Chewa Heritage Foundation targets to raise K150 million for 2025 Kulamba Festival

* Through a fundraising dinner & dance on August 2 at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe

* The annual Kulamba Festival takes place in Mkaika Village in Katete District of the Eastern Province of Zambia

* That brings together Chewa chiefs and their subjects from Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to pay homage to their Paramount Chief, Kalonga Gawa Undi

By Beatrice Bangula, MANA

In preparation for the 2025 Kulamba Festival scheduled for August 29 in Zambia, Chewa Heritage Foundation (CHEFO) has organised a fundraising dinner & dance celebration on August 2 at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe targeting to raise K150 million.

The annual event in Mkaika Village in Katete District of the Eastern Province of Zambia, brings together Chewa chiefs and their subjects from Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to pay homage to their Paramount Chief, Kalonga Gawa Undi.

CHEFO’s chairperson, Dr Stanley Khaila told the media that Kulamba brings unity among Chewas on top of providing an opportunity to respect to Chewa paramount Chief, Kalonga Gawa Undi.

Khaila said organisers of the Kulamba ceremony, that is celebrated on the last Saturday of the month of August, have given a green light for the ceremony to be conducted this year — thus the fundraising campaign through the dinner & dance at BICC to be spiced with traditional performances like chisamba, gule wamkulu, and m’ganda.

Simon and Kendal will also add to the glamour of entertainment that will include a raffle draw for patrons to win assorted items.

Meanwhile, the CHEFO chairperson Khaila graced the installation of Village Head Bimbi, of Chewa tribe, to Group Village Head in Balaka where he called for unity among traditional and religious leaders for meaningful development to take place.

Khaila observed that Balaka comprises both Christians and Muslims — hence the need co-existence for peace to prevail, with emphasis that intolerance and divisions based on religious affiliation and tribe have proven to be a major drive to conflict, thereby impacting negatively on peace and development.

“We must put aside our differences and work together with a common goal to foster peace and collaboration regardless of cultural and religious affiliation.

“Coexistence allows people to actively participate in development,” Khaila said, while describing the newly-installed Group Village Head as strong and peaceful — calling on her to maintain good character in order to continue leading her subjects by example.

“She has demonstrated a spirit of oneness as she has been dedicated to her work and we hope she will continue to deliver her duties with diligence,” he said.

The installation was constituted by Senior Chief Kalembo, who hailed government for promoting chiefs in Balaka, saying this is a motivation for meaningful local leadership.

“We are happy with this occasion,” he said. “When chiefs are elevated, it is a sign that government acknowledges our role in development.”

Speaking on behalf of Group Village Head Bimbi, family representative, Nelson Saikolo, pledged that the new chief will continue to advocate for peace and mobilise her subjects to actively participate in various development activities.

“This is an honor to our clan and is an opportunity for us to serve the community,” he said. “I would, therefore, like to ask communities as well as other chiefs to give Group Village Head Bimbi all the necessary support so that our area is developed.”—Reporting from Senior Chief Kalembo’s area by Alice Ndunya, MANA