By
Andrew Mulenga
On
paper, Kanyama is a bustling urban constituency, complete with an honourable --
as they like to be called -- Member of Parliament from the ruling Patriotic
Front in the name of Colonel Gerry Chanda who is also one of two Home Affairs
Deputy Ministers alongside Colonel Panji Kaunda – yes as if one was not enough.
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| The centre needs about K20,000 (approx. US$ 2,800) to complete this classroom which will cater for 75 art students |
But in
reality, Kanyama is one of Lusaka’s largest shanty towns which also encompasses
the infamous Chibolya, the city’s most notorious slum, a crime and drugs haven.
It has inadequate sanitation, has floods every rainy season and has
insufficient schools even though more than half of its 366,170 population were
below the age of 18 according to the last census in 2010.
Because of
the latter, Kanyama-based artist Albert Kata, 53, took it upon himself to
establish the Kanyama Art Centre which in its own way has been keeping children
off drugs, off the streets and generally away from mischief. Situated within
the premises of the Kanyama Youth Training Centre along Los Angeles Road near
City Market the informal art school has served as a drop-in centre and
youngsters are never turned away regardless of them having no artistic talent
at all.
“I
started it in 1996, it’s registered with the National Arts Council as an institution
that is teaching young ones. When I just started it was difficult because the
management at the Youth Centre did not allow me certain things because I’m Rasta,
I don’t know what people think when they look at Rastafarians,” explains the
self-taught artist who personally imparts his artistic skills and not
Rastafarian ideology on children of all ages.
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| Kunda Simwanza, 15, of Chibolya Community School working on a miniature sculpture |
He
conducts the lessons free of charge and currently has about 75 students separated
into three groups, they come not only from Kanyama and Chibolya but also from John
Laing and Misisi compounds. Kata has no specialised equipment but tries to
supply the children with the most basic art materials such as paper and crayons
which he purchases from his own earnings, money made from the art that he sells
through galleries and to his own collectors.
“I will
not lie it’s a challenge and I think this year for some reason it’s our hardest
year, I don’t know why. At some point we had some Danish volunteers who were
funding the Kanyama Youth Programme Trust, we were not a part of the programme,
but the Danes ordered management to support us whenever they could because they
were passionate about art,” he says “Then more children started coming in numbers
so I started teaching them, then after the Danish volunteers left, some
volunteers from Finland started helping the programme, but it always depends on
how much the volunteers love art, at times they will support by giving you a
small grant or by buying my work then I put the money back into the art
centre”.
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| An anatomically correct miniature sculpture by Kunda Sikazwe |
He complains
that the only proper funding he has received was in 2,000, from Kepa Zambia, a Finnish
Partnership Ngo Programme that awarded him money to teach children uninterrupted
for three months.
“At the
moment, like I said, I won’t lie, things are a bit stuck, so far there are so
many children coming, at times when they are chased from the gate by the guards
they jump the fence so that they can attend art classes,” he explains.
Kata has
been using the Youth Programme’s hall facility when it is free but most of the
times his students have to work outside. A few years ago he was able to build a
classroom but it remains incomplete, it needs roofing as well as a door and
window frame. All out of ideas, he is directly appealing to roofing companies
such as Malata Roofing Limited, ClassEcon Roofing Africa or Safintra for
assistance. At the moment he is not really concerned with equipment as it can
be costly, but he would appreciate any well-wishers that can provide power
tools for his sculpture class or a steady donation of cement from Lafarge perhaps
so that he can use it to teach his students how to cast flower pots and garden
decorations for sale. He estimates the classroom only needs about K20, 000 (approx. US$ 2,800) to
be completed.
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| A student shows off a miniature of Zambia's first president Dr Kenneth Kaunda |
“I really
need support, even from government. If maybe someone can also help me create a
curriculum because right now my students don’t graduate with a certificate,
only a skill. At times when I see a student has stopped coming I know that they
are ready and I am happy when I meet them elsewhere doing maybe a sign-writing
job”, he adds.
And Kunda
Simwanza, 15, says he is always at the centre because he feels at home and it
also keeps him from joining thugs. On average, children his age are in
secondary school doing their Grade 9, 10 or even 11, Kunda, however, is in Grade
6 at Chibolya Community School, slightly over-aged as is the case with many
shanty town children as their education is often interrupted because of the lack
of school supplies. In fact it is not just the passion for art and the desire
to keep away from vices that prompted him to join Kata’s students, but also wish
to develop his skill to a money making level that can help support him through
school. The up-coming artist is quite skilful too, during a visit to the
centre, he was found creating miniature, paper Mache sculptures. With proper
support there is no telling where the talented youngster may end up.
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| The students are trained to make garden sculptures such as this one |
Nevertheless,
it can be argued that what Kata is doing for his community is more than what
any chauffer driven, elected Member of Parliament is doing for their
constituencies with regards youth empowerment or development. There is no need
to even dwell on substantiating these claims because it is common knowledge
that MPs hardly ever visit their constituencies between elections.
Also,
Kata is perhaps doing more for the development of the arts than what the entire
Ministry of Tourism and Arts has done ever since it was streamlined as an
entity by late president Michael Sata.
This
brings to mind the remarks of outspoken Chingola art promoter and stage actor Ackson
Tembo’s in the April edition of his electronic newsletter Abetartsnews. Tembo, considerately asks how the arts in general
have benefited from the streamlining of the ministry.
“The big
question that needs an honest answer is whether the creation of the Ministry of
Tourism and Arts two years ago has really boosted the development of the arts
in Zambia. Or the other way of putting it is to ask what the creation of the
Ministry of Tourism and Arts has so far done to the development of the arts in
Zambia?” he asks “You see each artiste has this big task of answering this
question according to what they have seen or not seen. This is where perhaps it
would be a good thing if we could get an official brief down from those in the
corridors of power as to what has gone on – lest we under state what has
happened or what has been done since.”
Well to
answer, Tembo’s question, one does not have to be innocuous about it, there is
no need to use any hyphenated euphemisms, and the ministry should just be told
to its face that it has done absolutely nothing in the two years of its
existence. Why pretend, the ministry has not done anything, period. If at all
it has, not even the slightest ripple has emerged on the surface of the
collective arts scene or the creative industry. Unfortunately the arts are
still not seen as a possible means for job creation and poverty alleviation. Therefore
individuals making efforts such as Kata’s do not even know where to go, as
those who are duty-bound to support them are constantly engaged in ceaseless bi-election
campaigns when they are not mudslinging against rival political parties, which
appears to be their daily occupation – not the running of ministries.
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| Kanyama Art Centre founder Albert Kata |
There
are also suggestions by some including Tembo that having a separate Permanent
Secretary in the ministry specifically for the arts may help. But in reality
this will mean the purchase of two new landcruisers among other amenities for
the personal use of a PS who is likely to have no idea or interest in helping develop
the arts. This PS like many others, might as well be picked from a cadre of
slogan hurling jobseekers. So, no, another PS may not be the solution,
enlightening the present one on the developing the arts as a responsibility
would be the way to go.
Here
again one is tempted to reflect on the words of budding Chingola actress Memory
Kasweshi concerning her views on the new ministry in an interview with Abetartsnews.
“It is a
positive move in the right direction, but I am yet to see what it will put on the
table for artistes. My prayer is that it shouldn't be coined to be just the
"Ministry of Victoria Falls". But one that will bring sanity to the
arts,” stated Kasweshi.
Well, Kasweshi
may be on to something here, it might as well be called the “Ministry of
Victoria Falls”, the purveyors Zambian tourism, particularly the Zambia
National Tourism Board see nothing beyond the smoke that thunders at the
Victoria Falls, equally the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, sees nothing beyond
tourism.
Anyway,
we can only hope that individuals like Kata that are providing oases in their
fields and communities whether they get help from those whose job it is to
empower the country’s citizenry, continue with the good work. After all, there
is no telling when oases such as Kanyama Art Centre will ever be watered,
especially by a government body, because lack of political will towards the
arts is hardly a PF predicament. It is very likely that the state of the
artiste will never improve, regardless of whichever political party will be in
power in the near or even distant future.
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