ACNS: What's your role at the Church of the Province of Central Africa?

SZ: I have been the Dean of the Cathedral of the Holy Nativity in Ndola, Zambia, since 2007. I am also involved with our outreach programme providing education to underprivileged children, and I am the National Chaplain for the Boys' Brigade.

ACNS: How much of a presence does the Boys' Brigade have in Zambia?

SZ: The Boys' Brigade is very big in Zambia, in Ndola alone there are close to 800,000 members and it is, of course, interdenominational.

ACNS: What kind of impact does it have in the lives of the boys involved?  

SZ: Because we approach a boy's welfare holistically: we look at their physical side of the boy, his education, the spiritual and the emotional part. This means we can help them grow in the manliness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On this trip I had the privilege of attending the farewell service for the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Revd Peter Price. One of the gifts I presented was something made by the boys. What we discovered was that the boys, once they've left school--perhaps because of employment, perhaps because they are unable to raise funds to get into tertiary education--they were idle. That is a recipe for problems. 

As the Boys' Brigade we had to come up with a way of trying to help those who are skilled. One thing we came up with was using sawdust. In Ndola we have timber works and the problem of sawdust is a huge problem for the environment. So the boys started making art with the sawdust. That was a way of cleaning up the environment and at the same time giving a skill and income to the boys. 

ACNS: How do you make art with sawdust?

SZ: You sift and roast the sawdust to different shades and then glue them to a piece of cloth to make beautiful work, either a picture of someone, of animals, a logo...

ACNS: So the boys benefit from joining the Boys Brigade?

SZ: As I said, the Boys Brigade provides for the boys holistically. It provides them with an opportunity for fellowship and sharing; the uniform gives makes them equal with one another; and the Boys' Brigade can look out for talent in the boys and encourage that. In fact we have a good number of clergy in the Anglican Church and other denominations that have their roots in the Boys Brigade. Including me. 

ACNS:  Thanks for sharing with us.