By Dr. Aaron Mujajati
In homes across Zambia, a quiet tragedy unfolds. Men who once stood tall as providers, builders of families and communities find themselves sidelined in old age. Their strength fades, their income dries up, and the very people they sacrificed for begin to drift away. Not out of cruelty or betrayal, but often out of economic necessity. Children grow, start their own families, and face their own battles. Friends get caught up in their own survival. The world moves forward without you, whether we are ready or not. This is a growing national blind spot.
To be brutally honest, too many Zambian men are growing old without a safety net. No pension. No savings. No fallback plan.
Retirement isn’t something that happens to “other people”. It is a certainty for every man reading this. Whether you are a bus driver in Kanyama, a teacher in Chipata, or a businessman in Lusaka, the clock is ticking. Here is the truth: you are never too young to prepare for retirement, and it is never too late to start.
Therefore, a retirement plan is not a luxury, it is a shield. It is the difference between living your later years with peace or with regret. It is the quiet assurance that you will not have to beg, that you will eat from your own harvest, and that your voice will still carry weight because you stand on your own feet. This is why every man must think ahead. Not for pride. Not for show. But for dignity.
Water tribe, Start where you are. Here is what every man in the Water Tribe should do. This is your chief speaking:
1. Put something aside every month, no matter how small. Savings are the first and most important step to financial security. Even a K50 a week adds up over time. Think long term.
2. Invest in what will grow: buy land, livestock, a small business, skills that can still earn even in old age.
3. Join a Pension Scheme whether through NAPSA or private options. Make consistent contributions and your future self will thank you.
4. Avoid debts that will follow you into your final years.
One day, you will sit under the shade of a tree. The question is, will it be a tree you planted yourself, or one you must ask permission to rest under?
The choice is yours, and the time is now. You have heard.