By Raphael Mwenya in Solwezi
The First Lady Esther Lungu has commended his Royal Highness Chief Chibwika of Mwinilunga for spearheading the campaign against early marriages and teenage pregnancies by using the commemoration of the African child as a tool.
Mrs Lungu said she was delighted to learn that World Vision Zambia launched the campaign to stop child marriages in mwinilunga district right in the Chibwika chiefdom last year.
She said the fight against child marriages and teenage pregnancies is for all and she appealed to all stakeholders to work extra hard if the current status was to change.
“Children are the joy of society and the future leaders. All adults should desist from passing on their frustrations from their childhood experiences onto the innocent children by ensuring your children and dependents get the education we never got. I urge all mothers to help build a society of sound and admirable motherly care to all children around us as mothers spend more time with the children as compared to the male counterparts. Mothers should do their best to avoid being listed on the chart of bad mothers.
“As men too you have a big role to play in ensuring that the home environment is friendly to everyone and to be providers of not only material needs but also guidance that can produce responsible citizens. I urge men to exercise maximum self-control against all sorts of child abuse and gender based violence. To all the leaders you need to continue being on alert to ensure decisions being made today have a positive bearing on the future generation and avoid carless sentiments that may lead our children to believe in divisiveness as a principal society,” she said
She thanked the royal highness Chief Chibwika IV ,Nkungulu Muyembi Kutona for taking the lead in driving the development agenda for his chiefdom through his engagements with different stakeholders both national and local levels which showed good quality of leadership.
The First Lady called upon all government and non-government organizations, civil society organizations and individual to consider Chibwika community as their destination for development projects.
Through the Esther Lungu Foundation Trust, the First lady made donations to the various schools around Chibwika chiefdom indicating that as a mother she understands the different challenges being faced.
Among the goods donated where books, sanitary towels for the girl child, bags to mealie meal and rice, cooking oil and many more.
