John Njovu

Personal: I am a Zambian artist, civic activist and social scientist. I am very observant, analytical, creative and good at recording and telling a story to fit audiences at any level in many media. I easily mix and adapt to the needs of audiences from grass root to executive levels. Acting: I have acted in many local film and commercial adverts. I aim to become a leading producer in the emerging Zambian film industry. I have noted that our local film industry has many challenges; i.e. especially quality of acting and audio-video recording, lack of equipment, sometimes mediocre management and difficulties in mobilising funds. I wish to contribute in solving some of them. I have also noted that Zambians prefer to watch a film than read a book. Therefore, I intend to reach many of them through productions that are both educative and entertaining. Productions: 1. I had a major role in the Ubuntu drama series in 2019 (season one). I acted as Senior Elder Chinyanta. The series are being produced by Yoweli Chungu Filimu for MultiChoice’s DStv Zambezi Magic channel. 2. I also took part in the Zuba drama series in 2020. It’s another local TV drama on DStv Zambezi Magic channel. 3. I was one of the actors in the 2017 famous in Zambia TV advert promoting national unity. I acted as the Ngoni (a major tribe in Eastern Province) man in the stadium. Also in 2018, I acted as the old romantic man in the advert for Chelsea biscuits and in 2019 had a role in the cast of filming the advert for Hyginiex soap. The adverts were for Trade Kings Ltd and produced by Giraffe Productions. 4. I also had a main role in 2018 as the retired taxi driver in the cast of filming the advert for NAPSA by the videographer Dominic Chisembele for an advertising agency based at the Jupiter Drawing Room in Long acres of Lusaka. 5. As a way of paying back to my community for their support in my artistic endeavours and to help mitigate the effects of the corona pandemic, I started last year a project, JTN Arts (Formerly Kabanana Youth Empowerment Project) to empower the unemployed youths in my township with film production skills. I live in Kabanana Site and Service of Lusaka. We had to change the name of the project as there was overwhelming calls from elders even outside my township to join the project as they have also been adversely affected by Covid-19. 6. I am currently working on producing a documentary on indigenous evaluations in Zambia. This is in the spirit of the SDG not to leave anyone behind in social and economic development. See the JTN Arts’ YouTube channel for some of the work dealing with M&E issues and SDGs in Zambia (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr9TGKnk_ThFDUN41nsx1bg) 7. I have also been invited to be an actor on a local TV drama; Shattered Heritage. The organisers plan to start shooting the film this mid-May 2021. Writing: 1. I wrote the first draft of the script to the film, Suwi that was used to solicit for funding from the Finnish Development Agency (KEPA). The film was later produced by Catherine Kaseketi. I was not credited for the draft. 2. I also wrote a script for Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company in 1994 for their public sensitisation campaigns. 3. I have also been featured as a contributor to Responses to Letter to My Children. This is a book that responds to the one by the former Republican President Kenneth Kaunda. It was published this year by SOTRANE publishers. 4. The Zambian government has recognised my writing skills. I have a national (Ngoma) award as a finalist in fictional writing (2001). 5. One of my poems can be found in a collection of poems by Zambian writers that was published in UK by the Zambia Women Writers Association in 2001; Under the African Skies: Poetry from Zambia. I have had many of my works also published by newspapers, newsletters and journals; e.g. i. I have a chapter in the book Responses to Letter to My Children. This is in response to a book of Zambia’s first President; Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. I was also commissioned to write a book of mentorship to Zambian young males by the Network for Society Transformation (SOTRANE). It’s about to be printed. ii. In 2019, I was the Event’s Manager for Zambia Literary Festival. iii. I have also written various papers for M&E journals; e.g. Zambia: The SDGs and Developing National Evaluation Capacities (Independent Evaluation Office of UNDP, Proceedings from the National Evaluation Capacities Conference 2017, UNDP, New York, August 2018. 140-146), and COVID-19 and indigenous evaluation in Zambia: My responses to the COVID-19 pandemic (Evaluation Matters—He Take To Te Aromatawai 6:2020. 93-103, https://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/evaluation-matters/online-first Photography: One of my pictures was used at the entrance of the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM); an independent professional media training trust in Zambia. Some of my photos were in a 2010 report for the Governance Secretariat at the Ministry of Justice on the performance of offices for Members of Parliament in their constituencies.