Mukupa Writes

By Linda Mupemo             Picture for illustration purposes    Milenge District Food and Nutrition Officer Cephas Zulu says the department of Agriculture has made progress in setting up keyhole gardens in the area in a bid to promote good nutrition.  Mr. Zulu noted that keyhole gardens are a solution to the human-animal conflict which is hampering gardening in the district.  ZANIS reports that Mr. Zulu said some residents in the 15 agricultural camps have set up keyhole gardens at their homes.  He stated that keyhole gardens consist of raised beds and can be easily fenced hence livestock cannot graze the produce.  Mr. Zulu added that the organic manure used retains moisture in the soil all year round making them manageable off the rainy season.  "A keyhole garden is a raised bed which is at least two meters in diameter with a cutout area shaped like a keyhole, used to water the garden. The beds are made of layers of as...

Govt, CAMFED Help Mothers  Return to School  By Linda Mupemo Ethel Mwape at home with her last born daughter Ethel Mwape walks from her dormitory to class, clad in a school uniform, white socks and black school shoes.  Her natural hair is tied together in the middle of her head.    She has made friends with her books just like back in the day when she was younger.    It had been nine years since she left school, having succumbed to the pressure of an early marriage after she fell pregnant at age 15 in her seventh grade.   Today, at 28, she is a mother of three. Her first born child is 13 years old while the youngest is seven years old.      Ms Mwape is now in Grade 12, a few steps away from completing school.    She is one of the many female learners in Milenge District in Luapula Province nodding in response to the question of whether Government's school re-entry policy being im...

By Linda Mupemo Zambia Union of All Persons With Disabilities President Pascal Mulenga - Picture by MISA Zambia Zambia Union of All Persons with Disabilities (ZUAPD) President Pascal Mulenga has called on Government to allocate more funds to education support for persons with disabilities.  Mr. Mulenga noted that persons with disabilities are facing challenges in accessing education especially in rural areas.  Mr. Mulenga said this in a media statement made available to ZANIS. He explained that despite the free education policy Government is implementing, some special needs children are still facing challenges in accessing education due to the severity of their conditions.   "Some special needs children have critical conditions which cannot allow them to be moving from home to school on a daily basis hence they need to be in boarding school. However, some parents to special needs children have limited financial resources to afford boarding fees hence their children a...

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....