Course Scenario

A seven year old daughter called Inonge in a family of seven enjoyed listening to her 45 year old Grand Pa – Mubita narrating stories of ancient past in their village called Kalenge located in a game management area that contained rubbles of stones and very rich soils in other parts. Each evening, this became an exciting part of her life. Ancient stories of lions, elephants, hyenas and rabbits were her favourite in this remote part of Zambia, where in her life time she had not seen a vehicle except for oxen drawn carts. One night Grand Pa Mubita was telling one of her favourite stories when a pride of lions attacked their cows and killed four animals. The following day, four villagers were sent to the nearest Boma about 10km from the village to lodge a complaint to the District Officials. The officials decided to travel to Kalenge and hunt the animals down.

The officials arrived in the village 5 days later and Inonge could not eat anything the day they arrived because she was frightened by this new animal on 4 wheels with a roar like that of a lion.

In the evening, the Grand Pa narrated a story of vehicles that he had traveled in when he was at the Boma and that vehicles did not eat people.

The hunt for the lions did NOT take long as the lions did not travel far from the village, and in fact the kill was so near to the village such that all villagers including Inonge walked to the scene to see the lion, whose so many stories she has heard from her Grand Pa. One of the killed lions had fallen on rubbles of stones, among which was one nice green coloured stone that Inonge picked from the site. Inonge took the stone to the Grand Pa and exclaimed Grand Pa see what I have picked.

Grand Pa Mubita was amazed to see such a stone and rushed to the officials for possible answers. One of the officials exclaimed that it looked like an “emerald” a stone he saw when he worked in Ndola rural forest. He said to the old man, if this is what I think it is Bo Mudala you are in money. I think Bo Mudala, these guys at the University of Zambia, in Lusaka a-a-a-a should be Geology Department could tell you more about this stone, its value and where you can sell it.

That very day, Inonge and the Grand Pa went back to the same place where the lion was killed and found several more small stones. Two days later, Grand Pa Mubita traveled to Lusaka and got in touch with the Geology Department who ascertained that the stones were actually emeralds of poor quality valued at US$2000. Mr. Mubita, the following day sold the stones for K8 million kwacha, which was so much money that he has never seen in his all life of 45 years. He was encouraged and determined to find out more about emeralds and other stones as well as the possibility of mining the Lion Emerald Site back at his village. He decided to go back to the Geology Department for more information.

The Department indicated that there was already a course for people like him, with the knowledge of English Language and that he also comes from a Boma with an Internet Café nearby. With the money he had raised he could pay for the course, and with a little more money the experts could visit his Lion Emerald Site. However, depending on your dedication to this course, at the end of it you will be able to do all the basic things by yourself. The good thing is that Inonge too, as soon as she is able to read and write, can also enroll for the course, and if you have grown up children and grand-children they are all welcome.