre issues licences to all those intending to conduct any mining related activities in the area.

She hopes as many people in her area form and register cooperatives so that they can formally apply for exploration and mining licences.

“My interest is the locals,” she said. “Government is looking at the bigger picture,which is mining in Zambia. But for me, I am mostly interested to see my people in Mapatizya benefiting more. Mapatizya is rich in minerals such as tungsten, amethyst, and even tin.”

Of late, there has been a discovery of more minerals in various parts of the country, resulting in concerns of a sharp rise in illegal mining activities mainly by locals who feel they need to directly benefit from the natural resources.

However, the Zambia Chamber of Mines has cautioned against tolerating illegal mining activities.

Sokwani Chilembo

Chamber of Mines chief executive officer, Sokwani Chilembo said in an interview that if well managed, the discovery of minerals, can help address high unemployment levels while contributing to boost the national treasury.

“The lesson here is that we need to be more structured about our exploration regime. There are ways of structuring the tax code to incentivise the institutions to invest in exploration so that Zambians go out and do it properly,” he said.

Artisanal mining in rural Zambia represents an intricate tapestry of challenges and opportunities. Although its unregulated nature poses environmental risks, the sector plays a fundamental role in sustaining rural livelihoods and fostering community resilience.

By addressing these challenges through collaborative efforts and sustainable practices, artisanal mining can continue to unlock the hidden gem of rural Zambia, benefiting local communities for generations to come.

For now, Zambians whose areas are endowed with these minerals, remain subjected to unfair pricing and driven into mining activities without safety measures taken into consideration.

IS THERE ANY HELP FOR CHILOBE COMMUNITY? A mining firm has allegedly claimed a mine where locals were earning a living

WITH the prices of tin having nearly doubled on the London Metal Exchange (LME) from between US$18,184 and US$18,530 per tonne in October last year to trade somewhere between US$27,030 and US$32,950 per tonne, it is not strange that something that commentators close to the development are calling ugly is brewing in Chilobe, a small community in Zimba district.

The community is deep in Zimba’s Mapatizya area. The area is endowed with tin, a mineral whose price has steadily been skyrocketing on the LME recently to nearly three times more than the price of copper.

Tin is a soft, silvery white metal with a bluish tinge which is mixed with copper to get bronze. It is widely used for plating steel cans used as food containers, in metals used for bearings and in solder.

Following a report from Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) in Zimba that a mining corporation called Ostrich Mining and Exploration Limited had fenced off the Chilobe Mine where locals were earning a livelihood, Caritas Zambia, who were instrumental in helping the community legalise operations, embarked on a fact-finding mission to the area.

The intention was to get firsthand information of what was going on and make recommendations on the way forward. In his report, CCJP chairperson Joseph Kaluwe stated that the situation in Chilobe was tense. “It is a sad situation because the community depends on mining for their livelihood.” he said.

Minutes into the meeting with the community members, the gathering was nearly disrupted with scenes reminiscent of an action movie. Prince Muuzu, who is Ostrich Mining and Exploration Limited - Chilobe Mine site manager made quite an entrance with his Nissan pickup truck and wasted no time in asking who was chairing the meeting.

Visibly displeased, Mr. Muuzu who was locked in a heated discussion with Caritas Zambia programmes officer for economic and social accountability, Mando Chiundaponde claimed his company has an exploration and mining license to the area.

“How am I a bad person when I have allowed these people to mine here and sell to whomever? I haven’t chased them away even if I could if I wanted,” he was heard saying.

Well, let’s just say the back and forth went on for nearly 30 minutes before Mr. Muuzu cooled down, albeit after reaching a mutual understanding.

The background to the story is that Caritas Zambia discovered the group sometime in 2019 and since then, it has been helping the group in capacity building and also in the process of acquiring an artisanal mining license.

Through the Diakonia funded Strengthened Accountability Programme (SAP II) project, Caritas Zambia managed to help the community form a cooperative society and facilitated for the group to get a consent letter from Chief Simwatachela of the Tonga speaking people of Zimba district to facilitate the obtaining of the mining license.

Everything was going well until Ostrich Mining and Exploration Limited came along and claimed the site, and deprived the community of something they hoped would help turn their fortunes round.

Joseph Poipoi is the Chilobe Mining Co-operative society chairperson and says the group had made tremendous efforts in its pursuit for a license, before being duped at the very last minute. “We paid K900 and an additional K1,000 to the Ministry of Mines and officials from the ministry, including their regional manager (Dickson Banda) came here to get the coordinates for the mine,” says Mr. Poipoi.

Just when the community thought it would be given the license, it was later discovered that there was already a license holder in the name of Olibul Mining and Exploration whose licence was to expire in March 2021.

The community was made to wait for Olibul’s license to expire or get consent from it to permit them to go on site as artisanal miners. “But after March, we were surprised to see Ostrich Mining and Exploration coming to fence off the area and lay claim to the mine,” he says.

It is said Chief Simwatachela also gave Ostrich Mining and Exploration, a company owned by a named Rita Hoare who is reportedly Copperbelt based, a consent letter.

Whitewaters Development Trust (WDT) is also another organisation that has been working closely with the Chilobe community in trying to make sure that they have a sustainable livelihood. The organisation has offices in Zimba and Choma.

WDT director and senior trustee Jeffrey Mikunga says the organisation's thematic areas are climate change, sports development for youths, agriculture and tourism and mining. He also explains how they came to learn of the Chilobe community.

“When we went there, we found those people mining without safety measures and it got us worried and concerned. We started to try and legalise the process for them - it was an expensive venture so the quotation we got was somewhere around USD25,000 and we couldn't find people to help us with the moneys.

“When the government made things easier with the introduction of artisanal miners, that's how we resorted to the issue of co-operatives. The people of Chilobe did that and the final step was the application for an artisanal mining license using the co-operative certificate,” he says.

Mr. Mikunga who is also a magistrate at the Zimba local court says Olibul, the previous license holders had even prepared a well thought out Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the community.

“But due to hostility, Olibul decided to pull out of the area. We don’t know whether along the way, some people from the Ministry of Mines sold the information that we found on the ground to other people - but that’s how the community has seemingly lost out,” he says.

He said his team has been in contact with the Ministry of Mines to resolve the impasse before it escalates into what he termed as “something embarrassing to the Government and Chief Simwatachela”.

In his letter to the ministry dated March 16, 2021, Mr. Mikunga said: “...unfortunately Hon. Minister, this Co-operative and a population of over one thousand locals of Chilobe area which is under Chalimongela ward in Zimba district are under threat of being displaced due to a mining investor in the name of Ostrich Mining and Exploration Company whom we understand has been given a mining license. The company wants to fence off the entire area thus displacing them.

The letter continued: “White waters Development Trust has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chilobe Mining Co-operative in which it has been given the Power of Attorney. We are now imploring you Honourable Minister to clear this impasse and see how best the community can benefit from the natural resource endowed in their area or from the  putative owners and avoid displacement of these people who were earlier displaced in 1955 during construction of the Kariba Dam and they were not compensated. I would also like to inform you that the locals have been mining since 1963 illegally and formalization was done recently due to the new Government Policy on artisanal mining to benefit the Locals.”

Mr. Mikunga says he had assurances from Mr. Musukwa that the matter had been escalated and a response would be given even before parliament is dissolved.

“That is why we haven’t even decided to go to court yet because we believe we can resolve this matter amicably otherwise we are ready to challenge these actions, but first we get a response from the ministry,” he says.

He wondered how Ostrich Mining and Explorations Limited could have a mining license even before satisfying the conditions of an explorations license.

Efforts to get a comment from Ms. Hoare proved futile as her phone went unanswered. “We also don’t understand how Chief Simwatachela gave consent letters to two different people. In fact, we are even told there is someone else with a consent letter from him as well,” he says.

Caritas Zambia programmes officer Chepa Lesa who also held a meeting with Zimba town council secretary says the organisation wants to get to the bottom of the matter before it can recommend a way forward.

She says efforts will be made to have a round table meeting between all parties involved to see how to make sure that the community is not left out. “The idea is to see how we can resolve this matter among the parties involved here before going to the community. Those are our people and we need to go there with one voice and make sure that they are protected,” she says.

The Zimba Town Council is also aware of the mining activities in the district but it has very scanty information regarding the statistics.

Coster Mutandi is the council secretary. He says there is a gap between the council and the ministry of mines when it comes to the issuance of mining licenses.

“We feel sidelined because we just hear of activities happening in certain areas without our knowledge really. That is the reason why we have invited the Ministry of Mines regional manager Mr. Banda to our next full council meeting to come and educate and sensitise the house on how they go about with the issuance of licenses,” he says.

He says the council wants to come up with a clear register of all the mining activities in the district and how they are benefiting the local communities.

“We have noticed that many of these mining companies are not even ploughing back to the communities they are working in. It is our wish that any mining company operating here has a well thought out corporate social responsibility plan. That way, the communities and us as a council will benefit in a way,” he says.

Estely Siambalo is one of the Chilobe community members. All her life has evolved around the community.

The community comprises about 254 people of which 98 are males and 156 females. For a livelihood, the community has been relying hugely on mining tin, of course using unconventional means and a little bit of farming. “We don’t do as much farming here because of the soil and landscape. We keep a few livestock such as chickens and goats too,” says Ms. Siambalo.

This article was published in the Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper on 18, August, 2021. You can find it on this link http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/is-there-any-help-for-chilobe-community/

ANALYSIS: Let's normalise masking up on public transport

TRAVELING on public transportation increases a person’s risk of getting and spreading the COVID-19 by bringing people in close contact with others, often for prolonged periods, and exposing them to frequently touched surfaces.

Air travel often requires spending time in security lines and busy airport terminals. Travel by bus, taxi, train, and other public conveyances used for international and local transportation poses similar challenges in the sense that staying six feet or one meter away from others is often difficult on public transportation.

People may not be able to distance themselves by the recommended social distance of at least one metre from other people seated nearby or from those standing in or passing through the aisles on airplanes, trains, or buses.

Travel has led, and continues to lead to local and international spread of the virus that causes the COVID-19. 

It is for this reason that wearing face masks that completely cover the mouth and nose at all times has been mooted. It is so because masking reduces the spread of the COVID-19.

People who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic) or are not yet showing symptoms (pre-symptomatic) might not know that they are infected but can still spread COVID-19 to others. A face mask in this case will therefore, also offer protection to the person wearing it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an order that requires face masks to be worn by all travelers while on public transportation (which includes all passengers and all personnel operating such conveyances).

Back home, the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has followed suit and recently directed drivers of public service vehicles not to carry passengers who refuse to wear face masks.

In a statement issued recently, RTSA head of public relations Frederick Mubanga said it is mandatory for all passengers to wear face masks when using public transport.

He said: All passengers and public transport operators are hereby advised of their legal obligation to wear face masks on public transport, and follow health guidelines to mitigate the risk of spreading coronavirus.”

This directive could not have come at a better time.

It is evident that a lot of people have somehow dropped their guard against the COVID-19 health protocols, despite the second wave having hit us hard. A day will hardly pass without recording the death of someone we somehow know. That in itself should be able to send shivers down anybody’s spine.

It is also true that staying safe, by staying home could be hard for some people who still have to travel and go out there to hustle for money to provide for their families and meet certain needs. But, it should be emphasised that only travel when your life depends on it - and when you do, please remember to mask up.

Let's all heed to this directive that has been echoed by RTSA and ensure that we protect our loved ones by masking up and washing hands regularly with soap or using alcohol based hand sanitiser.

People must wear masks that completely cover both the mouth and nose while awaiting, boarding, disembarking, or traveling on public transportation. People must also wear masks while at transportation hubs and other locations where people board public transportation from.

In the same vein, as emphasised by RTSA, public transport operators must use best efforts to ensure that any person on their conveyance wears a mask when boarding, disembarking, and for the duration of travel.

Strengthen capacity of WDC's to increase people's participation in governance and civic matters, urges FODEP

THE Foundation for Democratic Processes (FODEP) has called for the strengthening of Ward Development Committees (WDC) to increase people’s participation in governance and civic issues.

FODEP programmes manager Gilbert Chisenga said in an interview that there is a need for Government and stakeholders to build capacity for WDCs, especially in rural areas so that they can be effective in their contributions towards the bottom-up approach as desired by the government.

Mr Chisenga explained that in addition to funds, there are a lot of things most of the WDCs need to be empowered with such as basics in project planning, monitoring and implementation.

“The challenge is that little funding goes into the local authorities in most districts where we are operating from. In some districts where these structures are established already, they are not fully oriented whereas you find that in other districts such as Zambezi, they totally don’t have a WDC system,” he said.

FODEP is one of the 14 civil society organisations implementing the Strengthened Accountability Programme (SAP II) across the country with funding from Swedish faith based organisation Diakonia.

Mr Chisenga said the development of an integrated district council is based on the fact that there must be a wider consultation.

“So you need to consult the local people who are the right holders at zonal or WDC level. So it becomes a challenge for people's participation in such processes without such structures in place. So in districts where they have been established like Chavuma, Mushindamo and Kalumbila, we have actually facilitated a full orientation of such structures so that they are fully functional,” he said.

He however, commended the government for its commitment to the bottom-up approach to development as it offers an opportunity for community members to choose projects which urgently need attention.

Mr Chisenga said that there is also need to sensitise the people and let them know that these structures are not political.

He said as much as the process to set them up is done using the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) systems, WDCs are not a preserve of the political party that is popular in an area.

“...so by doing that, you deter others who may want to offer a service. There are people who are non partisan and if their wisdom and brains are embraced, you will find that these structures function in a very proper way away from politics,” he said.

Don't send your children abroad if you haven't saved up enough money to see them through their studies, advises AWF

Joseph Moyo

THE African Woman Foundation (AWF), a Livingstone based non Governmental organisation has advised parents and guardians against sending their children abroad to study if they have not saved sufficient funds to see them through their studies.

AWF founder and director Joseph Moyo said the organisation has since December last year assisted 30 students with financial aid while it has facilitated the return of six others after their guardians failed to sustain their studies leading to their various colleges and universities in India and China revoking their student statuses.

Speaking at a press briefing recently, Mr Moyo said sending children without sufficient funds to see them complete their studies puts them at a risk of engaging in illegal and illicit activities such as prostitution and drug trafficking.

He said it is always important to plan ahead and save enough money for children to access education.

“Once a parent sends their children outside the country without catering for them that is not education, they are only sending their children into harm's way because once these children go there and their parents cannot send money for upkeep, the universities simply revokes their status or threatens to revoke it and in a desperate attempt to avoid that, these young people end up doing illegal activities,” he said.

Mr Moyo said his organisation has come across many young people in the diaspora who have resorted to vices such as prostitution and homosexuality for the sole purpose of survival.

He said across Africa, the organisation has come to the aid of a total of 172 students in the form of air tickets or upkeep to see them through their studies.

“Don't send the children out there speculating that everything is going to be alright along the way once you come across some funds to send to them. Better only send the children when you know you have saved enough money for them to complete,” he said.

Mr Moyo who also thanked the Government for coming up with educational policies that encourage girl child education said his organisation will continue sensitising people on the true value of a woman.

He said women should be empowered and educated in order for them to benefit towards the development of the country.

Talk to your children about sex, Mama Nyongo urges parents

VETERAN musician and marriage counselor Mary Miti popularly known as Mama Nyongo says parents should not feel shy to talk about sexual and reproductive health with their children at an early age.

Ms Miti has also advised parents to give accurate answers when quizzed by their children on where babies come from as opposed to lying that they are bought from shops or picked from the river.

Speaking in an interview recently, Ms Miti said children first need to be told the correct names of their private parts and how they are not to be shown to anyone.

She said that way, it will lessen the chances of children being defiled, raped or taken advantage of by anyone.

“Immediately they start talking, they should know the right names of the vagina and penis, not names like doyo and they should be told that a private part is not to be shown or touched by any one because it is a private part. As they grow older, they can also be told the disadvantages of showing their private parts and people touching them as some people are wicked and can end up raping or defiling them,” she said.

She said when the topic is introduced early to them, children will be able to distinguish between appropriate touch by specialists such as doctors and inappropriate touch by anyone.

Ms Miti said discussing sexual reproductive health with children allows them to open up and be free enough to tell their parents in case anything inappropriate was to happen to them.

She said parents should not wait for a child to be 16 before introducing them to sexual reproductive health education.

“Children are going to hear about sex from elsewhere. By getting in first as a parent, you are making sure that they receive the right information and more importantly, that they know how you feel about it. That way, a parent is influencing their child on what they will one day do about sex. Children that receive good sex education are more likely to delay having sex and when they start, they are more likely to avoid unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted illnesses,” she said.

She said parents should not pretend or think their children are too young for sexual and reproductive health education,

She said if they are not told early enough, children may easily access the information from what they see, watch and hear and lead them to trying it to satisfy their curiosity.

“I know some children may be stubborn even when preached to, but as parents, we shouldn't give up. The little ones should be taught on what we call safe touch and unsafe touch. Let them be aware of a bad touch because some people may not be raping them but molesting them, let's make our children our best friends so that even when they are threatened, they know they can still count on us as parents,” she said.

She said sexual education should involve small, frequent and repetitive conversations with their children.

WHEN LOCAL IS LAKA! The case of Livingstone tour operators in the wake of COVID-19

I RECENTLY had a friend visit me at the office for a chat. As we stood, outside, talking, my colleague was approached by someone he knows.

Their conversation, of very few words caught my attention.

“Bakamba, muchitika bwanji, njala kaili. Shaniko ili yonse [loosely translated as: Big man, what’s up, I am hungry, assist me with any amount],” he said.

My friend who is operations manager at a Livingstone based tour operating company that offers adrenaline activities responded: “I am broke young man. Have you seen any white people in town? If you don’t see any white man, it means I don’t have money.”

At that point, it hit me.

Truth be told, Livingstone, being the tourist capital, is one of the worst hit in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak which has since been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Most tour operating companies, lodge owners and businesses have cut down on their workforce due to loss of business, compounded by the virus that is fast spreading and has claimed many lives and left equally many either infected and battling for their lives or indeed affected.

Addressing stakeholders at a Zesco organised stakeholders meeting here recently, Livingstone mayor Eugine Mapuwo sounded the warning of the looming job cuts in the hospitality industry.

He said he has been overwhelmed with reports of cancelled bookings. “Bookings are being cancelled by tour operators in view of this virus that is ravaging the world. Tour operators and lodges are on the verge of collapsing and this is very bad,” he said.

Indeed, the effects have been felt - and the hospitality industry has been hard hit.

Of course, there are trickle down effects which I believe everyone will feel.

Coming back to my friend's comment, this should therefore be an eye opener to tour operators or indeed everyone in the hospitality industry and tourism in general to not only concentrate on foreign nationals but tap into the huge local tourists pool.

Truth is there a lot of Zambians who would like to indulge themselves in the many activities that the tourism industry has to offer - but are kept away because of the huge costs.

Just recently, someone passed a comment in social media of how companies in Livingstone will charge as high as US$168 for an activity that will only last for a minute or less - whether Zambian or not, you have to part away with that much for you to do the activity.

Simply said, the target, for most of these tour operators is, by large, foreign nationals. Clearly, not many Zambians can afford to part away with such kinds of money. Make no mistake however, others do, but they are not many.

Whereas it is understood that businesses have their eyes set on profits, it will do them more good if their business development managers come up with enticing packages that will lure and tempt local people into indulging in these activities.

In the wake of the deadly coronavirus that has sent world economies into disarray, I think it also comes as an eye opener that sometimes, looking within could be the solution much as we appreciate the role that foreign nationals play on boosting revenue.

That way, with or without white people [foreign tourists] in town, at least you could be assured of some money.

The author is a Livingstone based Zambia Daily Mail correspondent.

COVID-19: Be well informed and guard against misinformation before more people are duped

NDANGWA JOHN ANDREWS MWITTAH

IT is sad that in the wake of something as serious as the coronavirus, an outbreak that was recently declared a global pandemic, people could still be making fun of it and other people on social media.

There is a video that has gone viral and making rounds on social media of an elderly woman, old enough to be my grandmother who was swindled by some unscrupulous people somewhere in Southern province.

The named woman - albeit sensing the danger that surrounds us went to the market to buy hand sanitisers and hand washing soap to protect herself and her family from the virus that has claimed many lives and left others battling for theirs.

Instead of being sold what she wanted, the woman was instead sold some dish-washing liquid formula and sponge. Who does that?

In the video, the woman who was clearly robbed was seen being mocked by those that were taking the video. In all fairness, this is not the time to start making fun of this disease. It is high time Zambians took this pandemic seriously.

It calls for a multi-sectoral approach, as clearly, there is a lot of sensitisation that is needed out there. The authorities, traditional leaders, civic leaders, church leaders and indeed everyone that can, must take it upon themselves to go flat out and educate the people on the dangers of the disease, how to prevent it and also the recommended items needed to help combat the pandemic - here, the media must also be proactive in sending out accurate information to curb the misinformation being spread.

Speaking of misinformation, there is also word going round on social media advising people not to use the face masks donated to Africa by the Jack Ma Foundation saying they are infected with the virus.

Clearly, these are falsehoods.

Those of us privileged enough to have access to accurate information, we must also ensure that we share it with relatives and friends that may not be privy to such information, especially those in rural areas.

From the numbers that are coming from the world's biggest economies, it goes to show that as Africa, we are not ready or adequately prepared for this virus. We must therefore take it upon ourselves to do everything possible to curb the spread of the virus.

Government agencies such as the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and other like minded agencies must also ensure that these products being sold are of the recommended standard. There has been reports of retailers cashing in on unauthorised substandard products to desperate and unsuspecting people, such as the old woman in question.

Others are also diluting the liquid soap and hand sanitisers - all of which will come to an exercise in futility regarding the fight against the coronavirus. The pandemic is real, it is high time we took the measures put up by the Government seriously.

Ndangwa Mwittah is a Livingstone based Zambia Daily Mail correspondent.