Mwambezi Village in Mbala District of the Republic of Zambia is soon to have both a school and a church. You have to be a student of history to appreciate the significance of the presence of a school and a church in a community.
If it were not for yours truly’s love of schooling, I don't think I would have reached far in my academic pursuit. All my childhood years I loved learning, I loved reading and I loved sharing what I learned with my friends. During my primary school years, I remember how I would sit about a meter or two from my grandfather and I would have a stick in my hand and wrote continuously in the sand what I had learned in school or what I was thinking. I would write and erase, write again and erase whatever I was contemplating. Sometimes I wrote what I heard people conversing as they chatted with my grandfather.
During my secondary school years, I remember the days when I would go into the bush and pick a flower and study its parts pick a leaf and study its parts catch an insect and study its parts. It was this passion for learning and schooling that propelled me through school and enabled me to accomplish all that I did in academics. Gratefully, the least I can do is give my community and my people a school, and hopefully, a college one day.
If it were not for my love and reverence for God and his Word, I don't think I would have the fortitude to overcome the challenges I faced in my childhood and teenage years. But the good Lord ‘anointed’ me early in my life and put in me a spirit of reverence for him and strengthened my faith in him. As soon as I realized God’s presence in my life, I determined to know the truth about him. As a child, as soon as I was able to read I yearned to read the Bible. I remember when I didn’t know how the Bible text is ordered, my first attempt at reading the Bible was such that as I read the first line I actually jumped over the center space and read the other column. But I realized that the message sounded different. I am supposed to read down one column first and then continue through the other column, I thought. I quickly corrected myself.
Nothing I appear to have achieved or accomplished should blind me from the fact that God is the one that has blessed, protected and provided for me through family, and many times, through friends. Yes, I know what a person can be if they genuinely seek and follow God and seek to worship him in spirit and in truth. Gracefully, the least I can do is give my community a decent place where they can gather to praise and worship God the creator of heaven and earth. If people learn about God, and especially his commandments, and live in harmony with him, God blesses beyond measure. For sure, one day someone will know the significance of having a school and a truth teaching church in the community.
Both the school and the church will teach the people of Mwambezi Village the wonderful and marvelous values that will help every individual and the community to get out of, and stay above, poverty. I mean the values of knowledge, wisdom, ambition, hard work, compassion, love, kindness, peace, joy, perseverance, leadership and community. These are the values that people need to embrace and live by in order to prosper as a community.
Moreover, it is not only the values but also skills. The skills of reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking, creativity, commerce, administration, entrepreneurship and building relationships. The school and the church, I strongly believe, will open every person's mind to living a purposeful and meaningful life.
Therefore, without prejudice, I invite the people of Mwambezi Village to believe in God and his son the Lord Jesus Christ, but also to believe in themselves. Please go to school and learn as much as you possibly can. Seek to live in harmony with God and with one another. Life can be beautiful. But it takes an educated and God-fearing person to make it really beautiful and awesome. May the light of our Lord Jesus Christ always shine at Mwambezi Village and through the people of Mwambezi Village.
Additionally, may the Zambian Flag fly high at Mwambezi Village. For the longest time the people of Mwambezi Village were not even sure which country they lived in as they would not see the Zambian Flag anywhere. Now the flag is flying high at Ntungo Community School. By the way, did you know how inspiring the Zambian flag is? The Zambian Flag is full of meaning!
Green – symbolizes the natural resources of the country predominantly forests, and of course agriculture.
Red – symbolizes the blood that was spilled by freedom fighters during the struggle for independence from colonialism.
Black – symbolizes the color of the indigenous Zambians.
Orange – symbolizes the mineral resources of the country.
The Eagle – symbolizes freedom and the soaring spirit of Zambians as a nation and as individuals.
Children learning about the flag alone is so inspiring. From this flag you can attack poverty head on. Green should inspire every child to pursue studies in natural resources, the environment, forestry or agriculture. Red should inspire every child to pursue studies in medicine or national security and defense. Black should inspire every child to pursue studies in anthropology, history and culture, arts and sociology. Orange should inspire every child to pursue studies in mining, engineering and technology.
Like I always say, development is determined by ingenuity. If my people at Mwambezi village can eagerly and proudly attend school and complete if my people can attend church and follow the truth of the scriptures, I don’t see anything preventing them from being ingenious and developing themselves into leaders in every area of human endeavor. Having the right attitude toward education, right attitude toward work, right attitude towards family and right attitude towards God is the secret to development. God helps people who help themselves. God works with those who want to work. Go Mwambezi village, Go! And of course, Go Zambia Go!
Another source of inspiration for the people of Mwambezi Village and the people of Zambia is The Coat of Arms. The founders of Zambia were indeed visionaries. Both the flag and the coat of arms show how great visionaries they were. They founded Zambia as a country on the motto of One Zambia One Nation with sufficiency in food and commitment to industrial development and conservation of natural resources.
In the Coat of Arms, the black and white wavy bars in the shield represent the Mosi-oa-tunya Falls meaning the ‘smoke that thunders’ (unfortunately nicknamed Victoria Falls by missionary and explorer David Livingstone). The wavy shield invites the world to come and see the natural wonders and the people of Zambia. Hence, Zambia is a tourist destination. The hoe and pick above shield represent the honorable labors of the people in agriculture and mining. And as on the flag, the soaring eagle represents the freedom of Zambia and its ability to rise above its problems. Given the meaning behind the Coat of Arms it’s a shame for any Zambian to fail to make ends meet and to wallow in poverty.
What is disappointing is that these national symbols do not seem to inspire any modern-day Zambians barely sixty years after independence. For me this is where I want to begin with the people of Mwambezi Village. Let us be inspired by our Zambian Flag and our Coat of Arms. These symbols are not meant to be used only by the president of Zambia, but I contend to say, they need to be used by every Zambian.
Every member of Mwambezi Village, and I dare to say, every Zambian must proudly own an axe, a hoe and a pick and use these tools to work the country’s natural resources and create wealth for themselves and the country. Please don’t let pride and laziness keep you down. Sing the National Anthem and get to work now. TwCN.
