Maravi

Motherhood is fulfilling, challenging - Thandiwe

Motherhood is fulfilling, challenging - Thandiwe
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Thursday, March 26, 2009 6:10:07 PM

FIRST lady Thandiwe Banda yesterday said being a mother can be both challenging and highly fulfilling at the same time. During a familiarisation tour of the SOS childrenís village, Thandiwe said she was deeply moved by the commitment of the SOS mothers as they took care of the children in the family houses.

"I am also happy to learn that your organisation's first line of intervention is at community level, supporting the orphans within their natural environment. By strengthening the families in the communities especially those headed by aged grandparents and children, the natural family social safety net is enabled to support our needed children and mitigate the factors that lead to children getting on the streets in search of a living," she said.

She said Zambia was today facing a crisis due to poverty, HIV and AIDS, disease, child abandonment and child defilement.

Thandiwe said children were a particularly vulnerable group among those affected by the HIV and AIDS crisis and the ever-increasing poverty.

She said a family-based care of children who were in residence was a unique concept, which should be adopted by other caregivers.

Thandiwe said she was also happy to learn that plans had reached an advanced stage to establish a fourth village in Chipata to cater for the Eastern Province.

She encouraged the children and the youth as well as the communities being supported by SOS to take advantage of the opportunities that SOS was offering.

"Bearing in mind that education is one of the cornerstones of development, the high quality of education in the SOS schools and vocational training centre will certainly put you at par with your peers not only in Zambia but at regional level as well," said Thandiwe.

Earlier, SOS national director Florence Phiri called upon Thandiwe to be a friend of SOS and ambassador of children.

She said issues of children in Zambia were a permanent standing subject in Zambia.

Phiri said the villages took care of children from birth till the time they gave them skills and were ready to look after themselves.

And SOS board chairman Jitesh Naik invited all citizens to become friends of SOS and contribute whatever they could to advance with its works.

Labels: THANDIWE BANDA, WOMEN

posted by MrK @ 6:10 PM