Banji - The Girl Who Knew She Could Learn

Banji, whose full name is Princess Blessings Banji Mulumbu, is from a remote village in Zambia. She survived a perilous birth that resulted in severe cerebral palsy. No one expected her to survive, but her mother, Nophreen, was fiercely devoted and Banji managed to live and then thrive, even with cerebral palsy. She has always had a lively mind, and at six years old began to ask to go to school. After initial misgivings, she was accepted at a special boarding school in Monze, Zambia, paid for by Sister Agnes Daka, the head of the Mama Bakhita Cheshire Home. Despite her disability, which prevents her from even holding a pencil, all went well until eighth grade, when the principal feared that, because of her inability to write, Banji could not keep up with the increased workload. A donated computer solved the problem, and Banji graduated at the top of her class!

Her story is remarkable - click HERE to read her own account. With heroic assistance from her mother and friends she has continued to find a way to move forward with her education, sometimes with years between funding sources. There have also been many technical problems stemming from long, daily electrical outages which frequently prevented her from charging her laptop battery. She was completely dependent on her laptop for writing, and all of her notes, readings and papers were stored on it, so when it was not operable, learning was impossible. At times she really had to struggle, but she persevered.

Banji is currently enrolled in a 4 year degree program in Community Development at the Monze Community College (in conjunction with University of Zambia). Much of the time is spent learning remotely, but she must spend several weeks on campus. Her physical requirements to do that are daunting, and she will need a full-time caretaker. Despite that, her financial needs for this first leg of her education are modest, considering the circumstances. To fund the on-campus time she will need:

• TUITION: $605/year

• ACCOMODATIONS: $735/year

• TRANSPORTATION, FOOD, BOOKS: $500/year

• CARETAKER: $700/year

• TOTAL: $2,540/year

• OTHER EXPENSES: Laptop: $300, smart phone, $100

After she completes this 4 year degree, she plans to work for a few years to gain experience before going on to pursue a master's degree. Her heart’s desire is to become a civil rights lawyer to work on behalf of disabled people. This is a lot to aim for, but it is not her only goal. Full of passion and ideas, she dreams of starting a school for children with disabilities, and also an orphanage. Along the way she wants to study mediation and conflict resolution. I have known her since she was 9 years old, and have witnessed her amazing journey. She is one of the most intelligent, generous and determined young women I have ever met. The only thing holding her back is lack of funds. Even so, she continues to work towards a future that will bring about improved status for people with disabilities in Zambia.

The AACDP is seeking help to fund her education from any foundation, institution or individual who wants to see this smart, ambitious and idealistic young woman become a powerful force for a group of marginalized people whose potentials are too often ignored and dismissed.

Together we can find a way to make Banji's dream to study law come true. After that, I believe there will be no holding her back.

Report from the Communal Farm

I am thrilled to report that things are growing at the AACDP communal farm! The farm workers are busy transforming the raw land we purchased into food for the Mama Bakhita Community.

The farmers are almost all women who I have known for many years. Many are mothers of disabled children who attend the Mama Bakhita School and some are also Zambezi Doll makers. They have planted large plots of corn, soy and peanuts and because the rains have been good this year the plantings are all doing very well. This is deeply satisfying to the community, who have lately been unable to afford the high price of nshima, the maize flour that is the basis of their diet. No Zambian can imagine a meal without nshima, and now our community will be able to produce their own.

Charity Lunda says she likes leaving town to come out to the farm where it is much more peaceful, and the air is fresh. She is looking forward to spending more time there and would like to bring her daughter Deborah, who has cerebral palsy and attends the Mama Bakhita School. Many of the farm workers have children who would all love to be able to spend time at the farm, enjoying the countryside. Helping in the gardens or playing under a tree would be such a pleasant change from town life. Some of the children may also be able to learn new skills.

Next up: A used van

The land is 23 kilometers from town, too far to walk. The only way to get there now is to hire a car. The round trip costs from $25 to $50, too expensive to bring children. We will soon need a vehicle that can transport small groups out to the farm, carry equipment and eventually bring crops back to town. It is a large expense; a used van will cost about $6,000, plus maintenance and fuel costs.

The farmers are very encouraged by what has been accomplished so far. To quote Exhilda Kamonyo, a farm worker and the chairwoman of the Zambezi Doll makers, “This project is something that will change our lives and eventually sustain us. We will not only produce our own food but produce some to sell as well.”

Our sustainable future is blossoming! We are all elated with the progress that has been made. Water, seeds, a piece of earth, and hearts willing to work are making our dream come to life.

Organic vs. Chemical

For those interested in the nitty gritty, below are some notes about farming practices & sustainability.

Now that the initial crops of soy, corn & peanuts are thriving, the next step is to prepare the soil for vegetables. It must be fertilized soon, and Sydney Mwamba, the manager of AACDP in Zambia, feels that at this point we cannot afford to follow organic protocols. I argued that non-organic methods may be cheaper in the short run, but more expensive in regards to the long term health of the people and the land. He agrees, but is being realistic about what we can afford now.

To find a reasonable compromise that addresses both financial and health concerns, I reached out to a friend involved with Island Grown Initiative, an organic community farm near my home in Massachusetts. She sent me links to two very useful African farming projects with programs in Zambia:

• Women Who Farm Africa has a lively Facebook page that offers advice and contacts within Zambia.

• Grounded is a Zambian non profit organization that teaches regenerative farming. It was exciting to find so much information that is useful for us at their website.

I am confident that we can move in a direction that is healthy for the land and people. Sydney understands these objectives and will work some of them into a realistic plan for the future. He has assured me that food, vegetation and manure composting will be a growing part of the farm’s methods, especially as goat and/or chicken farming is instituted in the near future. It will all take time.

The AACDP community is so grateful for the donations which helped create these possibilities. Your partnership in the communal farm is vital!

Marsha Winsryg

Director, AACDP

Planting Crops in Our Own Soil

Planting the first crop

We are all affected by the pandemic. But can you imagine the toll it has taken in countries less well off than ours? In Zambia, the price of food has tripled, making it impossible to adequately feed families who had been just getting by before Covid. Among the hardest hit were folks like the AACDP community of families who have children with disabilities. We ran a food drive for three months in June, July and August of 2020 to provide at least some staples like corn meal, sweet potatoes, oil and dried fish.

Then our Zambian manager, Sydney Mwamba, came up with the brilliant idea that we start a campaign to buy land and create a communal farm that our small community can run themselves. This concept offers a real and sustainable solution to food insecurity for the years to come. It especially makes sense because these people come from villages that depend on growing crops for sustenance and income; they know how to farm and are very excited about the possibility of using their skills to secure their future.

Farmland has been found and bought, a well dug and a solar irrigation system installed. Tools were purchased and a cow brought to plow the field for the first crops of corn, soy beans and peanuts, (crops that do not need much attention once planted as long as they get enough water). The timing was perfect - the seeds can be sown just as the rainy season begins. When these first staple crops are in the ground, the women (almost all the workers are women, the mothers and grandmothers of the disabled children) will start to cultivate the plants and build fences for protection.

The farm is thirteen miles from Livingstone, so traveling there and back in a single day does not leave enough time to get much work done. A simple shelter has been built so that the small groups who come out to work can stay overnight. When they cannot be there, a neighbor acts as a caretaker, keeping their seeds safe and checking on the farm.

We can see that in the future a vehicle will be a great asset for transport to and from the land and for hauling materials but for now we are discussing other projects such as raising chickens, goats and fish farming, which all have potential to create income for further improvements. "Village chickens" (as farm-raised chickens are called) are prized because they really are much tastier than the ones in the grocery stores and so are a good source of income. But we are starting with goats. They are the cheapest to raise because they forage in the surrounding land, which cuts feed costs and helps cultivate the wild fields nearby.

We will build a goat shed like this

Sydney hopes that within a year we can raise several generations of animals that will bring in an estimated $1,000. For now we have allotted $900 to build a goat shed so that we can begin raising the animals as soon as possible.

Sustainability is the ultimate goal, and we are on the path toward achieving it. Seeing the energy surrounding the farm and its possibilities is truly wonderful. The bottom line is that now there are possibilities where none existed before, and these capable, competent women are determined to transform those possibilities into reality.

The AACDP community is so grateful for the donations which helped create these possibilities. Your partnership in the communal farm is vital!

Traditional Chicken Coops for "Village chickens"