Student Profile
| Name: | Martinho Tembo |
| Gender: | Male |
| Date of birth: | 27th February 1995 |
| Place of birth: | Lusaka, Zambia |
| Grandfather: | Clement Mumba |
| Profession: | Retired |
| Grandmother: | Celcilia Mumba |
| Profession: | Retired |
| Primary School: | Chibelo Basic School |
Family Background:
Martinho was born when both his parents were still in school and were unable to take care of him. His mother and father are now both married to different people, and Martinho is being raised by his grandparents in Ibex Hill. Martinho was born HIV positive, and has been on medication ever since it was discovered. Despite the knowledge that he has of his illness, Martinho shows great maturity and appreciation for life and the opportunities given to him to enjoy it. He expressed that being sick doesn’t mean you can’t make the best out of what you do.
Mr. and Mrs. Mumba are currently looking after five children, the youngest being five years of age, and the oldest being nineteen years of age. As a retiree Mr. Mumba gets K212,000.00 a month which isn’t adequate funding for all their needs. Mr. Mumba also has a heart condition, which requires him to go to the doctor frequently.
With all of these challenges Mr. Mumba encourages his grandchildren to work hard and develop their talents. His own words about Martinho were, “I feel he is very bright and adventurous. He is an entrepreneur.”
Martinho's Education:
Martinho began his primary at Nyawas Academy and then moved to Chibelo. Generally Martinho placed amongst the top six pupils in class until grade five, when he began to place first more consistently. His success comes because of the attitude he has towards life. He said that being sick isn’t the end of the world, so there is still so much that can be accomplished. His mature disposition is most likely what caused his teachers to select him as a class monitor in both grade six and grade seven.
Martinho’s favorite subjects are Science and English.
Career Interests:
Martinho would like to study to be an veterinarian. He plays tennis with his grandfather.
Martinho's Thoughts:
“I love animals. I want to be a veterinary doctor to help injured animals or unwell animals. I live with my grandfather, grandmother, auntie and cousin. I have only one talent and that is playing tennis. My grandfather is teaching me how to play.
The Kucetekela Foundation is a good program that helps people like me so that my grandfather doesn’t have to pay too much money for my secondary school and maybe he can just pay for my college and university which is a challenge for a retired man.
I want to study very hard for me to achieve my dreams and I don’t want to be involved with drugs or alcohol because those things destroy you and can kill you.
If I become a vet, I would help those injured or ill animals because if we just leave them like that, they will die and diseases will increase. In the end many people will be dying and death is not good in the community. So I feel I would help the community in that way.”