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Henry Mumbi (DJ Shimpundu), Mrs Esnat Avon (Contesa Charity), Andella Mathews (Miss Zambia UK) & Remo Buka (Zambia Music TV) at UKZAMBIANS Excellence Awards 2011
1. Tell us briefly about your family background?
I was born in Kabwe, Zambia in 1945. My parents were working for the Mines and left in 1949 and started a business as a baker and grocer at the Chewa Native Authority west of Chipata at Chiparamba in Eastern province. My father was killed in a car accident when I was 16 and my mum was killed a year later. I still have a sister, brother and many cousins and nieces still living in Zambia. Have been married to Roger for 40 years. We have 2 daughters and 3 sons and are now grandparents to 3 boys and 3 girls. Roger and I left Zambia in 1976 and came to UK but left for Hong Kong in 1977 where Roger worked for the Hong Kong Government and I freelanced as an accountant for expatriate companies. I left Hong Kong in 1997 to look after our son, Paul, who developed mental health problems. Roger finally retired in 2003 and came to join me in Dorset near Bournemouth.
2. Before you got involved in Charity work, what did you do?
Before I left Zambia I worked for the Lusaka City Council where I met Roger. I worked for a short time at the Broken Hill Mines and then worked for University of Zambia where I was Asst. Chief Accountant until 1976 when we left Zambia. In Hong Kong I was involved in church activities and was a Church Steward. But mostly I was working and running the accounting and an employment agency for secretaries. When I left Hong Kong I mainly concentrated on helping my son to get proper treatment and also wrote children’s books “The Adventures of Bongwe” which unfortunately have not yet found a publisher. This was a tough time and I believe it is this time that I did a lot of soul searching and reflected on my life asking questions like what next?
3. When and why did you start Contesa Charity?
It is difficult to pinpoint one particular reason why I started CONTESA. It is a combination of things and events that eventually made me feel so bad that I had to react and do something about. During 1994 to 1997 when I visited Zambia I saw so much suffering of children. I avoided going into streets in Lusaka as I could not bear seeing so many children wandering about with parched lips, dirty and torn clothes and sores all over their bodies and yet adults passed them by without even a hint of their existence. I started feeling how unfair this world was and then I felt that even though it was such a big problem I had to start something to help at least a few of them.
4. Tell us more about Contesa Charity and how it operates?
CONTESA is a limited not profit making company and a registered UK Charity No. 1109311. CONTESA ‘s mission is to help alleviate the suffering of AIDS orphans and disadvantaged children in Zambia through provision of shelter, food and primary education and training regardless of their background, religion or race., giving them sanctuary and hope with love compassion and respect. CONTESA wants to make a difference and aims to help the orphans by providing them with the basic necessities of life, food and shelter and then assist them to develop themselves through education and having a support structure in place for them, with the ultimate goal of making them productive members of the community. CONTESA is not registered in Zambia but instead works in partnership with local organisations which have similar vision and mission and CONTESA supports these organisations with feeding, education and home-based care programmes.
CONTESA’s values are to protect children’s rights and to alleviate social injustice and achieve sustainable results. CONTESAs key qualities are to be accountable, transparent, professional and to contribute and participate with enthusiasm and passion. CONTESA is a very personal charity which regularly visits and maintains personal relationships between Trustees, supporters and friends and the key project management and volunteers. CONTESA invites friends and supporters to visit projects and see for themselves how the money is spent. All monies donated to CONTESA go 100% to approved projects and programmes and none goes to administration costs, these are personally borne by the Trustees and the company sponsorship.
5. What has been some of your biggest challenges?
The biggest challenges have been seeing so many children still unsupported due to lack of funds. Our partners on the ground face many difficulties as prices of food commodities are always escalating and yet the numbers of children to be fed are increasing. Education has become a big challenge. Our Community schools go up to grade 9 and the children attending these schools do not need fees for tuition or uniforms but now we have children in grades 10-12 and have to go into Government schools where fees are required. We have 50 children being sponsored into Government schools at a cost of £130 per child per year. In January next year we will have over 100 children attending Government schools and obviously this is a big challenge indeed.
6. What motivates you?
My Christian values motivate me. What would Jesus have done if he lived with us today? Would he have walked by and gone on his way? No he gave us one example in the Bible of the Good Samaritan where several people passed by and did not help the victim of a robbery. But someone stopped and helped him and took care of him. This is what I feel is my duty to those orphans and all the children who are so much disadvantaged in this world. I do not want to stand by and walk away. I want to share what I have with them and to give them hope in their lives. We all need love and hope in our lives.
7. If you where a politician, what would be your priority in bettering the lives of orphans?
This is a very difficult question. There is so much poverty in Zambia today. However I would mobilise social services and make sure that the Government and all charities dealing with orphans pull together and work in partnership. I would also like to see that all small charities like CONTESA are given recognition by the Government and bureaucracy assists them rather than being another problem to resolve.
8. Apart from your charity work, are there any other things that keep you busy?
My family keep me busy. I love to see our grandchildren often as they have so much to offer. This means driving to see them. I feel I owe it to them to share some heritage and values which may have been missed by their parents. Housework also takes its own toll. I would like to more holidays and to visit friends but this has now become a luxury as Roger and I seem to do more administration for CONTESA. We set up CONTESA Hong Kong last year and I made two visits to Hong Kong last year to help set it up and to attend the inaugural Gala in November.
9. What is the quality you most admire in a person?
I admire a person who is hardworking, considerate, gentle, kind, generous with both their time and money and has empathy.
10. Who are your heroes/heroines and why?
Jesus is my big Hero. My grandparents who instilled great values in me and my father who steered my life into education and the future. Roger for being so understanding and encouraging. These are the people who have had great influence in my life.
11. What is your favourite meal?
My favourite meal is anything with fresh maize, stewed beans and peanuts as an appetiser.
12. Do you have a motto?
“From quiet homes and first beginning,
Out to undiscovered ends,
There’s nothing worth the wear of winning,
But laughter and the love of friends.
13. Lastly, your last word to young Zambians in United Kingdom.
Praise God always. Work hard, retain your values and never forget where you came from.
Please visit http://www.contesacharity.co.uk/ for more information.
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December 30, 2011 at 12:18 am
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