29/08/2026
DG CALLS FOR OWNERSHIP OF ACTION PLANS
Lusaka, 29 August 2026 — Lions in District 413-Zambia have been challenged to take full ownership of goals set in their respective Zones and translate their Action Plans into measurable and impactful service.
District Governor Lion Rex Chitsulo MJF said Action Plans should not be regarded as the responsibility of Zone Chairpersons alone, but as commitments that require the participation of every Lion.
He said this in a speech read for him at Zone meetings held at various locations on Saturday, 29 August 2026.
At the Zone 7 meeting held at the Lusaka Lions’ Den, the speech was read by Global Service Team Coordinator, Lion Nomsa Ingwe.
Zone 7 comprises the Lions Clubs of Mulungushi, Kabulonga, Rhodespark, Waterfalls and Emmasdale.
“A good Action Plan could so easily go to waste if its implementation is lacklustre. I strongly believe, however, that the Action Plan is owned not only by the Zone Chairperson, but by all members in the Zone,” Lion Rex said.
“So, it is expected that all Clubs and all members in the respective Zones will take full ownership of the goals in the Action Plan.
This is your plan and you must play a significant part in achieving the set objectives. Club Presidents, you have a particularly key role to play in cascading Zone goals into Club targets.”
He said the call for ownership was in line with the District 413-Zambia theme for the 2026-2027 Lions year,
“Exemplary Leadership for Impactful Service,” and was also in sync with International President Mark S. Lyon’s theme, “We Serve – Rooted in Service.”
Lion Rex said exemplary leadership at Zone and Club level would be critical in achieving the District’s targets, particularly its ambitious goal of serving 200,000 people during the Lions year.
“As a District we have a high target of serving 200,000 people this Lions year. So, as you digest and refine your goals, ask yourselves what contribution you will make towards this goal,” he said.
He also called for renewed efforts to grow membership, saying more Lions were needed to provide the manpower, skills, ideas and financial resources required to expand service.
“We need more hands, more ideas, more skills and more finances to carry out more projects.
Let’s recruit more members without compromising on quality. All Clubs must have a growth of five members by the end of this Lions Year on 30 June 2027,” he said.
Lion Rex said the membership target would also enable District 413-Zambia to contribute to Lions Clubs International’s global goal of reaching 1.5 million members.
He further urged members to pay their dues on time and support the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).
Lion Nomsa, speaking in her capacity as Global Service Team Coordinator, encouraged Clubs to consider joint service projects, saying collaboration would increase their impact and visibility in communities.
Zone 9 focuses on growth, service and continuity
The same emphasis on collaboration, membership growth and impactful service featured prominently during the Zone 9 leadership transition, where outgoing Zone Chairperson Lion Christine Mwezi handed over to incoming Zone Chairperson Lion Jayne Kangwa.
In her handover address, Lion Christine reflected on the achievements of Zone 9 during her tenure, expressing gratitude to the District leadership and those who supported her administration.
She said Zone 9 participated in all District projects and trainings and successfully chartered two Leo Clubs at Chalimbana University and Eden University.
She described the establishment of the two Leo Clubs as an important investment in the future of Lionism in the Zone.
The Zone also organised and participated in a joint project, which she said demonstrated the power of unity in service.
Although membership growth remained a challenge at individual Club level, Lion Christine said the Zone had reason for optimism after establishing a Club in formation with 16 members.
She urged members to support the incoming leadership and assured Lion Jayne of her continued cooperation.
“As I step down, I do not step away. I remain a Lion and I remain at the service of Zone 9 and the District,” Lion Christine said.
Incoming chairperson calls for teamwork
Taking over the leadership of Zone 9, Lion Jayne Kangwa said she looked forward to working closely with the Zone’s four Clubs — Chamba Valley, Chelstone, Chongwe and Roma — while encouraging members to share knowledge, ideas and institutional experience.
She thanked District Governor Lion Rex Chitsulo MJF for appointing her to lead the Zone during the 2026-2027 Lions year and expressed appreciation to Lion Christine for the guidance provided during the transition.
Lion Jayne identified membership growth and retention, payment of dues and service delivery as three core issues requiring attention in the Zone.
She said the District’s target for Clubs to grow their membership by five quality members should be approached as a collective responsibility, particularly because some Clubs had membership below the minimum required strength of 20.
Her appeal was for Clubs within the Zone to assist one another with recruitment rather than compete for members.
“Knowledge is not a preserve of one person,” she said, stressing the importance of learning from other Lions while also consulting members with institutional memory to preserve the traditions and values of Lionism.
On dues, Lion Jayne said timely payment was essential to the smooth functioning of both the District and Lions Clubs International, noting that members should remain committed to supporting the organisation financially so that it could continue serving vulnerable communities.
She also echoed the call for impactful and joint service projects, arguing that collaboration could significantly increase the reach and visibility of Lions in communities.
She particularly encouraged joint medical camps and environmental projects, while stressing that service interventions should have the buy-in of the communities they are intended to benefit.
Illustrating the importance of community participation, Lion Jayne shared an anecdote about expatriates who once established crops along the banks of the Zambezi River without consulting local communities.
The crops were later destroyed by hippos, with locals explaining that they could have advised the project organisers about the danger had they been consulted.
She said the lesson was clear: Lions must involve communities in designing and implementing projects intended to serve them.
Clubs challenged to turn plans into action
Back in Zone 7, Immediate Past Zone Chairperson Lion Esther Nyangu MJF reported that membership during her tenure increased from 128 to 152, while more than 50 service activities were undertaken.
She also reported that Zone 7 produced three Melvin Jones Fellows and contributed more than US$5,000 to LCIF.
The new Zone 7 Chairperson, Lion Dr Mitesh Patel MJF, urged Clubs to respond to the District Governor’s challenge by prioritising impactful projects.
He said projects that make a visible difference in communities attract public attention and can, in turn, encourage more people to join Lions.
Each Club is expected to grow by at least five members, while giving equal priority to payment of dues to Lions Clubs International and the District.
The respective Club Presidents presented their Action Plans, which were approved.
Across the Zones, the message emerging from the meetings was therefore clear: the success of the 2026-2027 Lions year will depend not merely on the plans that are written, but on the collective ownership, leadership and action taken to deliver them.
