Macha Works Zambia

Macha is one of the chiefdoms in Zambia's Southern province in Choma district. It is 72 kilometers away from the main town, which takes more then two hours driving on dirty, bumpy roads. Roads can become impassable, especially during the rainy season. The area around Macha is mainly occupied by the Tonga people. These people practice both arable and pastoral farming on small scale basis.

Up to 2004, basically Macha was regarded as an inferior place where nothing was expected to happen. Major activities only took place in the first part of the 20th century, at which time the Brethren In Christ Church established its mission station at Macha. In that period the church, the hospital, and a few schools were built. Also houses were build to house – mainly international – personnel at that time. After this initial period developments and consecutive progress scaled down to a mere trickle. Hope dwindled, and no further development was anticipated, although the community kept on longing for access to new facilities which could enhance their standard of living, fueled by information about developments in towns or world wide.

This all changed around 2004; then the face of Macha started changing drastically with lots of new developments started to be implemented. Apart from exiting developments at the hospital also fueled by the implementation of the Malaria Institute at Macha (MIAM), a number of wonderful community interventions have been planted since 2004, and they are flourishing! ICT has played the pivotal role as enabler and part of a holistic community empowerment approach. The huge impact can be deducted from these descriptions of activities and events.

Vision Community Radio Macha
Having a community radio station at Macha is a development affecting people's lives in a very direct way. Information dissemination is a prime need, as newspapers and other media can hardly be accessed in Macha or its surrounding chiefdoms, which often lye beyond the reach of electricity supply or passable roads.

Vision community radio Mach is the only radio station in Choma, Namwala, Kaloma and Itezhi-tezhi districts and its existence has brought hope to thousands of people in these rural areas. Being a development oriented community radio station responding to people's needs.

Internet Cafe, and LinkNet
The availability of Internet at Macha has been greatly appreciated by the local people. Before the introduction of Internet, Macha was far removed and virtually 'separated' from the rest of the world due lack of communication. There was no telephone coverage up to early 2007. But communication has been possible through Internet at all times.

Internet is being used by different people for different purposes. For example, teachers have benefited a lot from using Internet at Vision Community Center for it has made 'distant learning' possible and now they study and send school assignments to various universities around the globe . Internet has helped teachers  to search for information for their own studies, as previously there was no access to new information due to the location without libraries and and new information virtually non existent. At the same time, teachers are enjoying social interactions by having on line discussions with friends within and outside Zambia.

Internet has completely changed education at Macha because nowadays teachers in our area do research for new materials through Internet and interpret suitable material to pupils. They are also able to know what is happening around the world and then update their pupils on current affairs. Previously teachers only could use what was written in books, now new tools are available, boosting quality of education in Macha considerably.
Also, use of Internet has enhanced the knowledge of health workers at Macha. Now doctors and nurses participate in research. All doctors in Macha also do courses through the Internet, to keep up to date and to enhance their own skill set. All this helps to share knowledge with community health workers who do not (yet?) have access to Internet.

And farming has changed! Before Internet was introduced at Macha, farming has been according to the traditional methods only. People used  to grow maize year after year in the same area, which greatly contribute to poverty in the area. In 2005, new innovations due to the use of Internet were introduced, which, for instance, led to the introduction of sunflower growing.

And more! Actions to preserve African Culture are now viable at Macha. Macha Zambia chiefs have been interested and held regular meetings on how the rich culture that Africans have inherited from their ancestors could be preserved. This involves activities in design, fashion, music, dance, and history. During a recent Lwiindi ceremony, held at Chief Chikanta's palace in Kalomo District, eight Tonga chiefs expressed their desire “ .. that as Africans we should be proud of our unique culture. We  should cherish, promote and give light to its genuine traditions..”. Utilizing many free services on Internet, preservation of African culture at Macha has contributed to the progress that is taking place at Macha, because as Africans, we have our own way of doing which are unique in the world. Now culture preservation is being developed in both oral and written recording by means of using a video camera and MP3 digital recorder. Pictures are taken during traditional ceremonies, and in addition to the oral culture, we have also embarked on preserving our culture by documenting it. Now this information is being kept safe for the future generations to use. Preservation of African culture by publishing and keeping the information on Internet has enabled the Macha community to preserve and expose our culture to other parts of the world. And those who would like to learn from our rich culture can easily access it also. The is a big change for the better in our community.
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Crafts Shop
The introduction of Crafts Shop at Vision Community Center has led to creativity which leads to self-reliance among the the local people. A variety of  high quality and traditional locally made items are now displayed for sale in Macha. This has benefited the local people because after selling their items, they are able to earn  income and pay for their school going children. Before the craft shop came into existence, the local people did not have an outlet to sell their crafts. Creativity and self reliance were boosted. A progress has been highly appreciated by the local people at Macha.

Library
Until the creation of Vision Community Center - the innovation hub of Macha – there was no library in the area. A few classes of people had some books, mainly novels, but they were available for their own families only. For the majority of people, especially those at a distance from Macha, traditional means of communication were the only means of transferring any kind of information.
 
Now with the library, people have changed the way they used to communicate for the better and are now tuned to the habit of reading and writing because they have full access to a quality library. The library has greatly changed people's lives and helped them to become innovative thinkers because they are able to access reading materials and integrate information from different sources.

ABFA-MACHA Aerodrome, our airport
“I am very amazed to see the airplane landing in Macha,. We have dreamed dreams but never expect to really see an airplane landing on Macha soil. I even flew in the first flight and saw Macha from the air!” said senior headman Lupata during the official opening of “All Blessings From Above” Aerodrome (ABFA) on 24 September 2004. Its true, the  people in Macha did not expect an airplane to be landing. Both young and old people could only hear the sound but not even see an actual plane. Still, two years later, whenever an airplane lands, people from different places within and outside Macha run to see and touch the plane.

Local people have the unique chance to use the flight facilities offered at ABFA and use it to and fro Lusaka, Mukinge and other parts of the country. This availability has changed people's lives considerably. For example, from hearing the sound, then to touching a real plane, and then from touching to flying!

Macha Innovative Community School (MICS)
MICS brought lots of positive changes in rural education environment at Macha. Teachers from rural schools from near and far come and learn new methods of teaching. These methods are incorporated by using elements of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). For the first time in rural Macha, first grade children learn how to calculate mathematics using computers. This introduction of ICT at primary school level in a rural area was previously unheard of in Zambia.

Restaurant
The restaurant at Vision Community Center provides delicious meals. The restaurant is also used as an interaction place where people discuss various issues while having meals. For the first time a good area for innovative and social interaction was introduced.

Ubuntu Rural Building Activities
Ubuntu Campus has completely changed the way building is being done in Macha. The introduction of Hydroform blocks in Macha is stunning people. Innovative building methods are used, incorporating new building materials, and all this managed and implemented by people from Macha! People come from within and outside Macha to see these developments for the first time in their lives.

Also, for the first time ever, a wooden house has been built – in for four days! - after being shipped from overseas. The wooden house is locally known as Zisamu House and is providing accommodation for four families. Building in this manner, with this materials, and resulting facilities were not expected in Macha. Many people have difficulties believing it is a house made out of wood until they touch it.

Progress abound, over hundred jobs created: all this has indeed brought a positive change in people's lives.

Cars
Up to 2004, there were hardly people that owned cars in Macha. Nowadays, people even drive their children to school using their own cars – often bought through websites in Japan - which constitutes a major change for Macha.

Satellite Dishes
If I remember well, in 2004 only one family had a satellite dish. This dish was part of the inventory that the family brought back from studies abroad. At the end of 2007 virtually every house in Macha has a satellite dish, which must be over fifty houses. Even in areas without electricity these antennas for the pick up of TV-signals can now be found, with equipment being powered from car batteries that are charged by solar panels or 'in town'.

Income
These is more happening in Macha then can even be described in this posting. Before all these developments were implemented, people around Macha did not have hope that 'real income' would be flowing in their pockets. Macha Mission Hospital and the schools were the only sources of income. All this progress brought growth in economic activities and tapping of new markets. But now people are smiling because the majority of them are employed and have monthly salaries, well incorporated in the 'Bank of Relatio'. Through the income they get, among many other possibilities, they are now able to support their children up to high school level of education. This investment by the community in the next generation is the most exciting development of all.

Conclusion
Today, Macha has become a laboratory and center of experience where people experiment with many activities and succeed in life. The following developments have been a source of excitement: flow of information trough Internet, library, crafts shop, Vision Community Radio Macha, ABFA-MACHA Aerodrome, Macha Innovative Community School (MICS), Vision restaurant, Ubuntu Rural Building Activities introducing new building methods. There is improved health care and education. People bough personal cars, the economy has boosted. Satellite dishes are enabling local to enjoy continuous interaction with the rest of the world. Newly introduced Zisamu House at Macha is a miracle for people to see and touch, African culture is being preserved by publishing cultural information in video and audio formats, traditional cultural expressions are kept, e-learning is now possible in Macha, Internet led to innovations in farming.

People's lives have changed economically, socially, culturally, for the better. All these developments have been developed by the local people and they are highly appreciated, accepted and treasured by the people of Macha. Hope and purpose has been instilled in young people. Before young people only dreamed of having a 'standard job', but nowadays exposures led to some dreaming about becoming pilots, some like to become computer engineers, some like to become doctors, some would like to become innovative managers.