Government to continue supporting orphanages

Government has pledged to continue supporting institutions such as orphanages and nursing homes which care for the vulnerable people in society.

Kawambwa Central Member of Parliament (MP) Nixon Chilangwa said the work that children’s care homes do was a mammoth one which deserved recognition from the government.

Mr. Chilangwa, who is also Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, said this in Kawambwa yesterday when he donated ten 25 kilogramme bags of roller meal and a cheque worth KR5, 000 to Kachema Musuma children’s home.

He said young people needed to be nurtured and cared for in order for them to have a meaningful future.

And Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security Ronald Chitotela has described the Catholic Church as an all weather friend of the government in terms efforts it was making towards improving the lives of people.

Mr. Chitotela said he looked forward to continued social partnership between government and other stakeholders, including the church, aimed at addressing the needs of the less privileged people in the country.

He said stakeholders should partner with government in looking after people’s welfare because the latter cannot satisfy the needs of Zambians alone.

Meanwhile, Kachema Musuma Children’s Home sister-in-charge, Maria Katonkola, said the home was facing a lot of challenges which include transport and tuition fees.

Sister Maria explained that it was difficult for the institution to send children to the hospital when they fall sick because of lack of transport.

She has since called on cooperating partners to assist the home with tuition fees particularly for one teenage girl Joyce Mukupa whose ambition is study nursing but has no money to undertake the course.

Joyce Mukupa has since thanked Mr. Chitotela for the donation saying the mealie meal and money would help the home to sustain itself.

Kachema Children’s Home in Kawambwa district of Luapula province houses more than 40 orphans whose ages range from three months to 16 years. It is run by Sisters of the Child Jesus and receives children from as far as Mpulungu district.