By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Chawama Mini Hospital’s Youth Peer Educators have forged a partnership with the Ministers Spouses Association to launch a gardening initiative as part of their outreach efforts. This collaboration aims to provide sustenance and nutritional support to both patients at the hospital and the local community.
Drawing inspiration from a similar project initiated by the Ministers Spouses at Chawama, which introduced a garden and orchard to supply patients with fresh produce, the Chawama Peer Educators have taken up the cause. They established their own garden at the hospital, aiming to secure resources to aid their mission. Likonge Makai Mulenga, the Spouse of the Member of Parliament for Chingola Constituency and Minister of Commerce,Trade and Industries , is leading the project together with other Ministers Spouse’s on the Copperbelt namely Ms Samantha Matambo and Ms Sherry Tayali.
Ms Mulenga expressed her satisfaction with the partnership, highlighting the Peer Educators’ enthusiasm to sustain the garden and orchard initiative after it is officially transferred to Chawama Mini Hospital. She explained that the Association of Minister’s Spouses gardening/orchard program seeks to enhance patient well-being through improved nutrition, inspiring the Peer Educators to embrace the concept and begin cultivating their own vegetables for sale.
The initiative not only benefits the hospital but also extends its positive impact on vulnerable communities. The Youth Friendly Chairperson of Chawama, John Mwelwa, underscored the program’s influence on their rural outreach efforts. The Peer Educators recognize that gardening serves as a means of sustaining their mission and enabling them to support their broader community engagement.
