Sisters help reintegrate vulnerable children into families

 

By Derrick Silimina

Timothy Siazanga, a grade 10 student at Linda Secondary School, walks home after class, braving the sweltering afternoon heat while anxiously yearning to see his mother at her home on the outskirts of Zambia's tourist destination - Livingstone, about 480 km (or 297.6 miles) south of the capital, Lusaka.

He spoke to Global Sisters Report about a stressful ordeal he went through after his father died in 2014.

"A year after dad and mum got divorced, dad became very sick and died. Our relatives [took] all his properties, including a herd of cattle he had entrusted me," said the 17-year-old.

"I fled from Choma following my paternal relatives' abuse. I then got stranded on the streets of Livingstone while looking for my mum's place. Luckily, the police rescued [me] and [brought] me to Lubasi Home."

Just like Siazanga, Ackray Munsaka is one of over 1,000 vulnerable children who have passed through Lubasi Home, a facility offering care and protection to abandoned, neglected, vulnerable and orphaned children. They also reintegrate children into loving families through foster care and adoption.

Munsaka's grandmother, Eneles Phiri, said her grandson's poor health deteriorated due to his family's negligence after they discontinued his antiretroviral treatment.

Phiri explained that Livingstone General Hospital helped to restore his health. After he recovered, the medical authorities involved with the Department of Social Welfare brought him to Lubasi Home.

"I am grateful to the government and Lubasi Home for taking a swift decision to save his life," she said.

Lubasi Home was founded in 2001 by Anthony Ranjan, who was involved in community schools in Mwandi, Linda and Libuyu townships following the death of his son in 1995. The Sri Lanka-born Catholic sought to safeguard the lives of vulnerable children and restore their dignity.

Lubasi, a Lozi name that means family, has been a place of hope and love since it was founded in 2001. The facility officially opened its doors in 2003 after receiving support from Zambia's former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa.

Research has shown that babies and young children raised in institutions can experience substantial developmental delays, and larger delays seem to be associated with prolonged stays.

Therefore, Zambia is making progress in its quest to shift orphans and other vulnerable children from institutional care to family-based care so that children are raised in a safe, loving family or within a community to realize their full potential.

For this reason, Lubasi Home, one of the 33 Catholic-affiliated child care residential facilities supported by the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods, or ZAS, has taken a pivotal step in transitioning children from institutional care to a nurturing family environment.

"We picked Lubasi Home in Livingstone and St. Martin's in rural Ndola as a pilot project in line with the government's reintegration policy due to their locality and the high number of children admitted," said Sr. Catherine Mpolokoso, of the Little Servants of Mary Immaculate and ZAS project coordinator. She added that over 60 vulnerable children have been successfully reunited with their families.

Mpolokoso, who joined the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods in 2019 when the child reintegration drive was in its second phase, said the pilot project went up to 2022 and covered phase one, and ZAS took over in the second phase. The project is currently in its third phase until 2026. They have now added three more child care facilities to the reintegration process.

The Zambia Association of Sisterhoods' case review committee meetings assessed every child in its facilities and established that not every child could remain in child care. Family members were contacted, and parents understood the need to take their children home.

Mpolokoso, 48, said that since 2019, many family beneficiaries in Livingstone who have reunited with their children from Lubasi Home have received empowerment packages, including skills training. They have also set up cooperatives, tailoring and carpentry, among other entrepreneurial ventures, to ease the burden of those looking after their children.

Eneles Phiri said, "I am indebted to ZAS for my empowerment package worth K3,600 [$138], which has boosted my carpentry business. I made over K8,000 [$308] worth of furniture."

Requesting anonymity, Melody — a beneficiary of an empowerment package before reunification with her nephew — told GSR how her young sister abandoned her 5-year-old son at Lubasi Home. Progress is being made to reunite the child with the family before the end of this year, and Melody has been given a sewing machine from the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods to have a sustainable income to support her nephew.

With the help of the Department of Social Welfare, Lubasi Home and the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods have been working closely with relevant government agencies with the transfer of guardianship.

"Our collaboration with ZAS and Lubasi Home has been a success," said Olipa Manenga, Livingstone District assistant social welfare officer. She added that they have guidelines on reintegrating a child, preparing families for reunification and ensuring they are financially stable to support a child. Children are also psychologically and emotionally prepared to facilitate a smooth family reunification.

Mpolokoso, a registered nurse and midwife, is upbeat that reintegration efforts are in the best interest of the child and the family.

"Since 2019, so many parents have been empowered. In 2020, we built a two-bedroom house for a family. We are yet to empower seven more families by 2025."

A dream school for special needs education

By Derrick Silimina

In the heart of Zambia's small mining town of Luanshya, is a dream school for inclusive special needs education about 300 kilometers north of the capital, Lusaka.

Hope Chipete and her grade 11 classmates are absorbed in their assignments and studying for the end-of-term examinations at Da Gama Special School for physically disabled children. The school is run by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi, who help vulnerable children make the most out of their education.

"I used to complain to God about why I am like this, especially as a kid. I worried that I wouldn't be able to do anything because some people used to say that I can't do many things like writing," Chipete told Global Sisters Report.

The 17-year-old was born with hypochondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that results in short stature and disproportionately short arms and legs. However, her dream of studying journalism after high school is a testament to her determination and perseverance in the face of discrimination. As the only child with a physical disability in her family of three girls, she is upbeat because she can thrive academically.

Chipete paid glowing tribute to school administrators for providing a conducive environment for her and other children with disabilities to access holistic education and hope for a brighter future. 

"I am now able to write and draw with ease. I also participate in our school's debate club and do all sorts of things. I feel comfortable here because I can see a lot of people who are differently disabled. I thank God because if I were able-bodied, I wouldn't have reached where I am today."

Chipete has moved many hearts with her eloquence in school debates and poetry, including the Zambian First Lady, Mutinta Hichilema, during a school tour at the State House in Lusaka, the official residence of the president of Zambia. She was among 10 girls with disabilities who earned a school scholarship from the office of the First Lady through the Merck Foundation, which sponsored their education until the tertiary level.

Established in 1961 as a home for unwanted children and later transformed into a facility for children of the British working class during Zambia's colonial era, the facility has evolved into a special needs learning center. In 1972, the institution was declared a grant-aided school, which means the facility receives funds from Zambia's Ministry of Education. It consists of a boarding school for 140 children with physical disabilities and a day school for 30 vulnerable children from nearby provinces.

According to the 2015 Zambia National Disability Survey, 10.9% of adults and 4.4% of children between two and 17 are disabled.

Sepo Namukolo experienced a fair share of discrimination during her primary school days in a society where disabled children face rejection and isolation and are considered a burden to their families.

"I discovered that I was disabled at the age of seven, and it hurt to see people laughing at me whenever I went to school. Few people really loved and supported me, but the majority mocked me because of my disability. They said I was an outcast and [that] my parents were cursed," Namukolo told GSR.

Namukolo, 18, was transferred to Da Gama Special School in the third grade and is now in grade 11. The school has improved her academic performance and given her a positive outlook in life. 

Despite her disability, Namukolo now works at Da Gama Special School and is determined to pursue her dream career.

"I hope to become a pediatrician and open an orphanage to give a helping hand to many vulnerable street children in the country," she said.

When she was two, her mother, Roydah Namukolo, 50, discovered she was not growing like other children. The mother of three became depressed and remained in denial for several years. 

She explained that her discomfort was triggered by the stares and poor treatment her daughter faced daily, especially by her schoolmates. As a result, she quickly sought a transfer request for her daughter to the Da Gama Special School.

"I am thankful for the school management, headed by religious sisters, who mold our children to become better people in society. My child is progressing very well academically without any discrimination on account of her disability," she told GSR.

Stigma against people living with a disability is common in the southern African country due to negative traditional beliefs, entrenched stereotypes and ignorance. As a result, children and adults with disabilities are often neglected, isolated and discriminated against.

Sr. Ruth Ndhlovu, the headteacher at Da Gama Special School, has worked at the institution since 2022 and is in charge of primary and secondary schools from grades one to 12.

"In 1966, the facility became our apostolate, and since then, we provide care for all learners with holistic education through rehabilitation and spiritual insights and later integrate them into society," Ndhlovu told GSR.

Ndhlovu, 48, has worked as a teacher in government and mission schools since 2001. She said that the facility deals with various physical disabilities, including children suffering from spina bifida, brittle bones and muscular dystrophy, among others.

She said the institution helps students and their guardians to go through counseling, especially those who have not yet accepted their physical disability, to help demystify their condition and avoid stigma.

"We know it's not easy for some people with traditional beliefs, but we assure parents and the community that disability is not an inability."

The school's deputy head teacher, Jane Chabala, said special education requires patient, loving teachers to teach children with disabilities, especially since some learners cannot write using their hands but use their feet or mouth instead.

Chabala, who has been at Da Gama Special School for 14 years, shared many success stories, including its impressive pass rate. "Right now, so many of our students are in universities, including the Copperbelt University, Mulungushi University and Mukuba University, among others," she said.

Keeping the catch

By Derrick Silimina

In the village of Kilwa Masoko located some 300 km southeast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s capital, fishing is a lifeline of locals as it is not only a source of food, but also a source of income. 

As wads of Tanzanian shilling exchange hands among fish famers and traders, the latter jostle to procure as much as possible of the limited amount of fish that is auctioned at Kilwa District’s old harbour. 

The fish trade is big business, a sign that the local economy heavily relies on the fishing industry. Despite the daily struggle to line up at auctions for the catch of the day, local fish traders like Sheila Sijaona are buoyant.  

“Our livelihood depends on selling the fish; but with limited catch, everyone is tussling for a larger share to maximise profit,” said Sijaona. 

“While fish is a major source of income, a lot of the fish is rotten due to lack of cold storage facilities and other infrastructure,” Gershom Abdala, a local fisher, told ChinAfrica. 

The Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port project is expected to solve that problem. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan recently laid the foundation stone for the port, which is set to drive forward the country’s blue economy. A project of monumental importance to the economy of Tanzania, the construction of one of East Africa’s first modern fishing harbours is expected to create over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

With a 1,400-km coastline and a 287,000-square-km exclusive economic zone, the East African country is endowed with rich marine fishery stocks, according to the Tanzanian government data. 

Fisheries experts say infrastructure facelift including improved docking infrastructure, fish treatment equipment and ice-processing facilities, among others, can contribute to national development. 

Infrastructure upgrade  

Despite its rich marine resources, sea fish accounts for less than 20 percent of the country’s fish supply, with the rest coming from inland fishing, according to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. The Tanzanian government says a lack of proper infrastructure is hampering fish production. Building a fishing port can be a game changer. 

The fishing port in Kilwa District is being constructed by China Harbour Engineering Co. (CHEC), and is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which seeks to promote global trade and connectivity. 

As of the end of June 2023, China has signed more than 200 documents on jointly building the BRI with 152 countries and 32 international organisations, and milestones have been set in collaboration and people-to-people exchanges under the framework. 

As Tanzania follows some of its neighbouring countries in capitalising on the vast potential of deep-sea fishing, the Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port project is poised to change the sector’s fortunes. The modern fishing port, scheduled to be completed in 2025, is expected to boost commercial fishing in sea.  

CHEC has said that the state-of-the-art harbour will create a number of advantages, including a refrigeration centre for fishermen to process and store their catch and a reliable market for locals by adding value via processing. 

“After completion, we would like to see this port contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of Tanzania,” CHEC Project Manager Yao Huafeng recently said, adding that the harbour, which will be managed by the Tanzania Ports Authority, will also house fish processing plants and a workshop for repairing fishing ships and boats and making fishnets. 

CHEC Tanzania Maritime Project Department recently revealed that the construction of the fishing harbour has provided jobs to more than 1,000 local workers, and an estimated 30,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created during the facility’s operation.  

Project Engineer George Kwandu said that once completed, the docking infrastructure will be big enough to accommodate all kinds of vessels. “We are also building a fish treatment refrigeration centre with a capacity of 1,300 tonnes,” Kwandu noted, adding that some of the fish will go directly to the fish market, enabling fishers to sell directly to the consumers. 

As the port is expected to help to diversify the country’s fishing sector, the government projects it will raise the sector’s contribution to the country’s total exports, as well as national GDP, from 1.8 percent to 10 percent by 2036.  

“This pivotal milestone will the pave the way for immense economic development, job creation, and income generation for the coastal region and Tanzania as a whole,” Abdallah Ulega, minister of livestock and fisheries, recently stated. 

Waves of opportunities 

Ulega said that once the port is operational, an estimated 5 million Tanzanians would derive their income from fishing and related activities, including boat manufacturing, net repair, fish processing, and various small-scale businesses. 

The minister added that as Tanzania positions itself strategically in the global fishing market, the country will expand job opportunities for locals and augment productivity for both small-scale and large-scale fishermen. 

With hopes and aspirations riding high on the waves of the Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port, fish traders like Sijaona are optimistic about the new opportunities that will transform their way of doing business.  

“I expect the new harbour to connect our fishing business to the international market, and when we sell to other countries, our export income will increase immensely. Our lives will certainly change, as many new opportunities will come up in our fishing business,” Sijaona said with confidence.  

In Kilwa Kivinje, located 25 km from Kilwa Masoko, fishermen squeeze in a crowded wooden boat, catching fish with a humble net and selling the catch directly off the boat. This daily hustle has sustained them for generations for centuries.  

“I am excited that the Chinese-built harbour will boost our fisheries value chain, improve our household income and help us to contribute to the socio-economic development of our country,” said Juma Mahanje from Kilwa Kivinje.

Nurturing young people's talents

By Derrick Silimina

When Tisa Mumba was devastated by hopelessness after her father's death, she had no option but to dream beyond her circumstances and work toward a brighter future.

Mumba, 23, opted to take a risk and migrate from Kabwe town to Livingstone, about 470 km south of Lusaka, Zambia's capital, in search of "greener pastures."

"I struggled to do odd jobs in Livingstone to survive. I plaited people's hair [and] baked cakes and scones for resale at the market. And with my little savings, I decided to enroll at Livingstone's Youth Community Training Centre (YCTC) for a short course in food production since I had a passion [for the] confectionery business," Mumba told Global Sisters Report.

In an economy stifled by high living costs and diminished purchasing power, Mumba began her studies thanks to the Zambia Association of Sisterhoods with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. (The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation also funds Global Sisters Report.)

She embarked on a transformative journey at the training center, where young people acquire valuable skills in electrical engineering, plumbing, electrical power, carpentry and other vocational fields.

The Sisters of St. John the Baptist (Baptistine sisters) manage the training center, nurturing young people's talents in Livingstone, a tourist town near the mighty Victoria Falls, one of the world's largest waterfalls. Built in 1999 by Celim and the Livingstone Diocese, the center is in Libuyu township.

Mumba's academic journey at Youth Community Training Centre almost ended halfway into her studies because of her inability to pay tuition fees. This further depressed her as she worked to hone her skills in food production and find a stable job among Livingstone's top hoteliers in the flourishing hospitality hotspots.

After Mumba failed to report for the second semester due to lack of funds for tuition, the Baptistine sisters immediately asked the registrar's office to put her on a scholarship to support her studies.

"Having lost my dad, who could have provided whatever I needed, was not easy. If it were not for the scholarship, I would have ended up in bad behavior," Mumba said.

Zambia has a booming youth population and a lack of academic support, and employability is a pressing concern among the viable but vulnerable youths, particularly amid a shrinking economy in the southern African country.

After a two-month internship following her nine-month course, Mumba's hard work and discipline paid off. She was offered a full-time job as a chef at Woodlands Lodge & Tours.

"Had it not been for the sisters' intervention, I wouldn't be where I am today. And even with what I am earning through my current job, I am now able to support my mother and siblings back home in Kabwe."

Millions of young people in Zambia are trapped in a cycle of unemployment and poverty. HIV infections, early pregnancy, gender-based violence and a host of other social ills are common.

Zambia also struggles with an energy crisis marked by relentless load-shedding that shuts down power, threatening socio economic stability.

Creative minds like Elizabeth Namfukwe, a young beneficiary of the training center, found an opportunity to acquire a skill and find solutions to the country's energy situation.

"I was super excited to be accepted at YCTC, especially since I was also awarded a bursary [scholarship] in 2023. It's a game-changer for my dream career," Namfukwe told GSR.

Fascinated by electricity generation in Zambia's Kariba Dam, Namfukwe saw an opportunity to become a highly sought-after electrical engineer.

After Namfukwe's internship at Dennis Turf Irrigation Systems, her exceptional performance earned her a job as an assistant technician before the attachment period elapsed.

"It was my first time at a tertiary institution after years of trying to source for academic support. Considering our country's socioeconomic challenges, I would like to commend the sisters for this skills training initiative, which will go a long way to reviving young people's dreams."

The initiative has extended its impact beyond Livingstone. Eleven congregations with skills centers across Zambia have also collaborated, aiming to empower 840 youths in the first two years of the project.

The Zambia Association of Sisterhoods has allocated funds to various skills training centers across the country, including the Holy Rosary Sisters Skills Training Centre, the Bauleni Special Needs Project in Lusaka, and St. Mary's Skills Development Centre Kawambwa in Luapula Province, among others.

"When I came here, my first duty was to look for sponsors and help many vulnerable youths finish their studies. Otherwise, if I just sit, they will not have quality training," said Baptistine Sr. Evelyn Bwalya, the coordinator of Youth Community Training Centre.

After working at other learning institutions with minor vulnerable youths, she was transferred to Livingstone in 2021.

Bwalya, a teacher by profession, said the skills center has more than 240 learners pursuing various lifelong skills. Since 2023, 160 vulnerable youths have benefited from Hilton Foundation scholarships, inspiring higher enrollment levels at the skills training center from 50 students per semester to more than 200. The center has a capacity of 500 students.

Bwalya, 44, finds joy in fulfilling her mission as a Baptistine sister, which follows the congregation's charism of caring for the young and the poor. She said a distinctive feature of the program was the emphasis on real-world exposure, which enabled the students to undergo practical internships at various reputable companies, lodges and hotels in Livingstone.

As the project approaches its culmination in 2024, early signs of success are evident as dedication and hard work secured full-time jobs for many youths, a testament to the program's effectiveness.

Bwalya is happy because before the Hilton Foundation's collaboration, vulnerable students couldn't pay the fees for their training, and the school couldn't buy the training materials for them.

"Now, our students can find jobs, and some are able to set up their own businesses."

A refuge for the sick and dying

By Derrick Silimina

Moffat Tembo, who has HIV/AIDS, remembers the day he was hospitalized at Mother Theresa Hospice after gasping for breath due to the devastating effects of the virus.

The Mother Theresa Hospice, a refuge for the sick and dying, is on the outskirts of Kabulonga, an exclusive suburb adjacent to Kalingalinga, one of Lusaka's slums. The facility is managed by the Missionaries of Charity, a community founded by Mother Teresa of Kolkata in 1950.

The congregation is dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor, irrespective of social class, creed or color. Since 1989, the hospice has followed the words of its founder, welcoming people of all ages who knock at the gates, welcoming and giving them care, medicine, food, school amenities, shelter and love.

Tembo, 34, said that living with HIV/AIDS in a country already grappling with poor health care services is arduous, a dilemma that has thrown thousands of families into extreme poverty.

"I always thank the sisters day and night for saving my life. Without them, I would be dead by now," Tembo told Global Sisters Report.

He was brought to the Mother Theresa Hospice in early 2007 while very sick, and the sisters immediately put him on antiretroviral treatment. He later regained consciousness after nine drips of medication.

Tembo discovered his HIV-positive status at the age of 17. The thought of being on medication depressed him, and he lived in denial for some time. But his immunity couldn't withstand the ravaging effects of HIV.

After his mother's untimely death, Tembo lost hope in life. Living in Mandevu township, a slum a few kilometers north of Zambia's capital, Lusaka, Tembo experienced the harsh reality faced by orphaned children in the country, which forced him into extreme poverty and further deteriorated his health.

After he sought refuge at Mother Theresa Hospice, Tembo's health improved. Following this he enrolled in a community school based at the center to revive his academic journey.

"After I recovered, I dedicated my life to helping the sick here, counsel patients [to] take [their] drugs consistently and encourage the hopeless to have a fighting spirit in life," said the father of four, touched by the sisters' tireless care.

Like him, several others who once came in need of emergency health care are now healthy and working at the facility as drivers, teachers, carpenters, tailors, security staff and caregivers.

Mirriam Chisha is a young woman with an extraordinary story. She is still in disbelief that her life is back to normal after surviving life-threatening surgery after her unexpected ectopic pregnancy.

Chisha, 25, became homeless at the age of 15 after her parents divorced. When her father remarried, she said she couldn't cope with her stepmother's abuse, forcing her to endure life on the streets of Lusaka.

"I discovered that I was two months pregnant at the age of 18, and [suddenly], I got very ill while living on the streets of Lusaka. My fellow street kids organized transport and help [for me] at the Mother Theresa Hospice," she said.

Chisha said that had it not been for the sisters' immediate referral to the University Teaching Hospital for surgery, she would have lost her life.

Sr. Mercy Kanyoro is in charge of the Mother Theresa Hospice. She is excited about her calling because she enjoys witnessing terminally ill patients gradually return to life.

"We see them coming in despair, in hopelessness, and worn out physically. We take care of them and restore their health. We also restore faith in their lives, and we see them get up to resume their normal lives," Kanyoro told GSR.

Coming from a humble background in Kenya, Kanyoro is glad her mission at the 35-year-old hospice has been life-changing, acknowledging that divine providence has made the facility operate smoothly.

She added that many patients who recover from poor health choose to give back as a form of appreciation from the facility that houses a hospice, novitiate, a community school for vulnerable children and a skills training center for vulnerable teen mothers.

"When our patients recover, some usually come and say, 'Sister — you have cared for me, and I want to give back.' Whenever we can, we offer them a job to help them get reestablished in life," she stated.

Kanyoro, 44, said the facility goes beyond its mission of taking care of the poorest of the poor, restoring their physical and spiritual health, and offering capacity building through lifelong skills so that they are not dependent on anyone.

With almost 300 beneficiaries taken care of each day, the facility has its share of challenges since the hospice alone accommodates 60-100 patients suffering from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses, most from Lusaka's surrounding slums.

Although Zambia has made significant strides in reducing the HIV/AIDS infection rate in recent years, the southern African country still has a very high rate of infectious diseases. Estimates in 2021 showed that 1.3 out of almost 20 million Zambians are living with HIV, and women are the most affected.

Kanyoro, with her vast experience in humanitarian work in other countries including Kenya, India, South Africa, Madagascar and now Zambia, said her congregation's quest to serve Christ through their fellow humans is in line with their charism, "To labor for the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor."

"I get inspired to instill hope in the hopeless, provide for the needy, and see terminally sick people back to good health because I get bothered to see how vulnerable people struggle to afford the basic needs in a world of plenty. My hope is to see a sharing world that will transform humankind!"