First Lady urges partnerships for the needy

First Lady Esther Lungu has called on well-wishers to come on board and partner with government in helping the needy in society.

She said Zambia is among African countries that have a high number of people with disabilities hence needing help from well-wishes.
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The First Lady was speaking when she visited Mapalo Day Centre and Chikuku orphanage in Kasama.

She said Northern province has the highest number of people with disabilities in Zambia hence the need for stakeholders to partner with the government in alleviating their plight.

Mrs Lungu said she will work hard to lobby for support for disadvantaged women and vulnerable children from both the government and well-wishers from all sectors of society.

She said the differently abled have a right to education and medication among other human rights, hence the need for government and partners to play their roles in ensuring that these rights are protected.

Mrs. Lungu further advised members of the public not to discriminate any disabled person in any spectrum of society.

She later visited Chileshe Chepela Special School for the Disabled and Kasama General Hospital mothers’ shelter and psychopaedic children ward.

The centers also received donations in the form of mealie meal, sugar, clothes, footballs and educational materials.

The First Lady is accompanied to Kasama by former First Lady Vera Chiluba and some ministers’ spouses.

The First Lady is today expected in Mungwi and will wind up her visit of Northern Province with a fundraising dinner for women this evening.

Meanwhile Former First lady Vera Chiluba has urged women to acquire entrepreneurship skills to help them sustain their livelihoods.

Ms Chiluba who is in the First Lady’s entourage to Northern Province said this when she addressed PF women in Kasama yesterday.

She said women should acquire entrepreneurial skills so that they could engage in businesses and become self-reliant.

She said the development will help to reduce on the high cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) being experienced by women in the country.

She said the increase in the number of GBV cases is as a result of women not being financially independent.

Ms. Chiluba further promised the PF women that she would return to Kasama to train them in entrepreneurial skills.

During the same meeting, First Lady Esther Lungu commended PF officials for vigorously campaigning for the election of President Lungu in the January 20 Presidential elections.