Use MDGs To Monitor Performance of Your MPs, Micah Challenge urges Pastors

Ndola Zambia- Evangelical leaders in Ndola were encouraged to use the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to monitor the performance of their Members of Parliament. ” Exactly 10 years ago the then President of Zambia and other 175 other world leaders at the World Food Summit pledged to halve poverty by 2015. Therefore there is nothing wrong for the church to engage their MPs and Councilors that the issues of poverty, health, HIV/AIDS education and unemployment are actively and effectively brought on local government and national agenda tables.” Pastor Lawrence Temfwe, the Micah Challenge Coordinator for Zambia told the 100 Christians leaders gathered in Chifubu, Mpezeni Hall on Saturday to pray for courage in working and speaking out against poverty. He said, ” The church must grow in their passion for justice, if we are going to be relevant in responding to the socio-economic issues plaguing Zambia, such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, and corruption.” Micah Challenge is a growing international alliance mobilizing Christians worldwide to call for action on global poverty. The Micah Challenge Zambia is hosted by the Jubilee Centre for the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia.

The prayer meeting was called to commemorate The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty that is observed in October each year. Micah Challenge is active in over thirty countries including, Malawi, Rwanda, Peru, India, Australia, the Netherlands, France, UK and the USA. Citing the success of Make History Campaign, Temfwe stressed the importance of building international campaigning alliance to challenge the world’s political leaders about poverty. He concluded, “Evangelical Christians in Zambia have considerable political influence, and if this is turned to addressing poverty it would be a powerful catalyst for change in attitude by the government, the MPs, the councilors and the private sector on the MDGs.” The gathering prayed for world leaders that they remain committed to the pledge they made in 1996. In addition they prayed for President Mwanawasa and his leaders and the opposition Members of Parliament that they focus their power on reducing poverty levels of the Zambians.