The Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) is disappointed with Zambians on their poor response to the international appeals for humanitarian support to the Haiti earthquake victims.
ZRCS Public Relations Manager James Zulu described Zambia’s response to the international appeal as bad and discouraging.
Recently, there was a global appeal for countries to provide humanitarian assistance to the Haitians that were left homeless following an earthquake that claimed over 150,000 lives a fortnight ago.
Mr Zulu said since the appeal was launched, only one family of Lusaka has responded by donating US$22O (about one million Kwacha).
He told ZANIS in Lusaka today that the donated money has since been sent to the victims through right channels.
Mr Zulu has since urged the Zambian government to show more political will and offer help to the people of Haiti.
He said people of Zambia have always been known to be compassionate, saying they should exhibit that compassion by responding positively towards easing the suffering of the Haitians.
Mr Zulu said despite the poor response, the ZRCS would continue appealing to Zambians to give whatever humanitarian support they could to the people of Haiti either online or through the society in order.
He said the Haitians require were still desperate for humanitarian support, especially food and medical supplies.
Recently, government said Zambia had no capacity to send humanitarian assistance to that country.
ZANIS
This is embarrasing. One way is to have RB cancel one of his globe trottings and donate the money to our brothers and sisters in haiti.
Secondly, Yes Zambians in general are poor but are we that poor that we cant even donate anything? We should be ashamed of ourselves.
May be Red Cross should make appeals via churches, companies and govt institutions to obtain support from individuals. I am sure we can give something to those in Haiti, even if it’s a pair of trousers or a skirt.
# 1 UK-Zed Observer, looking at your good comments I’m really touched. By the way you(UK-Zed Observer) our brethren in UK, how much have you sent to this cause so far? Will be delighted to hear about your contribution.
While the response from the Zambian Government may be disappointing to the Red Cross, I do not think it is their place to express this in an official statement.
Though I do agree that as Zambians, we could have done better. Here in the US Zambians have been contributing by texting ‘HAITI” to 90999.
The red cross is a business which has investments and relies on guilty tripping people into making donations which it gets a percentage cut from. The 9/11 incident where hundreds of millions of dollars was diverted is a good example. This chap Zulu is just crying because he knws damn well that the less the donations the less his funding . It’s a shame people hijack disasters to profit themselves. If the red cross cares so much about humanitarian aid why don’t they cut their own HIGH salaries and sell most of their assets they acquired via emotional blackmail
#2 China
In the UK we have many ways to participate. One is by the DEC (Desaster Emergecny Committee). Their phone number is all advertised on TV etc. By them we have raised over £40m. It is individuals like me and you who phone in and make a donation. Even if its £5.
Hope you have a phone in means like that, though I wonder if infrastructure in Zambia is that advanced. that’s why I suggested going to where people are in churches and work places.
Whilst Haiti has been a touching case deserving humanitarian aid from all who can afford, Zambia can ill-afford to offer either financial or material assistance.
Can we as a country afford such expenditure when we are failing to adequately pay our doctors and nurses let alone all other government employees? The last time I visited Zambia, a year ago, was very distressing looking at the number of street kids who live in “Haiti” but in our case called Lusaka. The suffering of the people in Zambia and in particular the line of rail is no different to the people we are seeing after the earth quake disaster in Haiti.
In this regard, it is more incumbent upon Mr Zulu of the Red Cross – Zambia to seek for resources to help the suffering Zambian masses before trying to help other countries.
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez has once again accused the United States of playing God. But this time it’s Haiti’s disastrous earthquake that he thinks the U.S. was behind. Spanish newspaper ABC quotes Chavez as saying that the U.S. navy launched a weapon capable of inducing a powerful earthquake off the shore of Haiti. He adds that this time it was only a drill and the final target is … destroying and taking over Iran.
#four,
what Zulu doesnt realise is that we probably dont trust the zambian redcross to send the funds to Haiti. Zambia Red Cross needs to show us what they actually do and how they account for funds they get.
How can we give when we are just as needy as the Haitians! Even if we make donations, there is no guarantee that the money will get there! it might just end-up in someones pockets.
Sometimes we human beings give sacrificially, not necessarily because we have plenty or all our needs are met. We see this at funerals or school fees for our relatives. There are a lot of people inLusaka who can skip their Sunday pizza at Manda Hill. and still be alive on Monday morning.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Was it for Mwanawasa’s funeral that Zambians donated thru BOZ? We still had street kids, and the donors did not die of lack.
If we really want to give something to Haiti, I can assure you we will.
We are in same same crisis as Haiti>:d<>:d<>:d<>:d<
If we have in Lusaka an Ambassador from Haiti, we can give to him. Or if Zambia has a missions office that cover Haiti, we can give thru them. We certainly have official channels between Zambia and Haiti that by-pass Red Cross.
Companies can offer to assist transport our donations. Here in the UK, British Airways transported donated goods to Haiti for free.
We can send a bit of money, some food, some clothes.
Also there’s a blessing in helping those in need. You will be blessed, so that you can always have something to give those in need. Those who withhold when it is in their power to give become poorer. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Playing poor is a sure way of remaining in poverty.
With a generally poor disclosure regime in Zambia both in Government and NGO’s, this tells me that people are probably concerned that their money will end up financing someone’s bullet proof X5. Instead of condemning Zambians for being less generous, it is time the ZRC opened their books to public scrutiny to show people what percentage of donations actually reach the intended target.
This is why we don’t need degrees.
Mr. Zulu is a big disappointment himself. He even goes on to say that only one Zambia family donated USD220. How much did he donate himself? Why can’t he lead by example?
Mr Zulu what have you, your self donated to this cause? Please tell us. Dont just say things for the sake of getting media attention, you already know that even in zambia most families need similar help to Haiti, hence they cant afford to donated.
😕 Zambians gave, are we also not Zambians. Let us continue sending prayers for our stolen brothers and sisters. These organisations should be mindful of their tone aswell; help can even be sent a year later.
I can not believe all of you people. This is why most African you are still poor. because you don’t have the sprit of giving, always excepting to be receiving. What if what happened in Haiti happened to Zambia???? would you not be wanting help. Africans should start learning to give. Zambians if you can please help out the people of Haiti. I have friends that I went to school with that are from Haiti and they have lost their beloved ones and lost everything, and you all you can say is Mr. Zulu is a disappointment. If every Zambian can donate $1 imagine how much will be raised to help out those affected.
Banda was quick to give Mugabe 10 million US dollars! Although I don’t think the Red Croos is a trust worthy organisation, some money could have been donated! e.g get some of the impending robbery cash by Rodger Chongwe (Compensation) and part of the fraudulent 8 million Chiluba is purported to have put in Zamtrop, or cut the 2 million US dollars handed to RP Capital for nothing.!! At least our people could feel good about their money!
How can you ask a beggar to give alms?
I am not ASHARMED at! They poor will always be there…we are very poor people, indeed we have our own Haiti…Driving through Zed will surely show anybody that we have nothing…totally nothing…our poverty is self called upon and also a lovely blessing of 600 hundreds of abuse from our ‘trading partners’…SORRY A ZULU…Zed-as a team, its not happening…only individual brilliance should be play…:-?
Damn the quake, imagine if Africa was proned to such events…with our poverty..ya..we thank GOD…
[-([-(
We would like to help/donate but we have people in who’s life is a daily ‘Haiti’ . . . .coutless of them thanks to the govt of the day!
6 mule says, I think thats not the way international issues should be looked at. Problems are everywhere but whe it comes to natural disasters of kind we must help. USA has street kids for your own information,it has people who cant afford insurance,sex workers, unemployed and the government cant satisfy everybody. But when it comes to humanitarian aid, they respond first and they dont discriminate. I dont kno the situation in UK but I know it has also a bag of problems. I am studying in russia free of chatge and the russian government gives me stipend every month. But there are russians who are struggling to get places in the university in there own country. Others are paying.
6 mule says, I think thats not the way international issues should be looked at. Problems are everywhere but whe it comes to natural disasters of this kind we must help. USA has street kids for your own information,it has people who cant afford insurance,sex workers, unemployed and the government cant satisfy everybody. But when it comes to humanitarian aid, they respond first and they dont discriminate. I dont kno the situation in UK but I know it has also a bag of problems. I am studying in russia free of chatge and the russian government gives me stipend every month. But there are russians who are struggling to get places in the universities in there own country. Others are paying for there studies and unfornate others cant afford and they are no in school..
Good Evening
Firstly, giving is something that, in principle, ought to be done freely – straight from the heart, without being forced to do so or out of a guilty conscience. That is why the Bible say “God loves a cheerful giver.”
Secondly, Haiti is just at the doorstep of the USA and Washington is currently doing all the needful for the Haitians. The US government has just agreed upon a 3-step restoration plan for Haiti which will include bank loans and housing facilities for the majority of Haitians. Plus the Haitian government and aid authorities have raised over $ 50 million from Germany alone in one week! And people are still giving…
we may not have earthquakes in Africa but what about the wars and famine? They seem to be of interest only to those physically affected by…
my last sentence was supposed to read…” they seem to be of interest only to those physically affected by them.”
how can Zzzd donate when half of her people goes to bed hungry? the “little” there is is used by chitwenokane and Co. for shopping sprees, holidays and sending presents to rich friends:o Even hospitals and. clinics and are in shambles where one is unlikely to find proper doctors or medicines till now other nations has been sending donations to Zzzd but it seems the only ones enjoying the dough are a handful of rafians with kaponyas behind them….
I’m going to donate clothes to *xfam for the victims in Haiti…
There are other ways of supporting haitian victims, Madam Oga can bring back a couple of orphans to come and live in africa instead of sipping enticing drinks at cocktail parties with the rich… show the world what it means to come from the so called christian nation, not just spending tax money on useless things:-?
Hardly surprising that not a single soul in Zambia is willing or able to donate. The whole country is an economic earth quake. We are quakes.
#26
Spot on…
Mr.Zulu,what do we give them when our people can hardly have a meal per day?pliz ..think and get to the ground…
I thought a large number of Zambians themselves need as much help as the Haitians?
Wisi Boyi *13 hit the nail on the hed. Zambians have seen what happens to aid in their own country. They are not stupid. Why should they give their hard earned money to make some Haitian politicians richer and but new Landcruisers for the aid agencies
Breaking news —- A 6.1 magnitude Earthquake has hits Philippines.—-Breaking News(BBC)
What has the Zambia Red Cross Society done on the ground to fund-raise?
*-:) As wise mr. Chale has stated let’s just give and not even say anything about mr. Zulu. After donating then two weeks from today let us tell mr. Zulu to find ways of sensitizing Zambians in aid relief, most people would not even know where to donate. One other thing asZambians let’s also help a broke neighbours child that is in Twelve grade or secondary through high school. That’s if you can afford it. I am tired of talking maybe when I put my actions in place of all my wise ideas my nation shall surely grow to developed status.
I have spoke about this before on this forum. Times of crisis, such as Haiti, are not for potential benefactors to be lamenting about their own problems. All donor countries have their own pending needs, including poverty and homeless kids. And, yes, this includes the USA! The spirit is simply that those that have not been hit by an earthquake help those that have. Zambia should contribute something. What is clearly lacking is leadership! And we want to call ourselves a Christian Nation. As usual, most of the reasoning above is poor and misplaced.
meanwhile abaice balilusa ku angola and you want to pay them 6pin dolaz instead of telling them that their 5pin dolaz each has been sent to Haiti as they need it most than the players who have come without a trophy. why give money to losers? bwezani ala mpapisha zoooooooooooona
Mr. Zulu,
1. Most Zambians are poor and not in a position to help financially
2. How did you, Zambia Red cross communicate to the masses on how they can help?
3. What did you, Zambia Red Cross do to solicit help?
4. How much did you raise from your other over paid NGO friends?
Most NGO are living on donated money from the west and living it up as it is written off as administrative costs. How do you expect the poor people who see you misusing aid money to trust that you would send their donations to Haiti? Maybe they helped in other ways not the Zambia Red Cross. To me it shows how little trust and confidence Zambians have with local Red Cross office.
Zambia is just the same as Haiti…Its like you are asking the pipo of Kanyama, Msisi and Chibolya to donate money the pipo of Roma and woodlands.
Money is there in Zambia mostly with the govt & private companies.Us civilians are thinking of how we will get our next meal and you expect us to donate!!!!
Giving from the little you have is far more honourable than giving from plenty. Those who think you can only give when you are rich, are unaware that right people are generally quite stingy. The heart doesn’t grow to fit the pocket. it is either you are a compassionate person or you aren’t.
That said, why give to Haiti when our brethren across the border in Malawi are equally in need of assistance. That is where our attention should lie. especially as Karonga has falled out of favour due to the latest (albeit of a greater magnitude) disaster. We should be strategic in our assistance as a nation as should our institutions such as the red cross.
Uk Zed Observer and the rest in support of donations, I salute you! Haitans are our brothers and sisters in dire need of help and seeing the suffering especially of the children is more than heart breaking. Did’nt Zambians donate to the asian countries that were hit by that Tsunami in 200?. Apparently those asien countries donated to are much more wealthier than Haiti and Zambia. As for ZRCS, even if you are not trustworthy you should have take the leading role of collecting donations when they were needed most.
where will Zambians get the money to donate to Haiti.As much as we feel sorry for them,twapapata shonse impiya ka FTJ na Regina balisenda.Our country is poor,corruption is rife,even if we donate,we r not sure wether our money wud be given to our Haoitian brothers.Mayb Mr Zulu shud ask George Kunda to donate some of K3.5billion he’s law firm was paid by Government.