Child Activist Buumba Malambo says fathers play an important role to help children fulfill their destinies.

Buumba, who is also Kafue’s Magoba Ward UPND councillor, shared a heartfelt narrative of how her father has helped her realise her dreams.

The 2014 Queens Young Leaders Award recipient notes that a parent does not need to be rich to change a child’s life.

Below is Buumba’s full posting

IF ONLY FATHERS KNEW!!!!
When my grade 12 results came out my dad was so happy and proud of me and showed every person who was passing in the streets this gave me so much confidence and built a huge positive fence on my self esteem.
After some weeks ……after church I found a beautiful blue Peugeot with my name on it I couldn’t believe it,it was a gift from Dad.Dear friends I used to sleep very late and wake up very early just to look at my car,I would have it cleaned 3 times in a day sometimes even spend nights in the car.
When it was time to apply for University my Dad said “my daughter should do a degree in social work she will be great in that field”” I wasn’t so happy because I wanted to be an economist but knowing Dad’s intuition I agreed and was picked in the school of Humanities.
During my social work practicals my charity “” Buumbalambo Foundation one of Zambia’s leading local charities in the Education sector was born and it grew.I attended countless trainings and got tired of travelling ,Social work gave me the honour to meet the Queen of England and make a toast with legends like David Beckam,the same social work won me the 16 international and local awards I pride in today. Social work made my charity get grants that have changed the lives of 568 kids on the sponsorship programme and many vaulnarble groups in my community. It is the same social work my dad suggested that won me the seat as councillor in a land I was called a foreigner.
When I graduated with excellent results at the University of Zambia my Dad bought me a beautiful VOLVO you can imagine my excitement,I would drive it with my head held high and because if that positive energy and self belief my Dad impacted in me by virtue of believing in me i achieved a lot of things.
Recently when I told my parents I want to join politics my Dad drove with my mum all the way from Copperbelt to rural Kafue in MAGOBA village so as to help me campaign because some people would say we don’t even know where she comes from let alone who are parents are why should we vote for her when she just came here as a Social work student.
When I won the elections DAD bought me a beautiful JEEP that I hug every morning ,this kind of a father has shaped my life and focus in ways I can not describe he made me believe in my capacity not because I was a girl but a Human being and for this I eat with kings and Queens.
If only fathers knew how much impact they have on their daughters,if only fathers knew how those words “” you are just a girl”” make the daughters feel,if only fathers knew that investing in their daughters is among the greatest achievement they would ever have,if only fathers knew how tormenting the harsh words are and how powerful the positive words they say are in relation to the impact and shaping their daughters lives forever.
I pray and thank God for my Father and many other fathers and men who pride in their daughters and look at them as potential ministers,accountants and invest in them with the same quantity put in their sons.
Like Michael Obama says “”” My father set the standard for the kind of man I wanted my daughters to have as their father,so I got married to Obama”””” this also is my kind of man.
So far so good …..I will only give kids to a man like this.
My father did all these things with the savings of a teacher before he climbed the ladders in the Ministry of Education.
Change your daughters life today……..please do share if you can your father-daughter stories.
#friendsitwillbeagoodyear