THE road to success is rarely a walk in the park and, in life, it takes dogged determination to attain our goals, says TIMOTHY KAMBILIMA, who narrates how he soldiered on to publish, against all odds, a school magazine that won him honour and an unexpected handshake, his first ever, with a government minister. Read on…
AFTER graduating from Solwezi Teacher’s Training College, today called Solwezi College of Education in 1995, the Zambian government through Ministry of Education posted me to Chililabombwe District.
Since Chililabombwe was my home town, the District Education Officer (DEO) as they were called then, asked me to choose any school near home and, after consulting my mother Eness Kambilima, who was born at the end of the Second World War, and uncle Langson Kamuchacha, I gladly picked Mitondo Basic School, which was a few metres away from where the family lived in the mine area.
By the way, the head teacher then was a Mrs Mubita who has since retired and settled in Luanshya. I taught grade six class from 1996 and went with this class up to grade seven in 1997.
At the end of the year, the performance of my class in the examinations was so good that the Parent Teacher Association executive and school management saw it fitting to award me with a wall clock as a motivation.
In 1998, one of the senior teachers, the late a Mr Mbewe, approached me and asked if I could teach a grade eight class.
I did not hesitate and jumped on the offer and, soon, I was seconded and began teaching English language and history to the grade eights and nines.
I kept on working hard and because of Government policy to have more high schools in the country, our school was among the fortunate ones as it was upgraded to a high school.
While at Mitondo High School, together with my colleagues, Mrs Chibale and Mr. Rado Kunda,I decided to start a publication called ‘Mitondo Magazine’. Because of the childhood interest and love I had for reading newspapers, especially the Times of Zambia, I volunteered to become the editor-in-chief.
We published stories from the pupils and teachers and it became a popular term ‘school newspaper’.
Additionally, we also formed Mitondo Magazine Club where members would be taught how to read and write stories.
We would also encourage members to bring old newspapers and read out one or two short stories from the newspaper during school assembly.
After a few years, my two colleagues lost interest in the magazine for various reasons, but I soldiered on despite the several negative comments I received from some of my workmates.
I recall some saying, “Mr. Kambilima, why are you wasting time with the club?” Others would say, “I would rather make money through teaching extra lessons than waste time at the magazine club!” I, however, never got discouraged by the negative sentiments coming from my fellow teachers. If anything, I was strengthened in my dogged determination to succeed.
And, as fate would have it, the Mitondo Magazine Club excelled to great heights as it attracted many pupils including Steward Mwape, Japhet Simwaba, Melody Kayombo ,Christabel Sampa and Priscilla Mwape who were exposed through the educational and familiarisation tours we undertook during our magazine assignments.
We visited other high schools on the Copperbelt such as Chikola and Sekela in Chingola and Mitanto in Kitwe, let alone the tour of Radio Icengelo in Kitwe and ZANIS offices in Chililabombwe.
Well, as the saying goes, “good things come to those who wait,”one cool Tuesday morning of April 30, 2002, two months before my daughter Matilda was born at the then high standard Konkola Mine Hospital, the head teacher called me to her office during break.
I rarely went to her office unless there was something urgent which required her intervention. A little worried, I wondered why she called me to her office and I kept asking myself, “What have I done?”
Anyway, after a few minutes, I prepared myself and knocked at the door to face whatever was in store for me. “Come in,” a calm voice responded. There were three people in the office when I entered: the head teacher and two other members of the school management team.
After exchanging greetings, and without much ado, the head teacher let the cat out of the bag. “Mr Kambilima, management has recognised the contributions you have made to this school through the magazine club,” she addressed me.
“We have, therefore, decided to reward you with the Labour Day award for being innovative and creative” she added. I couldn’t believe the good news.
My heart almost leapt out of my mouth! “Oh, my God! Thank you very much,” I found myself uttering as tears of joy rolled down my cheeks.
Thereafter, there was a staff briefing at which names of the 2002 Labour Day award recipients were announced. The following day, I was at Konkola Stadium, home to 1998 Mosi Cup Kings Konkola Blades.
Little did I realise that a big surprise awaited me. Believe you me, I was tasked to be the master of ceremonies for the day and the guest of honour was Copperbelt Minister Patrick Kafumukache.
I will always remember Wednesday, May 1, 2002 for the rest of my life because it was the first time to shake hands with him and be hugged by, a Government minister. We shared a few jokes in Kikaonde with the late minister.
George Benson sang a hit song, which, I believe, sums up life. The song was titled: Never give up on a good thing and the second line says, remember what makes you happy. I hope my fellow readers will learn one or two things from my experience.
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