Kwacha Kum’mawa Magazine

I’m really privileged to work with Florence Zimba who is a key figure in Chipata. As a Pastor’s wife and busy mother, I’m not sure how she finds time to juggle her many roles which also include a counsellor, a spokesperson on women’s rights, and also Editor in Chief of Kwacha Kum’mawa. She’s not even in her 40s yet!

Kwacha Kum’mawa is a community magazine run by local Zambian volunteers and is the only Community Print Media organisation in the Eastern Province of Zambia.

The organisation, through it’s monthly newsletter, empowers young people and women on issues such as Human Rights, Gender, Entrepreneurship, Health and HIV/AIDS. Some of Kwacha’s projects last year involved training commercial sex workers on life skills and entrepreneurship, educating school children on HIV/AIDS and informing the community on other topics including Conservation Farming and Nutrition.

One of the challenges that Kwacha Kumawa faces is a lack of resources to keep its dedicated volunteer youth reporters. Florence finds that once volunteers are trained, many naturally leave to find a ‘proper job’ in order to earn a ‘proper’ income.

Also, the costs for running their small business of a photocopying and printing service, often climb so high that there are difficulties in paying for much needed maintenance of the machines, not to mention finding money for rent, allowances, as well as print costs.

When people think of media in Africa, they automatically think of radio and TV. Unlike in the West, there is not a traditional reading culture which means that organisation’s like Kwacha Kum’mawa struggle with donor support, as it’s thought that the more traditional way of reaching people, through broadcast media is the only way .

Beneficiaries of Kwacha though, dispute this theory. Feedback has shown that members of the Chipata community have gained access to information and knowledge in an easily accessible way. Some articles are even translated into the local language in order to reach more people.

I love Kwacha Kum’mawa, as the people are fun to work with and so hard-working. They do not receive a salary or allowances to sustain them, but they do what they do as they love to learn and empower others.

The drive and determination of Florence, who keeps the whole thing going is inspiring and when I see her in action, I really see how it’s African philanthropists who really have the answer to Africa’s future.