A TONGA WHO EDUCATED A NSENGA & EMPLOYED A BEMBA
My parents had three children. My elder brother and sister and myself a last born. Both my parents died in a car accident 😭 while I was still a baby at 2 years and by then our first born was 11, the second born was 7 and I was 2.
From then onwards, we started living with my grandparents in the village, in Sinda to be specific. My elder brother stopped going to school because our grandparents could not afford. Suddenly, when I was 8 years old we lost my sister. I was not a conscious self but as I grew up I was told she had Cerebral malaria and died from Petauke General Hospital where she had been going after having moved to live with relatives there.
By this time my brother was involved in buying and selling of maize business and managed to take me to school until grade 10. The dark cloud hit our family again, the only breadwinner who had been sponsoring me at Petauke Boarding High school died. I struggled into grade 11 without support and was fending for myself because my grandparents were too old. Those days were dark. I used clothing for my menstrual and mostly I could miss class because I did not have sanitary pads and I was ashamed. Eventually, I decided to go into prostitution to sustain my education and personal needs. This worked out but by the time I was grade 12 term two I became sick. I was found with Syphilis and I lost my body drastically and consequently I dropped out of grade 12. After recovery using traditional medicine I vowed never to take myself to prostitution.
I registered myself in an NGO program where they were training people to offer education teaching to community school. After being successfully picked and working at one community school, we were visited by Mr. Hakainde Hichilema and his team when they were campaigning. That day, he pledged to build three classrooms for the school and he did. I was hosting them representing our then head the late Mr. Chisomo Phiri of the school.
He asked me:
Are you a teacher by profession, to which I answered not really. I went to explain my brief story. As I gave few details, he inquired more and that’s how he knew my background.
Mr. Hichilema asked one of his people a Mr. Sitali based in Sinda to make arrangements for me to be in contact so that he can help. My prayer was answered. I remember vividly smiling while tears rolling down my eyes. Later that week I lost my grandma who was too old. I went to see Mr. Sitali and funeral arrangements where eased.
To cut the long story short, I was enrolled into GCE. I obtained 9 points. I was sponsored to go and study Nursing in Mufulira and I made it. I was sponsored to go and study Masters Degree in Science and Biology in China and I made it. Yes am not employed yet but I had an opportunity of getting education. Today I can fend for myself without being a prostitute and am happily married to a Bemba man. The person who made this possible is Mr. Hichilema. I come from the east. Both my parents came from there. I am at pains when I hear the discussion of tribalism that has taken over our society. The person who had been demonized in the past as a tribalist is responsible for the education of a non Tonga. By the way, my husband is a manager at Mr. Hichilema’s farm and he is Bemba. Where is tribalism?
Stella Tembo – Bwali