Mukupa Writes

By Linda Mupemo Picture courtesy of Google images                                    I was so close to leaving single ville,                                   So close to walking down the aisle.                               Diamond rings, red roses and a ball gown.                                      Veil, lacy pumps and a crown.           ...

By Linda Mupemo Picture courtesy of Google images I was deep in the heart of Milenge District one afternoon, sniffing around for news as usual. I came across a tiny  structure made of grass. The grass had started rotting away, an indication it had been there for a long period of time, probably a year. I thought it was a barn or something, until I saw people come out. I was amazed.  As if he read my thoughts, the Ward Councillor who accompanied me on that assignment, as he showed me around the area, told me that was one of the many houses of that nature in his ward.  A second look at the structure made one thing clear to me, the 'house' neither had a bathroom nor a toilet. The house in question  is a few meters away from Luapula river. I did not even want to imagine where the people from that household go when they want to answer the call of nature.  Open defecation is one of the contributing factors to poor sanitation especiall...

By Linda Mupemo Picture courtesy of Google images Bringing up children is a mammoth task regardless of one’s age, race, social-economic status or occupation. World over, preachers are faced with the responsibility of grooming both their biological and spiritual children.   Owing to the nature of their ministerial work, some preachers tend to spend more time teaching their flock and less time with their families.   The bible instructs parents to bring up children in a godly manner as it reads in Ephesians 6 verse 4, "And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: bring them up in the nature and admonition of the Lord. " There have been cases of preachers’ children living wayward lives and one wonders whether these souls are not spiritually nourished enough to adhere to the teachings of the bible. It can be disheartening to find children of gospel ministers behaving contrary to the message their parents impart in others.     Moses Chongo,...

By Linda Mupemo Embracing my afro After one month of me working for a certain organisation, one of the ladies asked me, "Linda, are you not going to plait your hair now that you got paid?"   If I could get a ngwee every time someone asks me this question, I would be a billionaire! Embracing natural hair has nothing to do with me being broke whatsoever. Even if I was broke surely, I could still find a child of God to plait me simple corn rows at a 'church rate.'  It is a personal choice. I simply love the versatility of natural hair. I can bun it up today and curl it tomorrow, something I cannot do when it is under a weave or in braids. I do braid my hair from time to time. But I prefer wearing it natural.   And contrary to popular belief, maintaining healthy natural hair actually comes at a cost. Did you know that conditioners and essential oils do not fall from heaven? Did you know that curling creams and edge controls are not free? Let me not get start...