Families have been urged to avoid divorce, streetism and child neglect if the country is to achieve sustainable social and economic development.
The call is from community develoment and social services catherine Namugala.
Ms Namugala says there is need for everyone to treasure and preserve the family as a basic unit of a stable and strong nation.
The minister was speaking when she officiated at this year’s commemoration of the International Day of the Family in Lusaka today under the theme ‘Fathers and Families: Responsibilities and Challenges.”
Ms Namugala said the theme was appropriate in view of the crucial role fathers are supposed to play in caring and providing for their families.
She noted with concern that although some fathers are in gainful economic activities, they do not take care of their families but instead abuse them emotionally and physically.
Ms Namugala said fathers should get involved in all domestic chores such as what the children will eat, their school work and escorting their wives to antenatal clinic.
The minister hoped that through the commemoration of this day, all stakeholders including government, religious groups and individuals will promote and carry out programmes on the family that stress the specific role of fathers for the betterment of the family and the nation as a whole.
She said on its part, government has put in place policies and programmes aimed at enabling families to effectively functuion.
The programmes include micro-finance, the public welafre assistance scheme, social cash transfer, food security pack and social security schemes.
Ms. Namugala noted that the problem of child delinquency and children taking to the street is partly as a result of the missing role of fathers.
The minister pointed out that the theme seeks to highlight the importance of fathers in the context of development because fathers are critical in establishment of stable families needed for national development.
She added that the institution of family is the first and most important socializing institution where shelter and security is to be found when facing difficulties in life.
She urged fathers to ensure that they get involved in all matters pertinent to family and not leave all family matters to the women folk.
And Speaking earlier at the flag-off march past at the main Lusaka post office, Deputy minister in the ministry of community development and social services Elijah Muchima said some fathers fail to provide adequately for their families not because they cannot afford to but because of irresponsible behavior.
Mr. Muchima observed that instead of spending the money on the welfare of the family certain fathers engage themselves in unnecessary expenditures and the family in the end suffers.
He challenged the people who gathered at the flag-off ceremony to ensure that there is solidity in their families as this is key to national development.
Meanwhile, Morgan Chilufya 32, father of two said it is unfortunate that some fathers chose to neglect their families for unnecessary activities which cause families to suffer.
National day of the family? Dont people have nothing better to do?
Good, it’s high time someone reminded fathers (especially Lusaka fathers) of their responsibilities to their families. Most of them get the urge to get several girlfriends the moment they make an extra bit of money. The end result is a lot of emotional torment for wives and kids, a lot of suffering for unsupported children born out of wedlock, and more importantly a lot of deaths among young men of productive age. Not to mention a lot of neglected wives finding illicit solace in the arms of other men while their cheating husbands think they are at kitchen parties. Unless this moral decay comes to an end, we’ll continue seeing a lot of young, rich and happy widows in the streets of Lusaka, d
CONTD from #2: driving their dead husbands’ posh cars and living it up in newly built mansions. Take heed.
Ngafweniko mwe bantu…. Is this “Ms Namugala” married? If not then she cant talk about marriege issues. People divorce for reasons anyway.
Jesus said,you can only divorce incase of infidelity!these divorces that are rising evry day are so alarming!God forbid and save us.Namugala,it’s a good reminder to some of our fellow brothers who like sleeping around and leave their seeds every wher they go!
#5 wabanzi we! Was Jesus himself married to know what it is like living your life in an earthly hell!!! #4 I concur, ndekukonka! people divorce for different reasons, and a reason is a reason!
There are so many reasons for divorce. #2. Do you belong to a group of women who kill their husbands in order to inherit their money? No wonder there are so ‘happy’ widows in Lusaka. you Killers.
ha! #7, just look at the RAV4 and their number in Lusaka, that should give you an idea.
Divorce can always be avoided if people really marry because the chemistry is correct and matching. Unfortunately, most of our ladies start panicking when they clock 25 years and they say yes to any Jim and Jack as long as he has a job and can put up a fake forced temporary smile! Somehow, the church teaching does help to keep a monster and a victim together forever regardless whether their is chemistry or not. I am afraid, every situation calls for a unique solution, my sisters, there nothing wrong with being single, come out if you realize you got yourself a monster, dont shipikisha, ala fyakale! You will find your daghter being imprisoned in the basement! Open your eyes and keep looking!
#6 Jesus is God,he is divine,all knowing and whether married or not he understand it all,dont comparehim to a mortal man,he is immortal,conquered death,remember he is coming back to judge the leaving and the dead.God bless you
I would like to remind #6 that Jesus is Lord and God even though you sound like you do not believe that. My apeal to you is that you mind the way you come out. Also note comments from #10. May the Holy Spirit start it’s work of salvation in your life. God bless you
Man by nature is polygamst! but this doesn’t authorise them to do diry work with other women! When your realise you made a mistake kindly try to work out things with your partner and learn to forgive each other then try it once more,but if the problem persist then move on to plan B i.e separation but it doesn’t also mean now you are free to sleep arround with other men or women,but to shape your life and hope for good , correct your past mistakes and try again. Divorce should be the last resort if all avenue have failed.Men or women out there, when u hear a man or woman telling you tht they were once married and they r tryin to move on be very carefull you may be a consolar! u knw wat I min.
# 10& 11, You have said it all. Some of these people have chosen willingly to avoid Jesus. Any way, whether you like it or not, He lived the surface of the earth he himself created. God is almighty and it will be very foolish for some one to abuse the freedom of speech to demean Jesus Christ, whom even great historians attest to have been the only man in human history to have made the GREAST IMPACT EVER.
Be blessed # 6
I am moslem
Guys tell me, how much do we as individuals take different opinions lightly. You see I have observed with dismay at how this discussion on divorces and families has all of sudden turned into a war of religion. Look someone was asked once which religion he belonged to and he said just know that I have faith in a supreme being because religions are just there to devide people. Is this guy right, maybe he is. I have been roundly condemed for putting my opinion across and guess what nobody has asked me what faith I am? Anyway I have read quite widely about religion and there is something I read called the bible uncovered, I learnt a lot. It is this ‘if you are against me you are my enemy
… type of attitude which is driving away a lot of people from protestants churches to the catholic and the numbers of people that are going to church has dwindled drastically maybe because of this attitude from the christians. It is only a christian brother who has nothing to do with a person who commits crimes which are socially unacceptable yet these people should be our targets. So my apoloigies if I am sounding antithetical, but I usually prefer discussing issues as they are, we would make better christians if we treated Jesus Christ as our friend other than a boss – subordinate relationship!! Anyway the discussion is one divorces and the above are my personal opinions and reflections
#6. you an an atheist. Little wonder. Repent, God can still forgive you. He is merciful.
Oh! I see, since you know me better that me, thank you I will do as per advice.
Careless Fathers can u wake up? It was a very bold reminder from ms Namugala no wonder she is not married,fearing careless fathers.
#14,15 & 16, I bet you have read about religions. Good but most of the people mistake Christianity as a religion. No it’s above any religion you can ever think of because the auther of any religion present today is a human being. E.g. Bhuddism, Confuscius, Islam Eckkism or Eckanker, Bahai, Mommon etc. All these have leaders who began something and u will notice that these leaders upon dying, never even left a very good leadership transition. Coming to the topic at hand, divorce in the Bible is only arrived at due to unfaithfulness between husband and wife. Here, JESUS says if you divorce on any reason, u are liable of commiting adultery. By the way i believe in Jesus because of his power to
predict the future events. I have read the Koran and some vedas (Gita) and i have read articles about Darwinism but they fail to convince me about the ability to predict the future. This ability is only found in one book, THE BIBLE.
The Bible teaches us to love our enemies unlike the quran, which is based upon the TORAH(first 5 books of the law, Genesis to Deutronomy)You can vividly see this if you have read both the Bible and Koran.
# 19, dont be too excited about ms Namugala, you never know she may be going out with married men
Christianity: 2.1 billion
Islam: 1.5 billion
Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
Hinduism: 900 million
Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
Buddhism: 376 million
primal-indigenous: 300 million
African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
Sikhism: 23 million
Juche: 19 million
Spiritism: 15 million
Judaism: 14 million
Baha’i: 7 million
Jainism: 4.2 million
Shinto: 4 million
Cao Dai: 4 million
Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
Tenrikyo: 2 million
Neo-Paganism: 1 million
Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
Scientology: 500 thousand
Enigma, my question in essence was how do we deal with the 3.9 billion people who do not subscribe to Christinity, what has made them believe that the other religions are better. That is when I ask, who is our enemy that we should love according to the article you posted, as a matter of fact I think I have over burdened this subject because the subject in discussion is not religion. Maybe the blogger should introduce such a topic at some point and ponder on these issues.
Those men who leave their wives and have satelite families elsewhere, with whom do they set up these families? Other women. Women are sometimes the worst enemies of married women, they will do anything and everything for a man to leave his wife, they will deliberately get pregnant in order to bind the man to them, it is pathetic the way women use all sorts of tricks to woo men away from their fellow women. The married women will in the end give up and there goes a happy home, the man will go on “slaughtering” the girls and father a number of children he cannot afford to look after. Are there no chastity belts for men?
men in lusaka are complaining. They say during KK and FJT’s time they had to hassel while the wives were at home doing part time courses. Now the wives have completed studies and are in better paid jobs in all strata of zambian society. The battle goes on.
Many are called few are choosen,you cant debate on following christ,its an inner conviction,if its not in you to see that,you will never see Him.Its not he who runs,or he who is swift but its God who shows mercy.God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden,they got to be a Pharoah to have a moses.
There is only one way to heaven,through the cross,you lay your life there and take on the life of christ.We all have been given this chance but some have willfully denied christ,remember we will have to give an account of every word and deed someday.
As a single mother of 3 boys now aged 21,19 and 15 from the time my youngest was 1. There has been no father role model but my sons are good,honest,hardworking and making good progress. I left my husband because the situation in our home was very bad and I could not imagine bringing up my children in a house where there is no happiness. I know people especially women who have stayed married because of the children but these children are more messed up and what do you have to say about your life when you are older.Life is short-if you are lucky to find your sole mate GREAT otherwise GET OUT AND GET A LIFE!!!!
#24 the 3.9billion who have choosen not to follow christ by there own will, have denied christ.There only two spirits here on earth,the holy spirit and the antichrist spirit(evil spirit).Its a question of which spirit dominates your life.The only solution to the 3.9 billion is to preach christ to them,but if they have heard of christ before like you have heard before and they willfully choose not to follow,then they have chosen there own destiny,which is hell.
28 GAGA,
I can imagine the trauma you put your children through, all those different men they had to call “Uncle” who were busy servicing you. I can almost attest that they were other womens’ husbands. I am also sure that you grew up in a home with your father and mother present, yet you have to subject your children to all this trauma and being called children from a broken home.
The mainly cause of divorce in zambia is affairs.I am not a zambian but my sister in law is.In my culture once you are married no more boyfriends but in Zambia couples tend to have as many girlfriends and boyfriends while married,this is beyond my comprehension and if children are involved they end up suffering.Is it all culture in Zambia? or i don,t know?????????
# 1 Sarah its not just men from lusaka,women also shud do likewise.I have a married woman chasing me up despite having told her that aint ready 4 no relationship with anybody.
women have decided against marriage . they have realised that 4 the sake of 4oz of pork sausage why marry the whole fu…king pig . why stay in a loveless marriage 4 the sake of children ati ninkalila bana fyakale . divorce is a personal decision coz who feels it knows it . bane which mother ni law would allow her son to do household chores ati banamudyesa kolyo kolyo
Mwinga and Enigma,
It is possible to have confidence in your own religion without having to bash other religions. Unless you two have serious identity and self esteem issues, please come to terms with the fact that we are all different, and have different ways of acknowledging the other realm. I see a lot of people justify their faith by pointing out what is wrong with other faiths, and frankly, that is nonsense. Every religion has its good and hideous issues. Agree to disagree and move on. Peace.
23 include satanism which i belong to.
The devils is under attack and busy destroying families. How do we protect this, Pray, take time to really pray.
#30 What trauma? I have a lovely home with lots of love and attention for my children. And what makes you think there are only married men out there!!!I was to busy building a career and looking after my sons to involve myself into pointless affairs. I am an independently woman who has managed to fend for myself. Five years ago I meet a divorced man who is also not interested in marriage and we are happy.You sound bitter and sad. Have you been disappointed?
Good marriege leads to good marrieges
please ladies and gentlemen, keep to what is on the plate. The author’s point is unity and fathers participation in the up bringing of children in a home. Anywhere in history where a father is not available, children’s welfare suffers- be it economically, or emotionally. Fridays, for most fathers, it’s time for ICHILA and buying HIV, but look at our Western friends, Fridays they are driving to and from picking their children from soccer, baseball games etc. Our excuse is, “Ifyonwina chilolo maka mbweshesha munda”- no those are calories you are packing on, our forefathers drunk katata rich in selenium. From the comments above, I can see, iminyagu shaifunda kale, so let the boy here this.
I dont know, only God knows.There4,let us remember to pray 4 our family members and 4 our country to have good women and men who are commited to their resposibilities as parents and that they may remain in true love which they had 4 each other from the time they met.Divorce is not something good.May God give wisdom to those who are married.
Ala bane Lesa fye umine e ukatulubula.This issue of divorce! We need to be men and women of prayers
39 Winfrifradah,
I love your depth and wisdom let me hear you more on this subject. I am a man ‘ ala uwaseka inongo asaka naka bumba”
what happened to Sodom and Gomora?, maarried people if you realise your spouse has been cheating on you, treat them accordingly, if you have the energy beat, or use other means to destroy them especially the one outside your marriage. One was delt with on the copperbelt, i would be suprised if she is still doing it.
Its a sad day when a creation challanges the existence of its creator. We were created by God and he has given us a manual book concerning all the instructions we need for life(including marriage). This manual is the BIBLE! Read it for the end is near when the son of man is coming!
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