Honouring Oliver Tambo
Jubilee Centre October 26th, 2009
“Who is Oliver Tambo and why was he honoured on Zambia’s Independence Day?” asked my ten year old son who is currently completing grade 4. I asked him to pass the question to his grade nine brother who is 13 years old. His brother responded that he only knew of Tambo International Airport in South Africa. He too turned the question to me asking whether there was a relationship between the airport and the man who was being honoured.
I took this rare privilege to share with my two sons about Oliver Tambo a South African political leader who was a freedom fighter and whom Zambia hosted for several years during the fight against apartheid. I also shared with them how Zambia played a leading role in the liberation struggle of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Mozambique. I mentioned to my children how economic growth was slower then because we boycotted Zimbabwe and South Africa goods to put pressure on these two countries to establish new government that was fair and just for all. Many Zambians lost their lives as they stood side by side with the freedom fighters of these nations. Under normal circumstances it is these countries who should be inviting us to their independence celebration. The leaders of these countries should be telling their people that one time they were refugees in Zambia and that Zambians cared and sacrificed for them more than they did or do for their own children.
“Whom would you like to honour this independence?” asked my ten-year old son who always likes to have 
the last word. I would like to honour Prisca Phiri. When she was young she could not continue school because of her families’ poverty and got a job as a maid. Along the way Prisca, at tender age of sixteen, became pregnant by a boy who said he would marry her. He instead ran away. Prisca was shattered. A child and no money, Prisca had no future. Prisca had only one hope remaining and she followed that path. She went to Jesus asking for forgiveness. Soon she enrolled back into school. When Prisca was not in school, she volunteered. She still volunteers her time talking to others about the dangers of pre-marital sex.
As Prisca completed her grade nine, she volunteered to teach lower grades at her church community school, a task she is still doing today. Prisca is finishing grade twelve this year and she plans to continue to study nursing after her exams. Prisca is now married and her husband Samson a God fearing man heads a community school that has six hundred children. Presently both are busy tutoring 30 grade seven students in preparation for their upcoming examination. They love to do it, and they do it for free because the children they tutor are orphans and vulnerable children who otherwise would not be in school if it were not for Prisca and Samson’s sacrifice. When you ask Prisca why she does this? She points you to Scripture that reads, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” “Dad that is wild,” said my son who likes to have the last word.
Lawrence Temfwe
