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Office
of News and Information
November 29, 2004 |
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Zambian Vocal Group:
Godfrey Tembo is a product of this trying environment. Orphaned at the age of 9 he is the oldest of four. At the age of 11 he was forced to find work in order to help his grandmother feed his brother and sisters. He completed school through grade eight. Unbelievably through determination and perseverance, today he is here at The University of Texas at Tyler. Godfrey has completed his bachelor of science and is currently working toward a graduate degree in public administration. He wants to be the president of his nation, Zambia. Godfrey lives by his motto: “Great people are just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination.” When Godfrey and eight of his childhood friends were discovered by an American missionary in 1989, evidence of their once dismal existence began to have light. He and his friends had formed a boys’ choir, which later came to be known as the Zambian Vocal Group. With a sponsorship through Accelerated Christian Education the nine young men started their new life in America. The nonprofit organization is not supported by a church. Instead, funds are raised through private donations and musical performances. Accelerated Christian Education focuses on a self-paced general education program with a Christian focus. While in Africa none of the nine men were able to complete school past the eighth grade. Upon moving to the United States in 1993 Godfrey and the others saw the crucial role that education plays in our society. Now two of them have undergraduate degrees and are enrolled in master’s programs at UT Tyler, along with one sophomore and one junior. Since discovering the power of education Godfrey’s heart has never ceased to dream about educating the children of his country. Zambian Vocal Group is raising funds for the Make A Difference Project. There are an estimated 1 million Zambian orphans and the number is expected to double in the next 10 years. The AIDS epidemic is sweeping the nation and leaving these children with no hope. The singing group’s dream is to build a Christian community center that will serve the needs of scores of underprivileged children. Four years ago the Make a Difference Project built a facility in Kalingalinga that provides education for 112 underprivileged children in grades 1-7. Godfrey said, “hopefully by next summer we will be able to build an upper level to provide more classrooms and an upper classmen curriculum.” Asked about his vision for his community, Godfrey said, “The need in Zambia is never-ending. Due to the AIDS epidemic more and more children are being orphaned, leaving them behind with no hope and shattered dreams. Since my friends and I were once, too, in this same situation we can personally relate to them. Someone reached out and helped us and that is what we want to do for the children of our home. Through providing educational resources the kids will have a better daily life and a brighter future.” Members of the Zambian Vocal Group have risen above their unfortunate circumstances and become a blessing to the Nation of Zambia. Representing the Zambian children around the world, they have become true ambassadors of their country.
Contact person: Emily Battle, (903) 565-5604
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In Kalingalinga, Africa, the average combined family income is $50 a month and most jobs are a sweltering hour-and-a-half walk away. Mandatory fees add to the burden. These are some of the educational roadblocks children in the community are faced with. Underprivileged kids and orphans alike are not blessed with a free education system as we are in the United States.