By JOWIT SALUSEKI – SOME people may call it garbage or waste materials, but for the pupils at Chipata , Chingwele and Chibolya Primary Schools, collecting Blue Band Margarine lids,  was one challenge that had to be conquered by all means in order to win prizes for their schools and themselves.
For instance, Thomas Mwansa of Ng’ombe Primary School collected 995 lids, Daniel Njobvu of Emmasdale Primary School collected 5,287, while Susan Kasawa a teacher of Kamwala Primary school together with her pupils managed to gather 8,684 lids.
To many of these pupils who come from the less privileged homes, collecting of lids in order for them to win some prizes was like strategising on how to win a lottery.
Not to be deterred with their humble background, the lads whose parents could hardly support them with all the basic school requisites, took advantage of this golden opportunity to win school bags, exercise books, mathematical sets and a few sets of computers for their respective schools.
Chris Banda of Kamwala Primary who collected about 500 lids,  is one such example of the less fortunate learners who took advantage of this competition and  for him,  it paid off seeing that he wore a bright smile when he was presented with books, a school bag, a T-shirt , pens and other assortment of  items  he won in the competition.
In a bid to encourage nutritional benefits knowledge to school going pupils in the year 2014 and beyond, Blue Band Margarine, which is one of Zambia ‘s leading bread spreads from Unilever,  launched a lid collection programme dubbed ‘’ Blue Band Growth Challenge’’.
A total of 132,000 lids were collected by pupils from 80 schools last year, the very opportunity from which pupils from schools such as Chibolya, N’gombe, Lady Diana and Kamwala among others won money, school bags and other education accessories.
The campaign which as has been carried out in several countries where Unilever distributes Blue Band Margarine such as,  Kenya , Malawi, Mozambique,  Uganda and Nigeria among others,  reached its crescendo in Zambia when winners were finally awarded for their effort.
The first prizes of K10,000 per school was awarded to Chipata , Chingwele and Chibolya Primary Schools , while Lady Diana , Kalingalinga  and Kamwala Primary Schools, got K4,000 each.
Ng’ombe, Libala and Emmasdale Primary schools walked way with K2,500 and school requisites.
Speaking during the awards presentation to the schools  at an event that was held recently at Lusaka’s Olympic Development Centre (OYDC), Unilever Marketing Manager Mukumbi Kyalunsanza stated  that experts agree that children need essential fats and vitamins such as Vitamins A,D, E and B, Niacin and folic acids in soft fat medium that can contribute to their nutritional needs.
We launched the programme in September 2014 and our aim was and still,  is to encourage healthy growth amongst children by teaching them small things that matter. Our brand followed its customers in 80 primary schools around Lusaka educating them on the importance of good nutrition.
In order for the pupils to understand how growth works, they were expected to collect Blue band lids from homes and bring them to their schools to earn points’’, says Mr Kyalusanza.
He adds that most people do not understand the nutritional value derived from Blue band margarine.
Blue band is one of the most preferred brands in Zambia for either spreading on bread, cooking and baking because it is not only tasty but also provides the much needed nutrients to the human body  for both the young and old.
We know that most people do not understand the nutritional value that is derived from the spread and this is why the Blue Band Growth Challenge was introduced -to educate and reward pupils’’, explains Mr Kyalusanza.
Unilever National Capacity Building Manager Sandy Mumala noted that the Growth Challenge fits in with the firm’s Sustainable Living Plan (SLP) which was about creating a brighter future for communities around the world.
Officiating at the same event, Lusaka District Commissioner Davison Mulenga said indigenous games play a valuable and significant role in mental progression and growth, as well as in social development of society from childhood to adult hood.
These games provides as avenues for information sharing, knowledge preservation, discipline, and value assimilation and integration.
Our forefathers held such games in very high esteem as they were treated as learning centres for society’’, explains Captain Mulenga.
Captain Mulenga believes each game had a significant meaning and was appropriately allocated at each stage of growth.
For example games such as ‘Kupangamunzi or ‘Visani’ were used to teach young girls and boys how to prepare food, looking after their spouses as well as how to look after a family responsibly.
Another example is that of ‘Chiliogogo’ and ‘Insolo’ which were used to teach people how to count as well as,  the importance of knowledge acquisition and sharing for the benefit of the community’’, adds Captain Mulenga.
He implored the local authority to re-introduce the community welfare centres which would provide recreation spaces for the youths who often resort to bad practices such as alcohol consumption, pre marital sex and other vices due to lack of suitable recreation facilities.
Similarly, in Nigeria just like in Zambia, over 400 government and private primary schools in Lagos and Enugu States, were targeted as children aged from Six  years and above,  took part in the Blue Band lid collection competition.
Key activities which took place in the West African country’s schools included nutrition education programmes, taking height measurements and assessing cumulative growth in the children.
There were also an arts competition during which period the kids brought out their creativity through drawing or painting on the nutrition and growth theme with the top three Schools and the students whose painting or drawing represented their schools won fantastic prizes.
Only time will tell if the lids collection competition embarked upon by Unilever, would one day help revive traditional sports in this era where new technological advancements has seemingly replaced conventional games.