Mukupa Writes

By Linda Mupemo Some grass thatched houses connected to Mpanta solar mini  grid - Picture by Linda Mupemo     As the sun kisses the horizon giving birth to dawn, Damiano Bupe emerges in his boat on the shore of Chibesa -Wa- Mpanta.    Chibesa-Wa-Mpanta is at the furthest end of Mpanta village, a point where Lake Bangweulu tilts and drains into a channel later called Luapula River. The village is in Samfya District in Luapula Province, located 50 kilometers away from the Central Business District.    Going by the quantity of fish Mr. Bupe catches, the night was gracious to him.    His harvest is so evident to the eager fish traders who unreservedly swam around him with intent to get the freshest fish for sale.     At home, Mr. Bupe has ice blocks in a deep freezer which he later sells to his out of town customers to enable them keep the commodity fresh as they journey back to their destination.   This...

 By Linda Mupemo Zambia Union of All Persons Living With  Disabilities President Pascal Mulenga Like most young ladies, Malumbo Mwape dreamed of becoming a mother in her future life.    Unfortunately, Ms Mwape had polio when she was barely learning how to walk at two years old. The illness crippled her limbs leaving her with the option of only using a wheelchair for mobility.     As fate would have it, Ms Mwape fell pregnant outside wedlock when she was 20 years old.  She recalls how the situation angered and worried her parents at the same time.    "I grew up being aided in doing most things. But a pregnancy was a different story all together. I had to carry my baby in my womb regardless of my physical state," she laments.    Ms Mwape, now 27 years old, says health care providers termed her pregnancy as ‘high risk’ hence she needed frequent medical check-ups in addition to the mandatory antenatal visits....