Good Samaritan rescues disabled boy (12)
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) in Southern province has protested against this year’s maize floor price, which the
In a statement issued to the Daily Nation in Livingstone, the UPND says the price is too low and does not favour farmers.
Party provincial deputy spokesperson Neto Halwabala observed that the farmers went through a lot of hardships and as such, the price should have been more attractive.
“As UPND in Southern province, we feel for the farmers who have been betrayed and insulted by the PF government as a result of the K65 maize floor price announced by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
“After buying fertiliser at between K250 and K280 per bag, 10 kilogram maize seed at K250 including labour and transport, the farmers will sell their maize at K65 which is a zero profit. The maize floor price should be determined by the cost of farming inputs,” he said. Mr. Halwabala said it was not in dispute that small scale farmers were producing maize to feed the nation while commercial farmers’ produce was mainly for export.
He said going by that, the UPND has foreseen a situation where mealie meal prices will skyrocket and the majority of Zambians will not afford to buy as a result of the mismatch between the announced floor price and the input cost. A GOOD Samaritan has donated a wheel chair and money towards school fees for a disabled boy of Chongwe and K900 for his upkeep while at school after his mother appealed for help from wellwishers.
The donor who did not want to be named came to the rescue of Kilion Njobvu after his mother Phoebe Moonga of Libuko village in Chongwe made a passionate appeal for help through the Daily Nation newspaper a week ago.
Ms Moonga in an interview last week said her son was unable to return to school because she could not afford to pay school fees or even buy school requirements for him. She had also appealed for a wheelchair to facilitate his movements while at school in Luangwa.
She thanked the good Samaritan who sought anonymity for donating the wheel chair, K900.00 for upkeep and one year’s school fees for the child at Kapoche school for the disabled in Luangwa district.
The good Samaritan told the Daily Nation in an interview that, helping the needy was the duty of every citizen.
“It gives me pleasure to help a needy child because every child is entitled to a better life and this child is our child. Society must not wait for government to help even where a privileged few can lend a hand.
“I don’t want to be named because this is what the Bible emphasises. Our left hand must not know what our right hand has done, otherwise we will be blocking the blessing of giving.
“Giving must be our practice. To give love and putting a smile on someone’s face is gratifying. People should look around for needs in society and help. Love looks around where there is need. I therefore urge other well-wishers to look around and give love to the needy in their communities,” he said.
A grateful Ms Moonga wished the donor God’s blessings, saying: “I am really thankful and cannot wait to have my son get back to school. I am delighted that my son has received help and will now go back to school,” she said.
Kilion sang a song for the donor in appreciation of the gift, “Ndalumba, Ndalumba kapati,” he went on (to mean I am very thankful).
The Good Samaritan promised to be paying his school fees as long as he was able to help.
Meanwhile, Chongwe Central ward councillor, Mr Juvenalis Mulimbika thanked the donor for his goodwill.
“We are very humbled and challenged that a man who is not from our district has come this far to help a child he does not even know. This is highly commendable and must be emulated by all of us by responding to the needs of the underprivileged in society,” he said.