Barrington Chungulo

In honour of our late 6th Republican President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
May his memory live on in the lives he touched.

📍 Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, Ankara, Turkey

Kicked out of the university lecture
Subject: Legal studies.
First lecture.
The professor enters the lecture hall. He looks around.
"You there in the 8th row. Can you tell me your name?" he asks a student.
"My name is Sandra" says a voice.
The professor tells her, "Please leave my lecture hall. I don't want to see you in my lecture."
Everyone is quiet. The student is irritated, slowly packs her things and stands up.
"Faster please" she is asked.
She doesn't dare to say anything and leaves the lecture hall.
The professor keeps looking around.
The participants are scared.
"Why are there laws?" he asks the group.
All quiet. Everyone looks at the others.
"What are laws for?" he asks again.
"Social order" is heard from a row
A student says "To protect a person's personal rights."
Another says "So that you can rely on the state."
The professor is not satisfied.
"Justice" calls out a student.
The professor smiling. She has his attention.
"Thank you very much. Did I behave unfairly towards your classmate earlier?"
Everyone nods.
"Indeed I did. Why didn't anyone protest?
Why didn't any of you try to stop me?
Why didn't you want to prevent this injustice?" he asks.
Nobody answers.
"What you just learned you wouldn't have understood in 1,000 hours of lectures if you hadn't lived it. You didn't say anything just because you weren't affected yourself. This attitude speaks against you and against life. You think as long as it doesn't concern you, it's none of your business. I'm telling you, if you don't say anything today and don't bring about justice, then one day you too will experience injustice and no one will stand before you. Justice lives through us all. We have to fight for it."
“In life and at work, we often live next to each other instead of with each other. We console ourselves that the problems of others are none of our business. We go home and are glad that we were spared. But it's also about standing up for others. Every day an injustice happens in business, in sports or on the tram. Relying on someone to sort it out is not enough. It is our duty to be there for others. Speaking for others when they cannot.”
And now we see it in real life. If you think it won’t touch you, you’re mistaken. This moment will impact everyone regardless of tribe, age, gender, or socio-economic status. The question is, when will you notice and what side of history will you be on? Wake up!

Changemakers are individuals or groups who take initiative to create positive social, environmental, or economic change in their communities or the world. They identify problems, develop innovative solutions, and take action to make a lasting impact. Changemakers can be social entrepreneurs, activists, community leaders, policymakers, or anyone committed to driving meaningful transformation.

Some key characteristics of changemakers include:

* Visionary Thinking – They see opportunities for improvement and imagine a better future.
* Leadership – They inspire and mobilize others to take action.
* Resilience – They persist despite obstacles and setbacks.
* Innovativeness – They develop creative solutions to complex problems.
* Empathy – They deeply understand the needs of the people or communities they aim to serve.

Being ordinary is an easy choice.
Everyone can be ordinary if they want to.
You can be ordinary but still make some money to sustain you.

Social Entrepreneurship: Zambia's Untapped Million-Dollar Opportunity

There are 10 million social enterprises worldwide, generating $2 trillion annually and creating 200 million jobs across various sectors. Despite a $1.1 trillion external financing need, the sector is thriving, with half of these enterprises led by women. The social enterprise sector is now larger than both the apparel and advertising industries, emphasizing its growing significance (State of Social Enterprise 2024 - The World Economic Forum).

Social entrepreneurship is a trillion-dollar industry globally, yet in Zambia, we have barely scratched the surface in terms of investment and marketing. Despite their incredible work in addressing our society's most pressing challenges and driving social change, many social entrepreneurs in Zambia continue to struggle financially. This is a growing field with immense potential, and I firmly believe that with strategic marketing and proper investment, we could solve numerous social issues and transform the lives of countless young changemakers.

I foresee a time when schools, colleges, and universities across the country will be clamoring to incorporate social entrepreneurship into their curricula. Institutions will soon realize the immense value of this field and will proudly begin to invest heavily in it. A shift is coming—just as it has become trendy for everyone to aspire to be social media influencers or content creators, so too will social entrepreneurship become a sought-after path. This transformation is on the horizon, and it's happening faster than we might expect.

Take, for example, the pioneering work of Ilona, who launched her social enterprise in northwestern Zambia back in 2000. At a time when the region was reeling from the economic fallout of collapsing copper prices and mine closures, leading to widespread unemployment and malnutrition, she saw an opportunity. Ilona’s idea was simple yet revolutionary: reduce the cost of animal feeds, which were previously only affordable to large-scale chicken producers. By doing so, she created an entirely new market for small-scale chicken farmers, enriching the local economy, generating jobs, and combating malnutrition. Her enterprise, Zambia Feeds, stands as a testament to what is possible when social entrepreneurship is harnessed effectively.

Ilona's success showed us what could be achieved, and today, I echo her message: Now is the time to embrace social entrepreneurship. The next 5 to 10 years will see this field rise to prominence in Zambia, with young Zambian millionaires emerging from it. The impact investing wave is coming our way, and soon, social entrepreneurs and changemakers will begin to reap the financial rewards of their work.

This is our moment to step into social entrepreneurship. It’s now or never. The future of Zambia depends on the visionaries and changemakers of today, who will drive our nation toward sustainable growth and prosperity. Let’s seize this opportunity before it’s too late.

Eng. Barrington Chungulo, BBA, MA.
13.08.2024