A Challenge to Zambians Abroad

Everywhere you go in the world today you will find Zambians that are, in some cases, doing extremely well. I visited a website recently called Mwape.com which is done by one of our very own Zambians who is in the US. He has a list of very educated Zambians that are working all over the world.

As I read the list I was absolutely amazed at the level of genius and achievement we have as a country. There was a diversity of people from a highly successful businessman in China to professors in universities and prestigious organisations all over the world.

Well, I started thinking “that’s great, I am happy for their personal achievements and success and undoubtedly they have worked very hard to be where they are.” But the question that then came to mind was – “what difference has their success made to us as a country?”

Unfortunately I found myself struggling to find even a few good examples of that difference. So in the end I had to conclude that they have probably not made as big a difference as they are capable of making.

So I am posing a challenge today to those Zambians that are outside the country and doing well. What are you doing to help change Zambia?

Let me give you an example of what I mean. Dr. Munanga Mwandila, a close friend of mine, is currently working in New Zealand. Now he is doing well and could have just sat back and enjoyed his success as so many people do. But he saw the needs he had left back home in Zambia and helped to start a project called “The Mutima Project.” This project aims to bring expertise from New Zealand to perform free cardiac operations on people that need them in Zambia, but can’t afford them. Over the next few years they aim to perform many heart operations.

So here is a Zambian who is abroad, but is making a difference to the lives of so many disadvantaged Zambians.

I know many of those outside the country probably left because they were unhappy with conditions in the country. But after leaving, is that all you are going to do? Are you not going to help change those very conditions you were unhappy about?

Quite often when people go out of the country they will complain about how bad things are back home. Well, in my view, if you are not doing something to change things then you probably have little right to complain in the first place. Why? Well, because in a sense, if you are not doing something about it you are basically abandoning the country and hoping things will somehow sort themselves out. In my view, that may be even worse than the very politicians we criticise as having destroyed the country.

So I am shouting out to the professors, engineers, doctors, economists, lawyers, nurses, teachers and the like that are doing well outside of Zambia. Let your expertise, experience and knowledge make a difference to us as a country. Help us to come up with solutions to the challenges we face. Bring some of that knowledge and experience back home.

Now, by that I don’t mean that you have to be physically here. You can do it from where you are. I am not just talking about sending money home either as most people usually thinks. More than the money, it is your expertise and solutions that we need. Money is a part of it, but without it being channelled in the right places you might as well flush it down the toilet. Yes, it’s okay to help your own extended family as many are doing and that is commendable, but what about helping the bigger Zambian family?

So to Zambians out there - wherever you are and whatever you do, start something back home that will help others and that will help to make this country a better place. So you or your children can someday return home to a country you can be proud of.

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