The Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI) has launched a special intervention programme for the aged called the ”Old peoples Social Safety net to improve the livelihood of the senior citzens.
The MMCI has aslo called on Zambians to assist female senior citizens.
Speaking during a fund raising luncheon for senior citizens in Lusaka today at which the programme was also launched, Mrs Mwanawasa said it is important to bring hope, unity, love and peace to the senior citizens because they had lost their biological children and were going through a lot of hardships.
The First Lady observed that the elderly were impoverished and were lacking adequate and nutritious foods.
Mrs Mwanawasa said elderly people have also been caught up in the general social humanitarian crisis created by HIV/AIDS as they now looked after their sick ones.
She pointed out that it was hard for elderly people to cope with demands of caring for orphans saying society should honour the elderly.
Mrs Mwanawasa said MMCI has risen to the challenge to empower the elderly and reduce levels of poverty because they have contributed a lot of care to the vulnerable and HIV patients in their households with little incoming support.
And the United Nations Secretary Special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa Elizabeth Mataka pledged support to the project through Global funds to assist the vulnerable particularly the elderly women.
Ms Mataka also disclosed that Zambia had over a million orphans according to the last demographic survey ranging from 0 to 18 years saying these figures were alarming and the situation needed quick intervention.
Ms Mataka who is also ZNAN Executive Director said this was a huge problem which had been created by the pandemic of HIV/AIDS adding that traditionally the extended family had since been neglected.
She added that Government alone could not manage to support such projects but other Civil Society and Non Governmental Organisations should take up the challenge.
And Gender and Women Development Minister Patricia Mulasikwanda said MMCI had made a great break through because of its contribution to the empowerment of women at community levels.
Ms Mulasikwanda said this gesture was worth supporting because it was completing Government in areas where it could not reach.
ZANIS/ENDS/VP/CLM
Its just a campaign strategy. Twalimishiba.
The social well fare is not issue over which maureen should make newspaper headlines. This is a serious issue for which the govt should come up with implementable legislature to look after the aged polulation. Refer to the neighbouring Botswana, on this-Social and welfare security.
I agree look at what Botswana has done. It has a great scheme.
Where is LPM and his GRZ? Why has LPM let his wife start working on this scheme when there is a whole GRZ deprtment on Social welfare? This is clearly a campaign gimmic at trying to get into 3rd term scenario by the brainless regime.
This program has been there all along why should Mrs.Chuchu bother herself.I conquer with all the 4 bloggers.Mwilatwangasha atase!!!
nanomba balamibepa.with all my learned collegues there.IT just shows that certain departments are dead.or there are ghost workers eating GRZ money for nothing.jokes aside,its better to copy from Botswana’s programmes.They have one of the best programmes in Africa.In Zambia the problem is not brain power or physical power but seriousness and bad implementation.
its a campaign strategy of remaining in plot 1 in the name of assisting senior citizens.
Truly its a campaign stategy fikabwalala.
This is the responsibilty of Government, what is wrong with this woman?
2011 is getting closer and she is just panicking. Why can’t pipo c thru this woman? The Government is responsible for what she is doing and yet she wants to make it look like it is from deep down her heart. We know these things.
we shall c when LPM is no longer in power what goodwill she will receive? Why didn’t she start this MMCI before coming to state house, people should be like Angela Miyanda, who has run Kabwata Orphanage so well.
Why should Elizabeth Mataka think of using public money from Global Funds on a what many think is family NGO like MMCI? Mrs Nkunika (Maurine’s sister) is the in charge. Why? Who are the auditors of this NGO? Do all the resources really get allocated to intended use? Is there a possiblity of mixing personal businesses and the NGO which receives support, some from public sources? How easy is it to distinguish between these. There are many questions that need to be transparently answered before we can with certainty that such ‘NGOs’ are able to deliver. Those who want to donate genuinely know where MCDSS is which requires such support for sustainability.