Chipulukusu no more!

Agness telling story....

Agness, one of our new teachers at the Young Peace Maker's School in Chipulukusu, approached me during our last visit and said she lived near the school and wanted me to know what our group had done in the community.  I was, of course, eager to hear what she had to say!  When I encouraged her to continue, however, she said it was a long story so she would write it for me.  What a story it is!!! She was right -- it is a bit long, but definitely worth the read.  I'm sure the Kafwa played a significant part in bringing about this change.

I am Agness a teacher at Young Peace Makers Community School.  I would like to tell a story about Chipulukusu/Mapalo.

Chipulukusu is one of the biggest compounds in Ndola.  It was named after a while lady the wife of a contractor of baked bricks (pan bricks).  This lady was very huge, and was nick named Chipulukusu which means in Bemba “deformed” or “structureless.”

The compound was named Kwa Chipulukusu which means The Place of a Deformed Woman or Structureless woman.  She was mocked by this name Chipulukusu.

In recent years you can find the remaining of these baked bricks at the end of this compound.  The compound was very small build out of sticks and mud, broken bricks, thatched roofs and old pieces of drums and old pieces of iron sheets, plastics, and boards.

The compound started growing because people who could not manage their living in townships started coming to build their houses here because it was a very lowest cost of living.  The compound continued growing with large population.  There was a lot of bad things happening in this compound because of much poverty [which] brought murder, stealing in towns even in other townships and compounds, beating and killing people, prostitution within and outside, drunkenness, witchcraft, etc.

Different kinds of diseases were spread from this compound like gonorrhea, syphilis, cholera, herpes, and HIV/AIDS.  People were not friendly.  They were harsh, impolite, rebellious, stubborn.  Just looking at him or her you receive insults.

Boys and men go in town to steal from passengers, grabbing beating those who try to stop them, searching pockets, house breakers an shop breakers and shop lifters were mostly coming from this compound and popularly know as “dark city,”

Girls and women would go in other townships and steal husband and bring them in Chipulukusu.  Men of all kind low and high racks could come to these prostitutes and stay in mud houses.  The stories are well known in magazines and newspapers.  The compound was scaring [sic], there was no peace only troubles.  Children never used to go to school only few who could manage to travel to long distances.  Many had very little knowledge about school; they said it was a waste of time.  The children were so stubborn rebellious and ended up being robbers and dangerous criminals.

People earned their living by stealing, searching pockets, and property grabbing and killing people.  They killed innocent people who tried to bring development like whites.  They used to quarrel and fight.

In recent years as Chipulukusu continued to grow, many people are flowing to come and stay because of some changes that have taken place like bad things diminishing, developments of community schools by white people from foreign countries.  The council giving plots for new block houses, roads being constructed, a clinic and a police post, neighborhood watch, two government schools, churches and other organizations like Home Basic Care.

At last there’s peace in Chipulukusu.  Children who cannot afford to go to government schools are learning in community schools and they are doing better than those at government schools.

People are doing businesses, building good houses from thatched houses, others are finding jobs, everyone is looking for something to do in order to earn their living and bring development and peace in [the] neighborhood.

It used to be called “dark city” now there’s electricity.  It used to be called “Chipulukusu” deformed, now it’s being called “Mapalo” meaning “Blessings.”  Thus bad things are being demolished and good things are coming up.