By BRIAN HATYOKA –
ON September 5, 2013, then Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkandu Luo launched the five-year Mukuni Chiefdom Strategic Development Plan.
The 2013-2017 Plan, covers areas of Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources, Livestock, Food Security, Infrastructure, Education, Health,  HIV/Aids, Empowerment of Women and Youth, Culture and Management, among others.
By and large, the Strategic Development Plan is a forward-looking road-map for the chiefdom’s future which will  guide the developmental aspirations of the people of Senior Chief Munokalya Mukuni’s area.
So far, the Plan has been implemented with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Support to the HIV/AIDS Response in Zambia (ShARe II) project.
USAID took a risk to invest in chiefdoms by pumping in  US$ 1 million through SHARe II project in the campaign against child marriages across the country.
Furthermore, the USAID is expected to invest  US$ 380, 000 to propagate peace and unity using female chiefs and wives of chiefs.
To-date, the impact of the ShARe II project in Mukuni Chiefdom is noticeable especially in the behavioral change among  the youth.
Senior Chief Mukuni said the ShARe II project had helped to improve the lives of local people in Mukuni Chiefdom and that, other chiefdoms were encouraged.
He said the project had helped to combat HIV/AIDS and mitigate other developmental challenges in the chiefdom.
“It is a pity that the ShARe II project is coming to an end. The Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional affairs came here and said, the case study is very promising and  want to roll it out to other chiefdoms,” Chief Mukuni said.

•US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz (middle) interacting with teachers and other members of the community in Mukuni Chiefdom in Kazungula District recently. Picture by BRIAN HATYOKA.

Traditional leaders had been trained on health matters and a lot of women had been screened for cervical cancer.
“A number of young men have also come for male circumcision though it is not our culture here to undergo circumcision.
“We have school drop-outs through pregnancies who have gone back to school.
The communities here have owned the programme and taken it upon themselves,” Senior Chief Mukuni said.
Noticeably, schools in Senior Chief Mukuni’s Chiefdom have recorded a reduction in teenage pregnancies mainly due to the promotion of education and behavioural change activities spearheaded under the ShARe II project.
Ng’andu Primary School head teacher Mundia Mubita said her school, which is in Mukuni Chiefdom, had nine children who were pregnant last year but it only recorded one pregnancy this year due to the promotion of education and behaviour change.
Ms Mubita said in an interview that two pupils, who were breastfeeding, had currently gone back to school to complete their education.
“We encourage parents to bring their children back to school so that they can  breast feed while attending lessons.
“I am very happy with the ShARe II project as my girls and boys are now doing fine. Some were smoking and drinking beer but  have since stopped engaging in such vices,” she said.
When Ms Mubita  joined Ng’andu Primary School in September 2014, she faced challenges with the whole school starting with immoral dressing among pupils as well as pupils’ disrespect for elderly people.
“I had a lot of homework to do and asked for help as the behaviour of pupils was unbecoming and uncalled for,  but I thank God now that things have changed,” she said.
Nsongwe Junior Secondary School head teacher Regis Makala said her School, which is also in Mukuni Chiefdom, had not recorded any pregnancy cases this year compared to last year when it had five cases.
Ms Makala  was impressed that community members and teachers,  were all supporting behavioural change among pupils.
“Previously, we had a lot of indiscipline by our learners but a lot of things have changed now.
The behaviour of the community is also becoming positive on education and on other issues that will  improve their lives,” Ms Makala said.
A grade 12 pupil at Mukuni Secondary School, Moses Mbao, said he was currently a reformed person following the counsel he received from the project.
“Three years ago, I used to be stubborn to my parents and other people. I almost stopped school.
But the ShARe project emphasised to us on how communities should live and I was told that education was key to success and hence,  I am now encouraged to continue with my education,” he said.
A teenager Maureen Malumo stopped school four years ago after she fell  pregnant but she has  now  continued with her education.
“When I met the teachers and people from the ShARe project, they encouraged me on my education.
I wish to thank teachers and the local community for what they did to my life,” Ms Malumo said.
Wife of Senior Chief Mukuni praised the USAID for promoting a behaviour change among young people in the chiefdom.
Ms Mukuni said the ShARe II project had largely helped young people to change the behaviour and adopt a positive culture as most of them were previously not serious with their education and well being.
She said the project had encouraged many school drop outs and other teenagers to go back to school.
“One thing we have really appreciated about the ShARe II project under USAID is that, it has helped to improve the community.
Most youngsters, who dropped out of school due to pregnancies, have gone back to school and  are doing very well In class,” Ms Mukuni said.
She said the Chiefdom was currently implementing a strategic plan for 2013 to 2017 which focuses on developmental projects.
“We have task forces in the areas of  health, tourism, education and agriculture to improve the well being of the local people.
United States Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz congratulated Senior Chief Mukuni for being a good traditional leader in the country.
Mr Schultz noted that Senior Chief Mukuni had been encouraging his people to shun traditional practices that had been hindering them from  embracing good health lifestyles such as,  going for circumcision and cancer screening.
He said United States had since 1953, provided more than US$3.5 billion to Zambia’s development much of it,  focused on education and health.
Mr Schultz said the support to Zambia’s health sector had been more than US $2 billion in just the last ten years, with the bulk of the funding focusing on Zambia’s national HIV response, through the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
He said the United States Government was providing US$ 500 million every year to Zambia in development assistance to support the country’s development agenda.
Mr Schultz said during his familiasation tour of Southern Province recently that, the component of the financial support to Zambia was spent on the health care in terms of improving on health delivery.
He said Zambia was becoming  a healthier country as the disease burden was clearly slowing down due to such support from USA.
“Zambia has enormous economic and tourist potential especially in the area of tourism. I always joke that any US ambassador to Zambia should have a medical degree because of many health programmes we are doing  in Zambia,” he said.
Mr Schultz said Zambia was one of the countries in Southern Africa which were likely to emerge as HIV/AIDS free in future.
He said he had been in Zambia for six months and was currently doing orientations on various projects.
“I have been to  the Copperbelt Province and I was in Choma on Tuesday where I participated in a vehicle handover ceremony. In Choma, PEPFA is supporting the Saving Mothers Giving Life initiative through the donation of three vehicles to the Southern Province Medical Office in an effort to further reduce mortality rates,” he said.
Mr Schultz said Zambia was on the right track health wise and the US Government was happy to work with the country to mitigate health challenges.
Southern Province Medical Officer Jelita Chinyonga thanked the ambassador and the US Government for supporting the country’s health sector.
“We are grateful and privileged for the financial support. Our office receives US$ 5 million per year which filters down to district and health centres.
“This is what has seen us improve on indicators.
The support has helped us to improve in the delivery of health services and the people of Southern Province are really happy,” Dr Chinyonga said.
Clearly, the support by the United States Government to Zambia’s developmental agenda is noticeable and bearing fruit in Mukuni Chiefdom as well as, Livingstone Central Hospital and other parts of the country.
It is only hoped that such assistance will continue to improve people’s lives.