Monday, April 6, 2009

Tribute to Robert Chisha

While we were in Zambia, both Derek and I had the privilege of getting to know and working with a former street kid (pondo) named Robert Chisha. He was a leader among street kids, even after he left street life, and was a wealth of information about street kids and street life for those of us who worked with him on the ACTION Zambia team.

On Thursday, April 2nd at about 1:00 in the morning, Robert lost his month long battle with what the doctor’s at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka thought was lung cancer. He was buried yesterday. He was only about 30 years old and is survived by his wife and child(ren).

Because we have not been in close contact with Robert for several years, we don’t know a lot about his recent life. But we wanted to share a few memories that we have of him. Robert was one of the happiest people we have met, and he almost always had a big smile on his face. After Derek returned to Zambia from a short visit to the States, he was greeted by the biggest tackle/hug by Robert.

Robert loved street kids and had such an effective way of working with them. Because he knew what it meant to live on the streets, the kids trusted him in a way that they will probably never be able to trust a mzungu (white person/foreigner).

In working with him and learning from him, he became a good friend. He taught us much about Zambian culture as well as street life, and he took us on many “street walks” during the day or at night to visit the kids who call the street their home. He knew almost all of the street kids by name and genuinely cared for them.

Robert gave me a Zambian name by which he always called me - Chishala. It means "garbage heap," or "the place where garbage is thrown." He said that street kids are considered the trash of the world, and I went to Zambia to sit among "the trash." It was always an honor for me to introduce myself in Zambia as Kristin Chishala, and it always made me think of Robert.

Robert was continually trying to improve himself in some way - improve his English, take classes to finish his high school degree, study Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, understand the Bible, etc. He was humble and did not pretend to know everything, yet he was one of the most knowledgeable street kid workers in Zambia.

Robert Chisha Pondo will be missed dearly. May God use his life of service to draw many street children to Himself and find eternal hope in Jesus Christ.

5 comments:

Blake and Melody W said...

Great tribute, friends, and great photos! I will miss this brother, as will many. Thank you so much for posting this.

Anonymous said...

Wow - What a beautiful tribute. I'm so sad for not only your loss, but the loss for the Zambian people and his family...he sounds simply amazing.

Laurie W. said...

I sit here stunned with the news. Robert was a sweet soul and very kind to me. He made me feel "at home" when we met the few times in Zambia. He called me mom. Can you imagine his smile when he saw Jesus for the first time?!!

Gina Chibwe said...

Your tribute was a celebration of Robert's life, and it was a joy to read it and also remember my own memories of him. I was looking at my pictures of him, Kina, Vasco, the two of you and me the day before Kristin and I left Zambia...those pictures have such funny memories that they always make me smile when I look at them! Trusting that we will be reunited with Robert again one day, I look forward to singing Bembe songs with you all before the Lord.

Elaine Dubyna said...

Hi....we are Randy and Elaine from Toronto, Canada. We also got to know Robert on a very personal level....4 2-week short term mission trips to Zambia, when Robert would spend most of the 2 weeks with us, bringing us into the world of the street kids. His passion and dedication to the kids was inspirational. We will miss him dearly. I've been in touch with his brother-in-law, who said that the street boys were at his grave site for 2 whole days, singing and crying. I just can't believe he is gone. We renewed our wedding vows for our 10th anniversary at Victoria Falls with Robert as our best man, and as I look at those photos, I can't imagine not to see his smile here again and feel his warm, friendly embrace. I know that he is at peace now with the Lord though, and the thought of him meeting Jesus puts a smile back on my face. Thanks for your wonderful tribute.

"Big Papa" and "Mama Elaine"
(as Robert called us)

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