•TIMES of Zambia Chief Reporter Maya Ntanda (left) hands over cash to Ms Namukonda at her home in Musonda Township, while Remmy looks on. Picture By Moffat Chazingwa

BY MAYA NTANDA-
NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Remmy Simukonda whose story was published in the Times of Zambia on September 22, is overjoyed by the feedback he has received from sympathisers.
Remmy’s story under the headline ‘Going against all odds to get Educated’ touched some readers with others offering financial and moral support to the grade twelve pupil of Kitwe Boys Secondary School.
The only surviving child of the late Mr and Mrs Simukonda, Remmy lives with his aunt Liness Namukonda 53, who in her own small way looks after him but cannot afford to pay all the requirements.
Remmy, was recently found at the sprawling Kitwe Main Bus (KMB) station where he was selling soft drinks to travellers during school holidays to raise money to pay his school fees.
During August holidays, Remmy worked three times a week and would start the day at 07:00 hours and knock off at 17:00 hours because he had to walk about 35 kilometres back to Musonda Township where he resides.
He had said it was not easy being at KMB for 10 hours a day, but indicated that he had to endure to achieve his goals.
“Life at KMB is not easy, at times (the call boys and other hawkers) may just start an argument so that you go into a fight, but I avoid such things by just moving away, no matter how much I am provoked and with God’s protection and guidance I have managed,” he said.
At the time of the interview, Remmy was raising money to pay the grade 11 school fees which he owed the school before embarking on another project to clear the K620 grade 12 school fees.
After the publication of Remmy’s story, a 49-year-old woman of Lusaka sent K1,000 through the Times of Zambia Kitwe Office so that the money can be presented on her behalf.
The woman, who preferred to be anonymous, was touched by the article and saw herself in Remmy’s situation because she grew up as an orphan.
“I was touched by the article and felt I should assist in one way because I also grew up as an orphan but was not hindered from achieving my goals,” she said.
Through the Times of Zambia, the woman connected with Remmy and counselled him to work hard at school and that God was able to lift anyone regardless of the circumstances they were in.
Another reader, Moses Chanda (not real name) also from Lusaka said he grew up as an orphan and was also at Kitwe Boys Secondary School.
Mr Chanda said he was privileged at the time between 2000 and 2003, the school was offering scholarships to those who were performing well but vulnerable by exempting them from paying school fees for grade 11 and 12 classes.
He shared that he ensured that he performed well and obtained seven points which saw him being awarded bursary at University level.
“I also grew up as an orphan, was also at the same school as Remmy, but during our time the school had a scholarship for brainy pupils who were passing number one or two but came from humble homes by exempting them from paying school fees,” he said.
Mr Chanda said the exempting of paying school fees relieved him of the worries about fees and at the same time encouraged him to work hard and obtain good results.
He advised authorities at Kitwe Boys Secondary School and various schools to introduce such facilities to assist vulnerable but deserving pupils.
After receiving words of encouragements and a total of K1,700 from well wishers, the soon to be school leaver could not hide his joy and offered blessing to Times of Zambia for highlighting his plight.
He said little did he know that after the publication of the story, the school fees would be settled by people he did not know.
“I cannot believe that people have responded by paying all my school fees, this is really the work of God, I did not realise that the Newspaper has so much impact because I was only sharing my story with the author who was curious about what I was doing at KMB.
“I would like to thank Times of Zambia for publishing my story and wish them all God’s blessings,” he said.
Just like Remmy, his aunt Ms Namukonda was overjoyed by the gesture and says it has lightened the burden of worrying about settling the school fees.
Ms Namukonda urged Times of Zambia to continue highlighting issues affecting the vulnerable in society and assist others in similar or indeed in worse situations like Remmy.
Kitwe Boy’s Secondary School guidance teacher Dorothy Phiri described Remmy as a good boy.
Ms Phiri advised pupils to work hard at school and realise that having parents was a privilege which should not be taken for granted.
She said pupils in similar situation as Remmy might face social challenges and suffer now but with education, things would never be the same.
Remmy is writing exams and is relieved of the burden of clearing the school fees.
He is grateful to everyone that has played a role in ensuring that he completes grade 12 and further expresses gratitude to the School authorities for being lenient on him and others in similar situations.
Remmy is hopeful he would get good grades and sees his dream of doing mechanical engineering or graduating from the Copperbelt University become a reality.