Lilian Walubita: Strong, lucky lady

SITEMBILE SIWAWA, Lusaka
ENGAGED and ready to walk down the aisle, the news that Lilian Walubita had been diagnosed with breast cancer could not easily sink in.
News that her breast was going to be removed made her develop goose pimples because she thought her fiancé Eric Walubita was going to leave her for some other woman.
“Being a woman, this news really devastated me because I thought my fiancé was going to leave me for another woman, but my God-given man never for a second haboured such intentions, it was all in my mind,” she recalls.
Lilian, 29 also recalls the number of nights she went to sleep with tears rolling down her cheeks with hope that maybe the results were altered and they were never hers.
She often faced the prospect of death but her then fiancé, Eric who is now her husband gave her hope to carry on and come to terms with reality.
All this started one morning when Lilian was getting dressed when she discovered lumps in her breast and not knowing what it was, she decided to ask her mother about it.
“Upon telling my mother, she advised me to seek medical attention at Konkola Mine Hospital (KMH) in Chililabomwe district,” she said.
Having being diagnosed after several biopsy tests at KMH, Lilian was referred to Lusaka’s Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) to commence treatment.
Determined and strong, her fiancé, family, friends and doctors encouraged her to soldier on because she was not the first one to have suffered from the disease and definitely will not be the last one.
The first treatment she underwent was a surgery, known as Lumpectomy. This surgical procedure is used to remove the cancerous tumour in the breast and some surrounding healthy tissue during the operation.
“I was ready to have my breast removed and the treatment was manageable, especially with the support I had from my fiancé, family and friends,” she recounted.
She then underwent chemotherapy treatment which involves the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells which work by stopping the cancer cells ability to grow and divide.
According to Lilian, chemotherapy was the toughest part of the treatment she had to go through.
She said “During that time, I lost most of my hair and my weight due to constant nausea. I would be given a dose every after three months and my fiancé would quickly take me back home in Chililabombwe. The reaction of the dose weakens one and needs constant care.”
With the loss of hair and weight, Lilian never gave up on her treatment but kept hoping that the whole episode would soon be over and she was going to get her old life back.
Lastly, she went through radiotherapy which is a treatment using radiation to destroy cancer cells. It is a common treatment for breast cancer after surgery.
With radiotherapy, Lilian recalls that it is a manageable treatment as well and she went through it with ease.
As the biblical passage puts it, joy comes in the morning; Lilian joyfully wedded two weeks later upon completing the cancer treatment.
Her biggest admiration in all this is her husband who helped in sharing the difficulties she encountered.
“Really, this man was sent from heaven by God to me and I cannot thank him enough for the love he showed me during that period,” she smiled with a flicker in her eyes.
The major lesson she learnt from all this is that women and girls must regularly check themselves to ascertain if they have lumps in their breasts that cause cancer.
“You need to have faith and belief that you will be able to recover from the disease. Yes doctors are there but they cannot do anything if your faith of getting better is weak,” she said.
Currently, Lilian mentors women and girls who are undergoing breast cancer treatment at the CDH.
Of course, she is human too and enjoys spending time with her husband during her spare time.
Apart from that, Lilian who is a staunch Jehovah Witness goes round evangelising the word of God and mentoring fellow women and girls.
Having participated in last month’s global breast cancer awareness, Zambian women have a duty to regularly have themselves checked for any possible cancer and sometimes self-examination is important.

LUSAKA CITY COUNCIL TO ARREST PARENTS "The council will age parents whose underage children are found patronising night clubs"

 

 THE Lusaka City Council has warned that it will arrest parents whose underage children are found patronising night clubs.

LCC assistant Public Relations Officer Brenda Katongola said in an interview recently that the local authority has observed that some parents were negligent towards their children.

“Some parents are not concerned about the whereabouts of their children, regardless of the time,” she said.  

Meanwhile, Ms Katongola also complained about the low staffing levels of council police officers which has made it difficult for the local authority to apprehend bar owners who abrogate the trading hours.

Ms Katongola said there is need to beef up the council police to apprehend bar owners abrogating laws on the trading hours.

She said since the law was effected in 2012, a number of bar owners have continued abrogating the law.

“We do conduct periodical operations on those bar owners who do not operate within the stipulated trading hours but it has been a challenge”, Ms Katongola said.

She also warned street vendors selling alcohol in makeshift stores to desist from the act.

She said alcohol must be sold in designated places and not in makeshift stores by the roadside.

“The law will take its course on those who will be found wanting once we pounce on them”, she said.

Prisoners should be allowed to vote’

GOVERNMENT has observed that the current Constitution should be amended to allow prisoners to participate in general elections.
And the Ministry of Home Affairs has said there is need for stakeholders and Government to undertake feasibility studies on how countries like South Africa and Netherlands have managed to handle the aspect of prisoners’ voting.
The Zambian Constitution does not allow prisoners to participate in elections due to security concerns.
Home Affairs spokesperson Moses Suwali said that prisoners are also human beings who should be allowed to take part in elections as it is their fundamental right.
He said prisoners have been disenfranchised for a long time now and “I am urging non-governmental organisations and all stakeholders to begin to advocate for prisoners”.
Additionally, Mr Suwali said when the Constitution is amended; Government will start setting up polling stations in prisons to allow prisoners to vote.
“This is an important area that has been overlooked for a long time and is worth exploring”, he said.
Mr Suwali said the feasibility studies that need to be conducted should take into consideration if elections campaigns will also be allowed to take place in prisons.
“Are we also going to allow polling stations to be set up in prisons or will prisoners will be taken to existing polling stations to vote? These are critical issues we need to look at and study carefully from the countries that have managed this process,” he said.
There have been media reports by Prisons Care and Counselling Association (PRISCA) for Government to allow prisoners to start participating in elections.

Chilanga school to spend K120,000 on girls’ ablution block

ABOUT K120,000 will be spent on the construction of an ablution block of girl-friendly showers at Chilanga primary school in a bid to help schoolgirls manage their menstruation.
And the school has included the procurement of sanitary wear for schoolgirls.
School head teacher Kenneth Muleya confirmed in an interview recently that works to construct showers are progressing well and will be completed before the end of this year.
Mr Muleya said once the showers are complete girls will no longer miss class because they will have facilities to maintain personal hygiene and cleanliness when they are at school.
He said “Apart from helping our girls manage their menstrual periods through the procurement of sanitary wear; our teachers hold regularly talks with the girls so that they understand the whole cycle and how they can manage it”.
Meanwhile, Mr Muleya said the revised curriculum on the introduction of information communication technology (ICTs) in schools has received overwhelming response from both parents and pupils.
He said Chilanga member of Parliament Keith Mukata recently donated 20 computers to the school which has enhanced the teaching and learning of ICTs.
“We can safely say we are getting there in terms of the learning of ICTs in schools but there are still some challenges; pupils cannot utilise the computers due to power outages being experienced countrywide”, said Mr Muleya.
And he has since advised parents in the area to continue taking their young children to early learning centres.
Mr Muleya said early learning is good for the development of every child and must be treated so by parents and guardians.

‘When digital billboards become a nuisance’

DIGITAL billboards are increasingly becoming the standard way of advertising in Zambia particularly in the capital, Lusaka.
Found at almost every corner of the busy streets, digital bill boards command numerous advantages.
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure, typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads
The digital bill board is the preferred mode advertising because when placed along highways or busy streets, it is a guarantee that people will see it as it can be placed where the most impact can be felt.
And passers-by normally get hooked to the scrolling adverts and are therefore, attracted.
But how about when digital board bill become a distraction particularly to motorists driving in the night?
Yes, today, the light and brightness emanating from digital bill boards at the night have become what motorists describe as an eyesore.
Mwila Sikombwa, a motorist of Lusaka said the brightness emanating from the digital bill boards is too much for the eyes, especially when one is driving at night.
He noted that when the brightness and light is too much for the eyes, a motorist can easily cause an accident.
“You know when light becomes too much it is possible for one to cause an accident and kill innocent people”, he said.
Meanwhile, Felix Banda another motorist appealed to the relevant authorities to order the companies responsible for mounting digital bill boards to reduce the intensity of light emanating from the bill boards.
Mr Banda said inasmuch as digital bill boards are good for advertising, there should be consideration for the motorists as regards accidents.
The plea by motorists has reached the ears of the local authorities who have since asked the multimedia companies to reduce the light from digital bill boards to avoid accidents.
During a physical inspection of digital bill boards in Lusaka recently, deputy mayor Portipher Tembo charged that all multimedia companies should reduce the lighting coming from their bill boards.
As he inspected the bill board at Woodlands Shopping Mall roundabout that was mounted by Continental Outdoor Media, Mr Tembo was dismayed that the bill board business that is bringing in revenue to the council was somewhat contributing to the loss of lives.
Mr Tembo suggested that the multimedia companies must reduce the lighting from bill boards to at least three percent brightness from the current five percent.
The deputy mayor also raised an issue with the location of most bill boards. He noted that sometimes, it was disturbing to find that the location of some bill boards were an obstruction to motorists from having a clear view of where they were going.
And Council director engineering services Maliwa Muchuu expressed shock over the failure by some companies to remove digital bill boards despite being written to.
He said motorists raised complaints of having accidents at that Woodlands Shopping Complex because of the brightness coming from the bill boards and called for their removal.
But Continental Outdoor Media business development and operations manager Sekani Nkhata confirmed having been written to but they were waiting for guidelines on where to place their bill board once it is moved from the present location.
Mr Nkhata said: “We have been waiting for the council and Road Transport Safety Agency to tell us where to place the bill board; up to now, we have not been told. We have no problem removing it and reducing its brightness. We will send our people to inspect the intensity of the light at night to ascertain where the problem is”.
He said during the day, their bill board brightness is at 100 percent but is reduced to five percent at night.
However, promised to further reduce the lightning system to maybe three percent in accordance in line with demands from motorists who are usually affected.
A study by Virginia Tech in the United States (2006) found anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road for more than two seconds greatly increases the risk of a crash.
That study found nearly 80 per cent of all crashes involve driver inattention within three seconds of the crash.
And Swedish and German researchers in a study in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention published in January 2013, found that digital billboards attract and hold drivers’ gazes longer than the threshold that previous studies had shown to be dangerous.
The study found that drivers looked at these colourful, rapidly changing billboards significantly longer than they do at other signs on the same stretch of road – the digital versions often took a driver’s eyes off the road for more than two seconds.

Walala Washala women empowered

FORMER ambassador to Italy Lucy Mungoma has commended women of Lusaka’s Minestone township for forming a Walala Washala Club that is aimed at empowering women acquire basic skills that will help in poverty eradication.

The club comprises 55 women and will empower members in basic entrepreneurship, business management, savings and banking, tailoring, agriculture, carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing and small-scale farming.

Ms Mungoma noted that the club is breaking barriers by encouraging women to engage in the man-titled jobs.

She was speaking at the launch of the club in Lusaka recently.

“This is so encouraging and this group is working towards being influential in poverty alleviation. This group is starting with families, the local communities and later the whole nation,” Ms Mungoma said.
She added that once poverty is addressed starting with the voiceless in the community, “we are assured of healthy people and step towards social development”.

And Walala Washala Club chairperson Christine Katungulu said Government alone cannot provide employment for everyone, and that the club will endeavour to create jobs for women.

Ms Katungulu said the objective of the club is to empower women and youths through special skills that will sustain them.

She said the motto for our club is “to empower a woman, you empower a nation”. Actually, the idea to form a club was based on the appointment of the first female Vice-President, Inonge Wina.”

Ms Katungulu said President Lungu has given women in the country the impetus to believe in themselves.

We have only 5 female town clerks

OUT of 103 councils in the countr, only five have female town clerks.

Lusaka mayor George Nyendwa described this development as unfortunate and challenged women in politics to show their commitment and work towards being recognised and counted alongside men.

“I am challenging women to start taking part in politics if they are to ascend to the helm of the councils,” he said.

Mr Nyendwa said women can only be appointed to higher positions in the councils if they participate in politics.

Meanwhile, Mr Nyendwa further challenged political parties to adopt women to contest as ward councillors to help increase the number of women in politics.

He noted that the number of women in politics can only be increased if there is a deliberate policy of reserving certain constituencies for female politicians. “Like the way we do it in the Patriotic Front, we deliberately adopt women at both local government and parliamentary levels.”

Mr Nyendwa said the new republican constitution should include a law which will reserve certain constituencies for women so that the number of females in politics can increase.

“We have seen this policy and law work for our friends in neighbouring countries like South Africa. That is why in these countries, there are a lot of women participating in politics and being appointed to decision-making decisions,” he said.

The mayor has encouraged women entrepreneurs to form clubs and solicit funds from Government to enhance their businesses to eradicate poverty.

Connect women to bigger business deals – First Lady

FIRST Lady Esther Lungu has urged the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry to expose women in small and medium businesses to ensure their participation in infrastructure projects such as energy and water.

Speaking recently during a gala dinner hosted by Chinese Women in Zambia to commemorate International Women’s Day in Lusaka, Mrs Lungu said the ministry should provide women entrepreneurs with market linkages with bigger formal industries.



She noted that women entrepreneurs face complex issues such as limited exposure to finance their businesses.


“Very few women are able to finance their enterprises through their cash flows and have to explore external sources of funding. Women entrepreneurs lack the substantial collateral to provide as security against loans,” Mrs Lungu added.



Additionally, Mrs Lungu further urged the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry to put in place policies to support women entrepreneurs in order to provide opportunities to succeed.



And she has commended Government over the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise policy that seek to enhance the development of MSMEs in Zambia.


“The policy provided the much needed guidance and direction on all activities and development efforts related to MSMEs,” Mrs Lungu said.



Mrs Lungu added that the development of the strategy paper on industrialisation and job creation by Government which aims at achieving wins in employment creation.

State urged to intevene in illegal abortions

SOME students from higher learning institutions in the country have urged government to scale-up interventions aimed at addressing unsafe and illegal abortions in Zambia.



The students who held a Youth Parliament last week sponsored by IPAS in commemoration of Commonwealth Day moved a motion that Government should scale-up interventions to address unsafe and illegal abortions in the country.



Current Zambia Demographic Health Survey maternal mortality statistics now stand at 398 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, and it is estimated that 30 percent of these deaths are due to unsafe abortion.



Tifwepo Nkunika a fourth-year student at the University of Zambia (UNZA) said Government should start prosecuting girls and women who abort pregnancies without the authorisation.



Ms Nkunika noted that abortion in Zambia is only legal if the life of a mother and child is at stake and three doctors authorise for abortion to be conducted.


“I am meant to believe that prosecutors are not doing their job in prosecuting those women and girls who are aborting without the authorisation of three doctors and putting their lives at risk,” she said.



And Naomi Mikayaya, another UNZA student called on Government to provide information on unsafe and illegal abortions among youths.



Ms Mikayaya noted that young people have no knowledge on what constitutes a safe abortion.



She also called “for more information on the right usage of contraceptives among youths.”


Speaking earlier, Zambia All Party Parliamentary group on Population and Development (ZAPPD) chairperson Highvie Hamududu noted that teenage pregnancies, early marriages and unsafe and illegal abortions are on the rise and that young people should be equipped with information to make informed choices.


“Out of Zambia’s 14million population, 50 percent are young people aged below 19 years. This young population presents both an opportunity and a challenge, depending on the actions we take today,” Mr Hamududu said.



Meanwhile IPAS country director Felicia Sakala also reiterated calls for Government to provide interventions to address unsafe abortions among young people.



Ms Sakala said unsafe and illegal abortions have continued contributing to the high maternal mortality rate the country is witnessing.

Sesheke schoolgirls: “Good life” in preference to education

“MY parents are based in Lukulu district but they sent me here for school as a boarder at Sesheke Secondary School. When I came here I did not like the kind of food served at school. I opted for my own accommodation arrangement so that I can eat the food I want.”


These words of 18-year-old Namukolo Mukela (not real name) are a common claim and an assertion of many pupils at Sesheke Secondary School who have chosen a “good life” in preference to education.



The situation, however, is not only common at Sesheke Secondary School but a tip of the practice in the Western Province as well as the rest of the country.



The school is the only secondary institution in the district and has been in existence since 1966.
During a tour of duty of the district, it was found that pupils in boarding were shifting to their own accommodation to run away from the school’s menu of beans and cabbage which is found in most boarding schools.



Pupils rent rooms in McKillop, area which is about 50 metres away from the school.



The mud and pole-erected rooms are, however, owned by individuals who seem to care less about the well-being of the pupils but only interested in getting money from the pupils.



It was established that pupils, who mainly comprise of girls, pay K80 rentals per month and 50 ngwee for a container of water.



Namukolo, who is a grade twelve pupil and not long ago was a school drop-out due to pregnancy, thanks to the re-entry policy, said she could not stand the kind of diet she was subjected to as a boarder.



She claimed pupils hardly had beef or chicken and this prompted her to look for her own accommodation with hope of having a balanced diet.


“We pay K650 per term as boarders and when I’m given that much I pay a K350 to learn as a day scholar and use the rest to buy the food I want to eat. I must say I’m enjoying life on my own,” said Namukolo expressively.



Indeed she was apparently happy with the arrangement as a visit to her room revealed another side of her life. In her room was a pair of a man’s canvas shoes.



And when asked to comment on why a man’s pair of shoes was in her apartment, Namukolo, dressed in a short blue denim skirt and a sleeveless top, burst into laughter and said, “Madam, honestly, I have no answer for you.”


It can be said that this awful behaviour has contributed to the high HIV/AIDS prevalence in the district.



The prevalence rate now stands at 13.3 percent and the fact that it is a border town which shares a boundary with Namibia is compounding the situation.



When contacted for a comment, Sesheke Secondary School deputy head teacher Gift Sibanze confirmed that pupils were renting apartments instead of living within the school premises because they wanted to be out of the school’s authority.



Mr Sibanze was appalled that pupils preferred their own accommodation arrangements instead of getting education first to enhance their future prospects.



He, however, admitted that pupils’ menu consists of beans and cabbage daily due to the challenges the school is facing.



But Mr Sibanze said, “We do give them meat and chicken once in a while but you cannot expect us to provide these things on a daily basis.”


However, he was quick to say that pupils, especially, girls were only living alone because of the freedom they were able to have but this practice led to early marriages and the increase in HIV and AIDS the district.


“When they are within the school premises we control their movements and their freedom,” Mr Sibanze said with concern.



According to him, the school enrolment which stands at 2,285 pupils, of whom 1,266 are girls and 1,019 are boys, has failed to record an impressive pass rate because of this development.



Current statistics of 2013 stood at 34 percent for the grade twelve results.



And to mitigate this challenge, the school has embarked on tracking and monitoring pupils in boarding from the time they join the school.


“We are now ensuring that we monitor the number of boarders as they come in grade ten,” he said.
Sesheke district commissioner Mihupulo Yumei expressed concern over the development and called for parents and stakeholders to join in addressing the challenge.



Mr Yumei called for stringent measures to be put in place to address the sad development.



He noted that “it is disturbing to see pupils engaging in immoral behaviour and worse still beer drinking due to cheap imported alcohol.



But, district education board secretary Mubonda Katukula apportioned blame on parents for this widespread development.



Mr Katukula noted that the renting of rooms by pupils has in most cases been a ‘blessing’ to parents.


“Some parents rent apartments for their children without the school authorities knowing about it. In my view, it is better to approach the school if they have challenges of paying boarding fees for their children than to rent rooms for them [pupils] as this gives them freedom,” he said.



In spite of the challenges mentioned above, the education system should continue in its vision of instilling discipline, upright moral values, and genuine patriotism for the good of the nation.

Appoint female press aide, presidential candidates told

TWO media bodies in the country have urged political parties in the forth-coming presidential election to consider appointing a female press aide once elected into office.
Zambia has never had a woman press aide since independence.
Speaking in an interview with Femail, Zambia Union of Journalists General Secretary Angela Chishimba said it is high time elected governments appointed female press aides as a way of empowering women in the media.
Ms Chishimba said there are capable women in the media who can represent the President both at local and international levels.
She said, “Just the same way they have appointed women in sectors, such as in the police, auditor general and anti-corruption commission, they should also empower women in the media.
Press Association of Zambia executive secretary Patson Phiri has challenged women in the media to engage in political reporting if they are to be recognised by political parties.
“But now gender empowerment has become one of the qualities of good governance, it is important that politicians look at that principle and implement it at all cost,” Mr Phiri said.
And Media Institute of Southern Africa chairperson Hellen Mwale said the appointment of a female press aide will be a great gift to the media frantenity.
She noted that SADC protocol requires to have 50 per cent of women in decision making positions.
"Fifty years after independence Zambia has only had one female spokesperson at statehouse during the reign of Dr Kenneth Kaunda by the name of Dr Mable Milimoell," Ms Mwale said.

Construction sites get 72,000 condoms monthly

OVER 72,000 condoms are distributed to each road construction site every month to meet the high demand though they remain in short supply at the source.



According to Youth Cultural Promotion Association executive director Beck Banda, the demand for condoms is high in areas where road construction works are taking place.



However, Dr Banda said the supply for condoms is low and they are not readily available even in areas such as Lusaka.



Speaking in an interview, Dr Banda who is also engaged by the Road Development Agency in sensitising road construction workers on HIV/AIDS said over 72,000 condoms are given out at sites every month.



He said “we have done so much sensitising in districts where road construction works are taking place because girls and women are indulging in sexual activities due to poverty. So we sensitise both construction workers and the community.’


Dr Banda added that sensitisation programmes will be extended to schools in the construction sites this year.


“A warning to parents with children in boarding schools located where road construction works are taking place: make sure you give adequate food stuffs to your children to avoid them going to construction workers who will give them what they need in exchange for sex,” he said.



Meanwhile Dr Banda has called on government through RDA to increase funding to the HIV/AIDS sensitisation programmes due to the huge task involved.



He said there are many communities to reach countrywide which need these services.



And Dr Banda has since commended construction firms for allowing their workers to be sensitised on good behavioural practices.


“We have worked with China-Henain, China Civil, China-state, Road and pave and China Jauxi. And we hope they continue rendering their support even the New Year,” he added.



Government through RDA in 2012 embarked on a programme meant to sensitise road construction workers on their sites and neighbouring communities on  HIV/AIDS and gender activities.



This came in wake of reports that girls and women were offering sex in exchange for money due to poverty and in turn increasing the levels of HIV/AIDS in the country.

Traditional leaders join fight against malnutrition

ZAMBIA is one of the countries in Africa with the highest burden of under nutrition in children.
Thousands of children suffer from one or more forms of malnutrition including low birth weight, wasting, stunting and underweight.
The current child stunting levels in Zambia stand at 45 percent with a breakdown of prevalence of wasting at five percent, prevalence of underweight at 15 percent and stunting is at 15 percent.
Rural areas are the worst hit with under nutrition in Zambia with Mumbwa in Central Province almost covering half of the national stunting statistics.
However, the first 1,000 most critical days programme (exclusive breastfeeding) is one of the key interventions Government has put in place to ensure child stunting is reduced.
Subsequently, the burden to reduce malnutrition has attracted fierce participation from key stakeholders such as traditional rulers, who are aiming at reducing it in their chiefdoms.
Chief Mwansakombe of Samfya in Luapula Province said he has resolved to engage in the fight against malnutrition due to the high number of children dying in his chiefdom.
The traditional leader spoke under the auspices of the Civil Society Organisation Scaling-up Nutrition alliance (CSO-SUN) at the national nutrition forum held recently.
He said 300 children die from malnutrition every year in his chiefdom and added that it is a huge number to lose in a year.
Suffice to say, Chief Mwansakombe has embarked on vigorous campaigns to end malnutrition in his area. Among the initiatives he has embarked on include sensitising women on good breastfeeding practices.
Exclusive breastfeeding of children is essential in the fight against underweight and medical experts advise that children are supposed to be breastfed for a period of six months.
Additionally, the traditional ruler urges that children are not supposed to be restricted to one variety of food.
“When you go to a Zambian home and they serve you lunch, it’s obvious you know the kind of meal you will be served. So it’s important we change the kind of food we serve in our homes,” he said.
Underweight, which mostly results in child stunting, adversely affects the cognitive development of a child.
It affects their educational abilities and outcomes, their health and future life prospects.
And the economic cost of under nutrition to Zambia over the last 10-year period has been estimated to be as high as US$775 million productivity.
Further, Chief Mwansakombe has since called on the national food and nutrition commission to decentralise their nutrition messages from district to village level.
Going east, Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni people of Chipata said stringent measures have been take to ensure that underweight and malnutrition are reduced in the province.
In an interview, Chief Madzimawe said the royal establishment has done away with the brewing and drinking of ‘kachasu’ (a local beer), which makes parents irresponsible at the expense of providing food for their children.
He said: “We have a project like ‘mawa’ that promotes the growing of orange maize and orange sweet potatoes among farmers, which are nutritious and cardinal to the growth of children.”
“And we encourage our farmers to grow variety of crops. We are also putting up sheds where excess crops are stored so that we give out to vulnerable and poor families round our chiefdoms,” Chief Madzimawe added.
Meanwhile, Chief Macha of Southern Province also added that he is currently building a community hall, where the local people will gather for cooking demonstrations by nutrition experts.
He said it was important for people to be subjected to cooking demonstrations so that they have knowledge on how to prepare various nutritious local foods.
“I am appealing to Government to send nutrition experts to my chiefdom so that they train my people, who will in turn train the rest of the villagers on important cooking lessons that can improve the nutrition of our children and further reduce child stunting and underweight here,” the traditional ruler said.
According to the traditional leaders, recommendations must be made to improve current plans and accelerate progress towards a Zambia where all children will be afforded adequate nutrition and a full life potential, regardless of where they are born or live.
The responsibility, therefore, falls on all stakeholders to capitalise on this crucial momentum and urgently seize upon the opportunity before it is lost.
CSO-SUN Alliance National co-ordinator William Chilufya noted that investment must be made towards infant and young children nutrition. Every year, one million lives are saved, 369 million more children and their mothers have healthier lives and there is an increase in the country’s GDP by two-three percent.
“Investments in the nutrition are the best foundation for a strong, prosperous future for the nation,” he said.