•BOYS Brigade groups marching at the Golden Jubilee. Picture by MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI

By MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI –

NDOLA came alive when the Boys’ Brigade in Zambia (BBZ) commemorated its 50th Golden Jubilee celebrations during an event held at the Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF grounds recently.
The celebrations, which attracted Boys’ Brigade members from different parts of the country, also had representation from youth organisations from Lesotho, South Africa and Scotland, in the United Kingdom (UK).
The BBZ brass bands added colour to the event when they mesmerised the spectators with 1965 displays and other activities.
BBZ is an inter-denominational youth organisation whose objective is to advance Christianity among the youth.
It was founded in 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith in Glasgow, Scotland, and was established in Zambia in 1965.
This was after Zambia’s first president Kenneth Kaunda saw the importance of having such an organisation in the country during his visit to the UK.
In Zambia, the first company was set up at St Luke Congregation of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) in Mikomfwa Township in Luanshya.
The second company was at UCZ Kabushi Congregation in Ndola, which was the pioneer church.
BBZ president Maxwell Sichula, who gave a brief history of the organisation, said Dr Kaunda took up the initiative to start the Boys’ Brigade, and became the first patron.
Since its inception, the organisation’s membership from over 400 companies across the country has grown remarkably.
The BBZ has 26 affiliates while Pentecostal churches are also forming boys’ brigades. Currently, the organisation has 30,000 boy members and 4,000 officers.
Mr Sichula said the membership was increasing each year despite many social, economic and cultural challenges being experienced.
Some of the challenges are drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, child labour, gender-based violence and sexual abuse.
“These challenges are not easy to solve, but it is our belief as BBZ to make a difference if we work together with commitment and seek God’s guidance on how to overcome them,” he said.
BBZ national patron Andrew Kamanga called on parents to encourage their children to join the youth organisation.
“We wish to encourage parents countrywide to bring their children to the Boys’ Brigade as we are there to nurture leadership by inculcating values of discipline, obedience and spiritual enrichment from a tender age,” he said.
Mr Kamanga invited Republican President Edgar Lungu to take up the role of patron general for the Boys’ Brigade in Zambia.
He said the focus was to ensure that in the next 50 years, the BBZ continues to exist and grows stronger than it is.
Officiating at the event, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Chishimba Kambwili congratulated the organisation for its 50 years of existence in the country.
Mr Kambwili said the event had brought pride and honour to Zambia as a whole, and urged the members to plan for the next 50 years.
“The event is also a time for members of this powerful organisation to review the 50 years of the Boys’ Brigade in Zambia as well as preview what they would like to be in the next 50 years,” he said.
The minister was encouraged to note that the organisation was promoting goods morals as well as the spiritual, physical well-being of young people through awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and other social vices.
“This is commendable and consistent with Government’s agenda to invest in young people so that they grow into good and responsible citizens,” he said.