Written by Dorothy Mwambazi- Chilambe
A story about hard work, perseverance and a longing to be educated.
Kwalombota is a 20 year old young man who was born and raised in Lutende community in Mongu, Zambia. He was raised by a single mother who depended on small scale vegetable gardening to support him and younger siblings. Life was hard growing up, but his mother was determined to do all she could to care for her children and ensure they received an education which she did not get the opportunity to have..
Lutende in the past did not have a primary or secondary school and many children had to walk long distances to get to school. This resulted in poor school attendance and poor school completion rates. However, Zambia Works saw the importance of having a local school in the community as one of the major approaches for poverty alleviation in the future generation of Lutende. Hence, Zambia Works constructed Lutende Primary school which in addition to grades 1 to 7, also features an early childhood learning section
Kwalombota was very pleased like many others in the community about having a local school he could attend. He started school at Lutende Primary when he was 7 years old and completed his secondary at the same school in 2023, which now hosts a secondary section as well. Kwalombota’s 3 younger siblings all now attend Lutende Primary School and are receiving an education with hopes of completing school, just like their older brother.
Through hard work and determination at school, Kwalombota was able to pass his grade 12 examinations with 7 points in his best 5 subjects, something that is very rare in schools in rural communities. He attributes his success to three things. The first is inspiration from his mothers’ hard work, who even as a single mother with many challenges, provided his basic needs. The second was his mathematics teacher who served as his mentor and encouraged him to study well, not only in mathematics but all the other subjects. His teacher showed him his personal high school results and university degree to inspire him and encourage him that it is possible for him to also get higher education even with a rural background. The third was his desire to become a medical doctor one day, a dream he is eager to realise after just getting accepted into medical school at the Copperbelt University in Kitwe, Zambia.
Kwalombota’s story is a keen reminder on why we do what we do. His story is a testimony of the possibilities of a brighter future generation of Lutende that is educated and can in time help develop their community. In his own words, “I want the community to look at me as a testimony. I want the children coming behind me to be inspired by me so that they can point that the person they were playing with has gone to the university. They should also know that education is an equalizer because when I complete my tertiary education, I will be working. For this reason, they will also be inspired and happy. They can also work hard so they can be like me.” We look forward to seeing the bright future that is ahead of Kwalombota and other youths of Lutende who choose hard work, perseverance and education.
