Living in Zambia through the eyes of a Zambian

UBUNTU VILLAGE

Today most of Zambia’s population is affected by extreme levels of poverty. This occurs despite Zambia being ranked ninth (9) in the World in terms of having rich copper deposits. The majority of people, especially women and children, are living below the poverty line. These are the genuine words of a Zambian, who sees firsthand the impact of poverty on their community. They share these insights. International organizations like the United Nations have verified these findings. They continue to do so. The experience of Zambian women mirrors what Ubuntu Village has witnessed across East Africa — read about the unaccompanied children of Nakuru, Kenya, where similar patterns of poverty and resilience unfold.

Subsequently, the poverty in Zambia has drastically affected the health of Zambians, especially women and children. Most women die during childbirth because of a lack of health facilities. During the antenatal visit, poor pregnant women are requested to provide their own supplies. These include maternity pads, cotton wool, methylated spirit, bleach, gloves, and buckets, along with many other items.

 I have witnessed this as I have assisted women with these requirements in my individual capacity. These experiences echo the words of a Zambian concerned about the dire conditions.

This, of course, means these items have to be procured from pharmacy stores that have proven expensive for poor people.

I would like to state that my major interest is writing about my experiences with young girls and women in and from around Africa. Especially Zambia, my country.

Amongst the many concerns I would like to share is how women and young girls in Africa are dominated by their husbands in marriages. This is more pronounced in those living in rural areas. 

 Most women are deprived of opportunities such as education and career choice. This is aside from the major issue of early marriages amongst young girls. Their future has been destroyed by dropping out of school in preference to marriage. 

It’s sad in Zambia as young girls are given into marriage by parents. A Zambian explains that girls as young as 13 face heartbreaking situations. These circumstances ruin their potentials and destinies. Many girls have great minds and could greatly contribute to their communities if given access to quality education.

The issue of street kids has spiraled out of control. Many affected children come from poor families. These families cannot afford school, food, or clothing. A few lucky ones cannot continue their education. They drop out due to a lack of sponsorship. As a result, many kids turn to the streets for alms. This leads to increased crime rates. These children often engage in drug abuse, stealing, and robbery to survive. This is a major concern, and my heart bleeds. Most governments lack resources to address this problem.

The said kids are future generations. Hence, I have taken it upon myself to ensure that I contribute to giving them a foundation to build and develop their lives.  

It is very clear that this problem, if not sorted, serves as a ticking time bomb. It holds long-term, devastating effects on our community, society, and country as a whole. 

Zambia is a developing country, and as such, most people are still in extreme poverty. Being an advocate for women’s and girls’ rights, I am not looking or asking for recognition from anyone. But the insightful words of a Zambian resonate with me, motivating me to render help where I can. So far, I have helped many school dropout girls in some local communities. This is done in my small individual capacity as I owe what I do to God almighty.

Another issue is that people are struggling everywhere, particularly women and girls. Many cases of suicide arise from various factors. Recently, my mother told me about a girl from her area who died by suicide. This happened after she failed year 9 examinations. Analyzing situations like this reveals a lack of emotional support for these girls. Thus, I am determined to advocate for young girls and women.

Many women here in Zambia are stuck in abusive marriages. They have nowhere to go. Unfortunately, most of them have no formal education. This makes it harder for them as they can’t get a decent job to look after themselves. This is the reason we need to spread our wings wider. We must promote women’s empowerment. This echoes the true words of a Zambian advocating for change. 

Admittedly, we have a number of charitable organizations dotted around the country. However, the situation is overwhelming. I thought I could also contribute to lessening or altogether solving the predicaments that young girls and women are facing in my country. 

It follows that given the above motivation and prevailing situations in my country and around Africa, I was prompted to look for women organizations. I want to partner with them to sincerely reach out to as many women and girls as we possibly can. This is in a bid to offer genuine and heartfelt help they so badly need.

-Barbara M.