Scotch College

Can poverty be consigned to the history books?

(L–R) Paul Newnham (World Vision Australia), Gordon Donaldson (Principal), Martin Silutongwe (National Director World Vision Zambia), Chikondi Phiri (Operations Manager World Vision Zambia), Mark Williams (staff) and Heather Hardie (staff)

(L–R) Tim Shearer (Executive Director, OSCA), Ross Congleton (Bursar), Godfrey Simasiku (Ambassador Embassy of the Republic of Zambia), Samuel Nkhoma (First Secretary Embassy of the Republic of Zambia) and Dr Alan Watkinson (Director of Development)

William Wilberforce was a British politician who dared to suggest that slavery was not a natural condition. In May 1789 he confessed: ‘I feel the great importance of the subject and I think myself unequal to the task allotted to me’.

Nonetheless, Wilberforce campaigned against the British slave trade for almost 20 years until its abolition in March 1807. From there, Wilberforce rallied for the liberation of all slaves in the British Empire and died one month before this dream was realised, when the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in July 1833.

The rest of Europe soon followed Britain’s lead in outlawing slavery and the Royal Navy was effective in suppressing Atlantic and Indian Ocean slave trades to the point of their collapse. By the twentieth century, slavery was all but consigned to the pages of history.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African lawyer who dared to suggest that apartheid was not a natural condition. In 1952 he became the African National Congress deputy vice-president, advocating non-violent opposition to racial inequality.

After a group of peaceful demonstrators was massacred in 1960, Mandela became involved in the planning of underground armed resistance activities, which led to his arrest. He was tried and convicted of sabotage in 1964 and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. While in prison, Mandela became the face of the global anti-apartheid campaign. In 1990, after serving 26 years in prison, Nelson Mandela was released. He was later inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president after the April election of 1994, in which apartheid was consigned to the pages of history.

Paul David Hewson, aka Bono Vox, is an Irish rock star who dared to suggest that poverty is not a natural condition. In May 2004 he acknowledged: ‘It’s an amazing thing to think that ours is the first generation in history that really can end extreme poverty, the kind that means a child dies for lack of food in its belly. That should be seen as the most incredible, historic opportunity.’

For years Bono has championed the cause of those who cannot represent themselves by reawakening public conscience through the Band Aid and Live Aid concerts; advising influential political leaders such as Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Jacques Chirac; and working ‘in the field’ with aid agency Debt Aids Trade Africa.

His three-pronged assault on poverty has seen him grow into an unofficial ambassador for poverty-stricken Africa. The Make Poverty History campaign continues to gather momentum. Millennium Development Goals have been set. G8 leaders have promised debt cancellation and fairer trade with developing countries. Isn’t it time poverty was consigned to the pages of history?

Scotch College is an Australian school that dares to suggest that its past and present students, parents and staff can make a genuine difference in Africa. Prompted into action by the very tsunami to which Bono refers, Scotch College, in partnership with World Vision, launched the Kapumfi Project in August 2005. The $153,000 three-year fundraising target, which will fund the construction of a fully furnished school for the Kopa community in Zambia, now looks achievable within a 12-month period.

At the beginning of the 2006 school year less than $20,000 still had to be raised. Year 12 Kapumfi advocate Will Emmett relaunched the Kapumfi Project in the Memorial Hall on Wednesday 1 February, exactly six months after Rev. Tim Costello officially launched the project.

Will outlined a number of innovative fundraising initiatives, including the sale of Kapumfi wristbands made in the colours of the Zambian national flag, and the opportunity for students to donate their tuckshop change through collection buckets at the tills. He urged students to continue their support of the project and to make sure the last $20,000 was not the hardest part of the fundraising effort.

Junior School families have been offered the opportunity to directly sponsor Kapumfi students so that ongoing support can be established beyond the World Vision School to School Program. A study tour to Zambia and the Kapumfi Community School is also planned for up to eight senior students in September 2006.

William Wilberforce faced the seemingly insurmountable challenge of abolishing slavery. He succeeded. Nelson Mandela faced the seemingly insurmountable challenge of overhauling apartheid. He succeeded. Bono suggests that our generation now faces the seemingly insurmountable challenge to Make Poverty History. Will we succeed?

Mark Williams Co-Teacher-in-Charge, Kapumfi Project