He is popularly known as ‘Mumbwa-Mumbwa’ or the boy from
Nangoma.
You probably know him as a journalist but us who are closer
to him know him as a proud Mumbwa villager.
Paul Shalala is so proud of his village that whenever he visits
it in his native Mumbwa District, he never comes back without uploading a photo
of himself eating lusala or eating mango with his ageing father.
Some have been making fun of his once ‘backward’ Mumbwa but
the young man does not shy away from revealing his love for his childhood.
“I was born in Lusaka, raised in Nangoma area of Mumbwa
District, educated in Mumbwa, working in Kitwe and I know one day I will be
buried in Mumbwa. That’s my home and I know no other home than Mumbwa,” said
Paul in a telephone interview from Syracuse University in New York where he is
studying Public Management as part of US President Barack Obama’s Mandela Washington
Fellowship.
At a time when most youths brag about ‘living’ in Kabulonga,
Ibex Hill or Woodlands, Paul is always talking about his Lubanze village.
What is so unique about Nangoma?
“Nangoma is an area in Mumbwa which consists of over 500
villages which form almost half of the Chiefdom for Senior Chief Shakumbila of
the Sala people. I grew up in Lubanze Village. That’s my homeland. I love that
area and I visit it very often.”
“As a family, we have a lot of land. We do agriculture and
own houses. My parents moved from Lusaka to that area in 1967 and since then
they had been moving from one school to the other until they finally settled in
Lubanze and retired there. “
“My father taught at over five schools across Nangoma. My
mother did the same too and currently she is in the board for Nangoma Mission
Hospital. Shalala is a household name there. Actually my elder brother Louis is
contesting as Mumbwa District Council Chairman under the Patriotic Front.”
Asked about his own contribution to his village, Paul smiled
before opening up saying he even owns a registered transport company for
minibuses called Nangoma Transport.
He says he had been a Youth leader for the SDA Church in
Mumbwa and worked a lot with youths thatside.
“I spent over five years from 2008 to 2013 leading and
training Adventist Youths in Mumbwa as a whole: covering Kabile, Mumbwa,
Nangoma, Keezwa, Lutale and other areas. Currently, I sponsor an annual
Independence Football tournament called Shakumbila Cup which is named after
Senior Chief Shakambila and is held at his Chisalu Palace in Kakombo area. This
tournament is for all the village teams in Nangoma. I also sponsor and buy balls,
boots and jerseys for two amateur football teams in Nangoma called Manchester United and Kakombo
Boys. Nangoma is my home and I cannot forget where I come from.”
Despite being born in the capital city, Paul never boasts of
being a town boy.
His obsession for Mumbwa is surprising.
On Thursday last week, he and 41 other Zambian youths left
for the United States to be part of the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship.
The 42 youths were selected by the US State Department to be
part of the 1,000 young Africans who are currently spread across the US
attending training at various American universities in public management,
energy, civic leadership and business and entrepreneurship.
Paul is studying Public Management at Syracuse University’s
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with 24 other youths from
other African countries.
“I never ever dreamt of one day stepping into an American
university and be taught by a Professor. It’s a humbling experience and I thank
President Barack Obama for this once in a lifetime opportunity. I applied for
this opportunity in 2013 and 2014 but I didn’t make it. I never gave up and for
sure the following year I applied and here iam………,” he said.
Paul says he is already inspired by the composition of the
fellows he has seen so far.
“We have a young politician from South Africa who is part of
our class. He is the youngest elected Councillor in his country, having won a
ward in Johannesburg at the age of 22 in 2012. I have also seen a South Sudanese
and a Nigerian fellow who are both blind but are doing wonders back home.”
And with the coming of the Presidential Summit in
Washington, DC which will climax with President Obama addressing all the 1,000
fellows during a town hall meeting in August, Paul says it will be an emotional
thing for him to see Obama.
“I grew up in the George W. H. Bush days and I know every US
President since then,by name. Obama will
be a special one because I will see him face to face and probably greet him. I
cannot wait to get a selfie with him…….,” said Paul before bursting into
laughter.
And when asked about his future prospects after coming back
home, Paul says he has major plans for ZNBC and the media.
“With the help of my employer ZNBC, I plan to help set up
desks for specialisation in the newsroom. Am learning how American newsrooms
operate with specialised reporters in each desk. We can replicate that back
home. We will be touring several media institutions and meet opinion leaders
who can help me in that area.
“Secondly, with the help of other 2016 Mandela Washington
Fellows, we plan to start training young reporters and school going children in
basics of journalism. Our plan is to cover at least five provinces and spread
the best practices of this noble profession to future media personalities.”
Paul is expected back home in August, a few days before
Zambia gooes to the polls and he says: “Am coming to vote and I hope my 1 vote
will add to someone’s 50 percent…...”
Note: This story was originally published by Zambia's largest online newspaper Mwebantu on June 20, 2016. It has been reproduced with permission
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