Zambia’s Acting High Commissioner to India Deliwe Mumbi says the country’s developmental agenda can only be fully actualized when its citizens, including those in the diaspora, live up to their potential.
Speaking to Zambian students studying in India on Saturday last week during a meeting, Mrs. Mumbi said the desired change that the country is yearning for is dependent on how each one of them will contribute to national development after completing their studies.
She said the country was expectant of their contribution to national development through academic excellence adding that unity among themselves is the hallmark of success.
“The President has been emphasising the importance of patriotism and national unity and for us in the diaspora, it is not different. We are here to promote Zambia wherever we are and we need to be proud Zambians. I want to encourage you that the change we want for our country needs to come from within each one of us here.
“It is encouraging that when we go for meetings, we are told that the best performing and well-behaved students are from Zambia. That is the kind of image we want for our country,” Mrs. Mumbi said.
Mrs. Mumbi further encouraged students who have issues with their documents but are ready to return to Zambia to take advantage of the six-month amnesty given by the Government of India to return to Zambia without paying any penalties.
“We have been communicating to you about the amnesty that has been extended by the Government of India. Please, register because after the amnesty, they will start screening those living in the country illegally,” she said.
And Counsellor (Health) Prof. Victor Mukonka encouraged students not to be swayed by the challenges of studying abroad without parents and guardians to look to but focus on completing their studies.
Meanwhile, president of the Zambian Students Association in India Glory Jere warned his fellow students against finding themselves at variance with the law of the land as doing so would jeopardize their stay in India and consequently affect their studies.
