By CHUSA SICHONE –
A TRADITIONAL leader in Mansa District has appealed to the Government to help women’s clubs in the area.
Chief Kalasa Lukangaba of the Ushi people said most women’s clubs in his chiefdom were registered but dormant because they lacked support.
Chief Lukangaba said the women, who were into farming and looking after orphans and vulnerable children, among other activities, had been visiting him at his palace to complain about the lack of empowerment.
Chief Lukangaba said he had submitted the women’s complaints to relevant authorities at district level but that he had not received any feedback for nearly a year, hence his appeal to higher authorities for intervention.
“As you know, women are the ones that take care of us; they are different from men who in most cases spend time drinking alcohol, while women are working.
“However, women have been facing challenges to move forward because of lack of support and that is why they need to be assisted from time to time so that women in Luapula and Mansa in particular can progress,” he said.
In another development, Chief Lukangaba said Luapula Province had the potential of becoming Zambia’s food basket as God had blessed it with a good climate, fertile soil, water bodies and hardworking people.
“I am very proud to say that it is rare for people in Luapula Province to go and knock on the door of the Vice-President’s officer to ask for relief food,” he said.
The traditional ruler, however, said for the province to reach the national food basket level, there was need for the Government to be distributing adequate farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme, and on time.