by Craig Hincks

The number one challenge facing Zambians today is the cost of living, according to Fr. Grant Tungay of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), a partner of Canadian Jesuits International in Zambia. In early 2024, the cost of living for a family of five in the capital rose above 10,000 kwacha (about CAD$555) for the first time. The problem is that the average monthly income for a family of five is less than half that amount. Most cannot afford to buy nutritious food and other necessities such as rent, charcoal and soap.

JCTR was founded in 1988 to respond to the needs of the poor and marginalized in Zambia. Readers in Canada may remember Fr. Peter Henriot, an American Jesuit who was an early director of JCTR. Fr Grant says that everything Henriot did at JCTR asked the question, “How are we serving the poor?” While subsequent directors have focused on issues such as human rights, serving the poor remains JCTR’s primary mission to this day. *

This explains why JCTR's flagship program for years has been the Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB).  On a monthly basis, the BNNB collects and publishes cost-of-living data based on a basket of basic commodities from cities and rural villages across the country. It not only helps government ministries target their programs to meet needs, but also provides evidence-based pressure for equitable distribution of resources. Other civil society organizations find the BNNB useful in setting their priorities.

Through its faith and justice program that promotes social and economic accountability through citizen participation, JCTR equips Zambians to advocate for "servant leadership, good governance and transparency.”  The CJI-supported program provides educational materials, conducts training and capacity-building workshops, and engages elected officials and civil servants.

Most Zambians understand the concepts of good governance and transparency, which helped JCTR and other advocacy groups achieve a major milestone in December 2023 — the passage of the Access to Information Act in Zambia. This legislation allows JCTR and others to push for budget transparency and accountability in a robust way. At the local level, the Act  helps to reveal how millions of kwacha allocated to the Constituency Development Fund are spent—or misappropriated.

Less understood, at least initially, is JCTR's promotion of "servant leadership" in all facets of its work. Drawing directly from biblical principles and Catholic Social Teaching, servant leadership not only involves listening to the grassroots, but also exploring new avenues of collaboration.

A recent collaboration between JCTR and Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre, another CJI partner in Zambia, emphasized servant leadership in agroecology in the context of climate change. Their partnership helps to model the kind of bottom-up leadership and change they advocate in society.

Fr. Grant said that CJI’s support is much valued because it understands and shares JCTR’s emphasis on cultivating servant leadership in Zambia. JCTR sees this as the best way to work in solidarity with the poor and address their major concerns.

*Fr Alexander Muyebe, SJ, who was Director of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection at the time of the interview for this article, died on November 11, 2024. He served for four years.