The Esther Lungu Foundation Trust has embarked on a goat project which seeks to empower community based health workers in an effort to enhance activities aimed at promoting safe motherhood in communities.

Trust patron, Esther Lungu said the foundation will support Safe Motherhood Action Groups (SMAGs), family planning committees and Neighborhood community health workers with seed capital.

Mrs. Lungu said in an interview on Friday that community groups will be expected to purchase and breed goats and that her foundation will provide market for the goats in Saudi Arabia as this will help the community groups enhance their activities.

She said the project which started with the seed capital to community based health workers in Lundazi will be rolled out to others districts in the country.

Mrs. Lungu also stated that maternal and child health are among the pillars of the Esther Lungu foundation trust which also promotes women empowerment, persons with disabilities access to clean and safe water and sanitation which are critical issues affecting communities.

Meanwhile, the First Lady who concluded her five day campaign for safe motherhood in Lundazi district with a call for more community driven activities and linkages in order to attain the desired universal access to sexual reproductive health services without leaving anyone behind.

The First Lady said in an interview that community health workers and traditional leaders have proved to be pro-active and effective partners in promoting safe motherhood and access to sexual reproductive health facilities among villages which she said has been leading to a reduction in maternal deaths.

She however, expressed concern that young girls in Lundazi district have been victims of obstetric fistula, a medical condition caused by prolonged obstructed labor.

Mrs. Lungu notes that it is sad that young mothers suffer continuous foul discharge and leaking of stool, which she said is a result of early indulgence into sexual activities when the body is not fully developed for child bearing.

The first lady thanked both national and international partners who she said have contributed to the country’s success in the health sector.

She stated that partners such as UNFPA, CIRDZ, UNICEF, WHO, USAID, DFID and many others have been helping the Zambian Government provide sound health services to the people.

Vice President Inonge Wina says the introduction of Disaster warning systems in the country will enhance the country’s capacity to respond, avert and mitigate impending disasters arising from climatic conditions in order to foster public safety.

Mrs Wina said an early warning system will play a cardinal role in minimizing calamities that the country experiences resulting from flooding when river banks bursts due to increased rainfall activities.

ZANIS reports that the Vice President said this when she commissioned the country’s first ever flood warning siren at Mbeta Island in Sioma District in Western Province.

Mrs Wina commended the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), and Zambia Information Communication and Technology Authority (ZICTA) in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for the initiative.

She stated that Mbeta Island like many other places in the country are prone to disasters and that the disaster early warning system will help avert, respond to and manage calamities.

“This system we are commissioning today, will enhance early warning information that will help my office through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, the Provincial Disaster Management Committee (PDMC), the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) and not forgetting the Satellite Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), to plan for impending disasters, disseminate alert warning messages to people at risk, and also to take quick action in responding to disasters,” she said.

The Vice President urged the people of Mbeta Island to utilise the information generated effectively and efficiently in order to avoid any loss of life, damage to property and the environment at large.

Mrs Wina urged the community to look after the equipment well so that it can serve its intended purpose.

She said government remains committed to taking development to all parts of the country including Mbeta Island in line with the Patriotic Front Party manifesto which emphasises taking development countrywide and Western Province will not be left behind.

The Vice President also handed over some banana boats donated by DMMU to Mbeta community to ease transportation challenges when crossing the Zambezi river.

Also launched simultaneously was a similar flood warning system at Kasaya, in Mwandi by Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe.

The two devices were acquired at a combined cost of 300, 000 swiss francs by the Zambia Information Communication and Technology Authority ZICTA in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Speaking earlier, DMMU National Coordinator, Yande Mwape said government has decided to involve communities in disaster mitigation by empowering them to participate in the early warning process.

Ms Mwape said this will allow communities to quickly mobilise themselves and leave for safe havens without having to wait for Government to intervene and facilitate their evacuation.

And ZICTA Director General, Patrick Mutimushi said Information Communication Technology can play a pivotal role in safeguarding the social development process in society.

Mr Mutimushi said his organisation will continue to use ICT to benefit the country through such innovations as the disaster warning system device.

Muchinga Province is set to benefit from an 18 million Euro German Development Bank funded project for Wildlife and natural resource conservation.

This came to light when a team from the Malawi-Zambia Trans-frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) project paid a courtesy call on Muchinga province Permanent Secretary Jobbicks Kalumba in Chinsali today.

Project Coordinator Sydney Tembo revealed that Muchinga province will benefit a 3rd from the 18 million euro project.

Mr. Tembo charged that the intention for the TFCA project is to support collaborations between Zambia and Malawi on the sidelines of managing cultural and wildlife resources shared by the two countries.

He added that the project focuses on the transnational conservation of bio diversity and functional ecosystems as well as the sustainable exploitation of natural resources for biodiversity conservation to secure socio-economic development and ecological livelihoods of the local population.

Mr. Phiri further mentioned that one other important purpose of the project is to uplift the livelihoods of the communities living in and around the TFCA.

Meanwhile, Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary Jobbicks Kalumba has assured the team of government’s support adding that government regards issues dealing with wildlife and natural resources with great significance.

Dr. Kalumba said the initiative will go a long way in conserving natural resources in game reserve areas such as North Luangwa and Musalangu.

Dr. Kalumba has since thanked the Malawi-Zambia TFCA team for considering Muchinga province in the German Development Bank funded project.

The Permanent Secretary charged that the project will bring hope to the people of Muchinga in the conservation of wildlife and natural resources.

He further said the Field Coordinator for Chama block Olurunke Oke will be supported in every way in order for her to carry out the project activities effectively.

Manyinga Town Council has spiced the launched Keep Zambia Clean and Healthy Campaign with awards for the cleanest premises in order to encourage community members to participate in the exercise.

Town Council Secretary, Charles Chawa told ZANIS in an interview that the local authority plans to come up with a competition where the cleanest residential premises will be awarded according to the level of cleanness.

Mr. Chama said the cleanest house is expected to walk away with a cash prize of K5, 000 while, the second prize will attract a K3, 000 and K1,000 for the third cleanest house.

Meanwhile, Mr.Chawa said the local authority has planned a number of projects in the district towards the implementation of keep Zambia clean and healthy campaign.

He said the council has started the procuring process of a light truck at a cost of K249, 000, a number of cleaning materials and tools meant for the programme.

Mr. Chawa said once all logistics are in place, the local authority is expected to take a leading role in ensuring that the programme is successfully implemented.

He said some the activities to be under taken include refuse collection, grass cutting, pothole patching of township roads as well as public, workplace and residential cleanup activities.

And Manyinga Stakeholders Association Chairman Patrick Kamboyi implored Manyinga residents to support and participate in the programme as it will also help in preventing the spread of diseases such as Cholera and Malaria.

Mr. Kamboyi said a clean and healthy environment attracts development and prolongs human life.

State owned Telecommunications Company, Zamtel has moved swiftly to reassure its customers after reports resurfaced regarding the presence of some scratch cards suspected to have landed on the market through unofficial channels.
The company has announced that it has started a process of replacing or swapping the affected scratch cards which have since been blocked.

Zamtel Corporate Communications Manager Kennedy Mambwe explained that customers who may have purchased blocked scratch cards will be given a replacement of the same value in a like-for-like swap.

Mr Mambwe has since encouraged affected Zamtel customers to visit any Zamtel outlet or report the issue to the Zamtel Contact Centre where a swap will be done upon verification.

He was speaking in Lusaka on Wednesday during a media conference at Zamtel Headquarters after reports emerged of the presence of illegal Zamtel scratch cards on the market.

“We have blocked a range of scratch cards in the range of denominations of K2, K5 and K10 which we suspect may have hit the market through unofficial channels which came to our attention and is a matter of concern to us. We needed to isolate the serial numbers of the affected scratch cards in question and ensure that we block them to drill down to the source of the cards,” Mr Mambwe stated.

He added, “If we allow cards that are deemed to be illegal on the market, it dilutes the value chain and we needed to act and act quickly via SMS, radio and newspaper notices.”

“Some customers have bought and it’s a huge inconvenience for them. We have put in measures that the scratch cards can be swapped so that we don’t inconvenience them further. The investigations have continued and the isolation of the cards is part of evidence gathering.”

Mr Mambwe has also confirmed that Zamtel is working with law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter.
He said, “We are working with law enforcement agencies and as soon as we conclude the investigations, we will notify the public through the press.”

He added, “There are some figures going round that the talk time is worth a certain amount. We are yet to quantify the volumes because this is a subject of investigations and we would not want to preempt the investigations.”
Mr. Mambwe further refuted some online media reports that the scratch cards suspected to have gotten onto the market illegally were manufactured at a backyard facility.

He stressed that the said scratch cards are authentic Zamtel produced cards that landed on the market through unofficial channels.

“This is authentic talk time from Zamtel and it is produced at a huge cost. We have taken these stringent measures to get to the bottom of the matter. Anyone found to have been involved, be it internal or external, they will have to deal with the law and not with Zamtel because it borders on criminality. This is a matter of public interest because Zamtel is a public institution,” Mr. Mambwe said.

National Association for Small and Medium Scale Contractors General Secretary Danny Simumba says accidents in the construction sector have now become second from mine accidents.

Simumba said this when his association signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Workers Compensation Fund Control Board in Ndola.

“The construction sector has seen a lot of accidents. The accidents in the construction sector are now second from mine accidents. Many of the small and medium enterprises in the sector are victims to these accidents. We need to come up with serious measures that will reduce these accidents,” Simumba said.

“Workers in this sector need to operate in a safe environment. We have seen construction projects everywhere so the workers in this sector need to be protected. Accidents should be avoided. Yes the constructions in the country are welcome and we are happy, but we need to protect the workers.”

Simumba said his association was looking forward to work with workers Compensation for the interest of the workers.
He said the safety of workers should come first before anything.

And the Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board Commissioner Elizabeth Nkumbula says there is need to mitigate occupational accidents and diseases.

And Dr Nkumbula said the board was confident that the association will appreciate the gratis safety and health education.

“We are optimistic that through this MoU, the board will be able to offer an opportunity to members of the association to access the various benefits under the scheme. We are confident that the association will appreacite the gratis safety and health education provided to employers by the board which are meant to mitigate occupational accidents and diseases,” Dr Nkumbula said.

“So the board will also provide guidance to the association on all the matters relating to interpretation of workers Compensation Act number 10 of 1999 and provision of occupational health and safety inspections.”