“Even if you come from different political parties, you can be in politics to serve parents and children”

Chilando Chitangala, Mayor of Lusaka, and Christopher Habeenzu, Mayor of Chongwe, are leaders of neighbouring municipalities but come from different political parties. Yet the two Zambian cities partnered in 2025 to set up a baseline survey on early childhood and local committees to design joint interventions based on its findings.^[1]

In conversation with Karima Grant, the Van Leer Foundation’s Regional Representative for Africa, the two mayors share their story of why they are working towards a better future in their cities for children and parents.

We hear all the time that it takes a village to raise a child. You’re taking that idea further and bringing together your two cities to improve the lives of young children. Why did you decide to work together?

Christopher Habeenzu: When you have two cities working on a common programme, you can have synergies arise. We can profit from the diversity of the communities in our cities.

Chilando Chitangala: That’s right. Lusaka and Chongwe are very different in their makeup, and that diversity strengthens our partnership. Capital city Lusaka is a dense urban centre with high demand for services, while Chongwe is more rural and peri-urban, with communities spread far apart. Families in Chongwe often travel long distances to access early childhood services, while Lusaka parents face challenges of overcrowded facilities. By working together, we learn how different environments shape the needs of children and parents and we design solutions that respond to both urban and rural realities.

The solutions for parents could be different, but we can learn from where we have each been successful. Chongwe has the Insaka^[2] early childhood programme, for example, and our team visited to learn about it so that we can also implement it here in Lusaka. The best thing is just learning. We are happy to teach each other, learn from each other, and let other cities learn from us.

You are not from the same political party. In so many cities, mayors would see that as a reason not to work together. What message would you share with other mayors?

Chilando Chitangala: Mayor Habeenzu and I are a good example of civic leadership that focuses on service to the people – in particular parents and young children. We have shown that even if you come from different political parties, you can both be in politics to serve parents and children with a passion that comes from wanting to see a better country. So I would like to tell other mayors that it’s possible to work together.

Christopher Habeenzu: We only get reminded that we come from different political parties when someone else mentions it. We both want to leave our country better than we found it, through investments that go beyond our five-year electoral cycles. It may not give us immediate political benefits, but deep down in our hearts, we both want to know that we have left a legacy.

Why is supporting early childhood also about supporting parents? What are your learnings so far?

Chilando Chitangala: As parents, we see how important it is to bring up children in a good environment where they can play and be safe. We see how the first 1,000 days are so important for the growth and development of our children, so they can be prepared for school and grow up to be good citizens.

Christopher Habeenzu: We’re seeing opportunities in play-based learning and parental coaching. It gives us an opportunity to look at modern ways of parenting, but that doesn’t mean children should be raised in a culture that is not appropriate to us. Tools to develop a human being are not for universal use, but rather they are grounded through culture and traditions. In our culture, there is heavy emphasis on storytelling or games like nsolo as an important form of transmission of values and expectations. The tools we use have to be aligned to our way of life.

Chilando Chitangala: One cultural tool I value is community parenting, where neighbours, relatives and elders all contribute to raising children. It has created a natural support system for parents. Reviving and adapting this practice today would help parents feel less isolated and more supported. When parents know they are not raising their children alone, they feel more confident and empowered.

How are you also working with national government on pushing early childhood into policy and planning frameworks?

Christopher Habeenzu: Mayor Chilando and I presented to our head of state, Hakainde Hichilema, on this matter. If policies at national level are split, it becomes a problem implementing them at local level. When an early childhood lens is embedded at the national level, we can develop bylaws at the local level. We see this as being highly feasible because of the spirit of decentralisation in Zambia.

Chilando Chitangala: We both speak to national ministries about working towards a nationwide policy where everything is aligned to early childhood development. We found that the Minister of Education is especially passionate about early childhood development. He said that when he lectured at university, he could actually tell the children who had gone through early childhood development programmes from the ones who had not.

How does improving the lives of young children and their caregivers fit into your broader visions for urban development?

Chilando Chitangala: Parents today face increasing pressures – long working hours, financial constraints, and limited childcare options. When early childhood programmes are available and accessible, parents feel less overwhelmed and more supported. They gain practical tools to help their children thrive and become part of a community that understands and shares their challenges.

Our parents remember how we had early childhood development programmes in community centres in Zambia when we were growing up, and we are now seeing what happens when we don’t have them – we are losing more young people to alcohol abuse and drug abuse.

In the past, many communities ran early childhood centres through women’s groups, churches and local committees. These centres offered storytelling, singing, and simple play-based learning that prepared children for school. Parents were involved and supported. These programmes proved that even low-cost, community-driven early childhood provision can have a strong impact on children’s development. That’s why we would like early childhood development to come back. We need to have our children growing into responsible adults to carry the country forward.

Christopher Habeenzu: I see the ultimate objective as human development, and that is part and parcel of urban development. We are creating the capacity for development of skills, and preparing our citizens to enjoy life to the fullest. We want to create a cross-cutting programme – covering education, nutrition, health, and so on – that means in 10 or 15 years’ time we should be able to see a huge transformation in the next generation of young people.

Chilando Chitangala: We want parents to feel empowered, confident and supported – not overwhelmed. Parents should feel that they have the right tools, knowledge and encouragement to raise healthy and happy children. When families feel supported, communities grow stronger, and we build a foundation for a better future.