23/05/2025
Welcome to foston evening News at 18:30
To present it I'm...Wadenga Haggrreey.
The stories which make headlines.
1 Safe Motherhood Week Launched as Government Pledges Continued Support to Safety of Mother.
2 GOVT URGES ITS OFFICIALS TO PRIORITIZE VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS IN BURSARY SCHEME
3 TANZANIAN AUTHORITIES BLOCK ACCESS TO X AFTER CYBERSATTACKS
4 ZAMBIA TAKES THE GLOBAL STAGE, EDWIN KAPESA REPRESENTS AFRICA AT CREATIVE WEEK EURO IN RUSSIA
Now the News in detail.
1 Safe Motherhood Week Launched as Government Pledges Continued Support to Safety of Mother.
People from all walks of life today joined their mother in launching the Safe Motherhood Week in Kabwe as they marched to signal the start of the week-long activity.
Central Province Minister Hon Mwabashike Nkulukusa who graced the event said the government had prioritized health service delivery in the country.
Hon Nkulukusa said to enhance successful implementation of quality maternal health services, the government has set clear policies, strong leadership, provision of data to drive safety improvements, recruited skilled and motivated health care professionals as well as enhanced effective women involvement in their healthcare.
Central province Hon mwabashike nkulukusa said that THE LAST TWO DECADES, ZAMBIA HAS ACHIEVED A STEADY REDUCTION IN MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO WHICH CURRENTLY STANDS AT 187 DEATHS PER 100,000 LIVE BIRTHS. HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE TO REDUCE THIS FIGURE TO LESS 100 DEATHS PER 100, 000 LIVE BIRTHS BY 2026. YOU MAY ALSO WISH TO KNOW THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 -15 WOMEN DIE EVERY WEEK FROM PREVENTABLE CAUSES AND OVER 100 NEWBORN BABIES ARE LOST DURING LABOUR AND DELIVERY IN OUR COUNTRY. SOME OF THE CAUSES OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO MATERNAL AND NEWBORN DEATHS INCLUDE:
GIVING BIRTH IN THE COMMUNITY AT HOME
USE OF TRADITIONAL HERBS TO ACCELERATE DELIVERY
LATE OR NON-ATTENDANCE OF ANTENATAL
LOW UTILIZATION OF FAMILY PLANNIN...cue Hon mwabashike
The Catholic Relief organization represented by Dr. Moses Chilwa is committed to improving the lives of Zambians through various projects and programs.
One notable initiative is the Mwana project which focuses on addressing barriers to positive health outcomes for mothers and newborns.
Mwana Project Achievements
The Mwana project has made significant contributions to reducing maternal and perinatal mortality in Zambia since 2000.
The project's efforts have been recognized and supported by the Minister of Health.
Safe Motherhood Week Commemoration
Dr. Chilwa expressed delight in joining the nationalcommemoration of Safe Motherhood Week in Kabwe which highlights the importance of access to quality healthcare for mothers and newborns.
The theme Access to quality and newborn health assure new beginnings and hopefully a future for all underscores the need for equitable access to healthcare service.
The commemoration aims to Raise awareness About the importance of maternal and newborn health
Promote access to quality healthcare Ensure that all women and newborns have access to quality healthcare services
Reduce maternal and perinatal mortality Continue efforts to reduce preventable deaths among mothers and newborns
By working together, organizations and governments can make significant strides in improving maternal and newborn health outcomes in Zambia...cue in Dr Moses chilwa.
Meanwhile one of the survivors from fistula disease she explained who she survives that....cue in Sandra
2 GOVT URGES ITS OFFICIALS TO PRIORITIZE VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS IN BURSARY SCHEME
The Government has emphasized that the Free Secondary Bursary Scheme is intended for vulnerable households, and not for those in positions of influence to unfairly benefit.
Addressing Chasefu senior government officials in Ludanzi district, Eastern Province at the District Commissioner's office the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Dr. Lewis Mwape, made a passionate appeal for fairness in the allocation of bursaries.
Let us not deprive the vulnerable households or vulnerable families from accessing the free secondary bursary scheme by putting your relatives just because you are in these positions of influence," Dr. Mwape said. "Leave the Free Secondary Bursary Scheme to the vulnerable households, you have the capacity to sponsor your children to secondary school."
Dr. Mwape further emphasized that the scheme is not meant for the wealthy people in the public sector....cue in Dr mwape
3 The Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Communication led by Hon. Joel Chibuye, visited Zambia Railways to assess its operations and challenges. Importance of Zambia Railways Recognizing the crucial role Zambia Railways plays in the country economy and business sector.
Challenges Identifying issues such as Lack of infrastructure
Insufficient wagons
Vandalism and theft
Slow locomotive speeds 15 km/h
Potential Highlighting the potential for Zambia Railways to contribute significantly to the country's Gross Domestic Product GDP and facilitate cargo movement.
The committee visit aims to understand the challenges facing Zambia Railways and explore ways to address them, ultimately enhancing the railway performance and contribution to the economy.
The Managing Director of Zambia Railways
Mr Maling Cuthbert said that Infrastructure Maintenance Repairing and maintaining locomotives and wagons with a project to fix 6 local locomotives and wagons.
Vandalism and Theft Collaborating with law enforcement to address issues of vandalism and theft of railway infrastructure.
Capacity Building Aiming to increase the railway capacity to transport agricultural products such as wheat and sugur.
2026 Starting to fix the railway line.
2027 Expecting significant improvements in the railway operations with 70% of agricultural products potentially being transported by rail.
Partnership Government Support Receiving support from the government to address infrastructure challenges.
Private Sector Collaboration Working with private sector partners to utilize their locomotives and expertise.
Challenges Vandalism and Theft Continuing to work with law enforcement to prevent and address these issues.
Infrastructure Upgrades Completing repairs and upgrades to ensure efficient and reliable railway operations.
A round up of the set of commercials and we will be back with international and sports News.
4 TANZANIAN AUTHORITIES BLOCK ACCESS TO X AFTER CYBERSATTACKS
AUTHORITIES in Tanzania have blocked access to the social media platform X formerly known as Twitter following a series of cyberttacks that targeted official government accounts, spreading false and explicit content.
The move comes amid rising political tension in the country ahead of the upcoming general elections scheduled for October.
The crackdown began after the official account of the Tanzanian police was reportedly compromised late Tuesday.
Hackers used the account to post pornographic images and publish fake announcements, including a shocking and false claim that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had died.
The offensive posts were quickly removed, and the authorities launched an investigation to identify those behind the cyberattacks.
5 ZAMBIA TAKES THE GLOBAL STAGE, EDWIN KAPESA REPRESENTS AFRICA AT CREATIVE WEEK EURO IN RUSSIA
IN a landmark moment for Zambia’s growing digital creative scene, Edwin Kapesa, founder of Chroma Pixel Games, recently represented Africa at Creative Week Euro in Chelyabinsk, Russia the largest creative and tech summit in the region.
At a gathering that drew innovators and tech giants from powerhouse nations like China Korea and India Kapesa stood tall not only as a Zambian but as the voice of an entire continent's vision for the future of game development and digital storytelling.
Kapesa was among the select few invited to speak on a key panel titled Culture in Video Games,” where he joined an esteemed lineup of international leaders shaping the evolution of gaming worldwide.
Alexey Koptsev Head of the Smuta Project
Farrag Maged CEO of UBR (VKS)
Hussein Shafiq President of Asosiasi Game Indonesia (AGI)
Vladimir Prokuranov Director of the Gaming Industry Association
Roman Struchkov – Founder of Rezanium Center
Marina Burmistrova Minister of Culture and Archives, Komi Republic
Kapesa brought a refreshing and necessary African perspective to the conversation, spotlighting the unique stories, traditions, and digital potential rooted across the continent.
From game development to cultural expression, from eSports to education Africa isn’t waiting for a seat at the table. We’re building our own,” said Kapesa during his address, drawing applause and praise from the audience.
Kapesa’s company, Chroma Pixel Games, is a Zambian-based game development studio that fuses African culture with immersive gameplay experiences. His work, and that of other African studios, is positioning the continent as a fertile ground for innovation in gaming an industry valued at over $200 billion globally.
In Russia, Kapesa showcased some of his studio’s current projects, emphasizing Africa’s capacity not just to participate in the global industry but to lead it in new creative directions. His presentation highlighted the continent’s untapped market, its cultural wealth, and the power of digital platforms to tell African stories authentically.
He also gave recognition to platforms like Carry1st, one of Africa’s fastest-growing game publishers, for laying the foundation of a thriving gaming economy in the region.
Kapesa’s presence at Creative Week Euro is more than just a personal victory it is a national and continental milestone. It affirms that Zambia, and Africa more broadly, has voices, creators, and innovators ready to engage on the world stage and shape global narratives through gaming.
As the digital world continues to expand, stories like Edwin’s show that the future of technology, culture, and creativity is no longer confined to traditional borders. It is inclusive, it is diverse, and it now has a Zambian voice in its chorus.
The stories which make headlines once again.
1Safe Motherhood Week Launched as Government Pledges Continued Support to Safety of Mother.
2 GOVT URGES ITS OFFICIALS TO PRIORITIZE VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS IN BURSARY SCHEME
3 TANZANIAN AUTHORITIES BLOCK ACCESS TO X AFTER CYBERSATTACKS
4 ZAMBIA TAKES THE GLOBAL STAGE, EDWIN KAPESA REPRESENTS AFRICA AT CREATIVE WEEK EURO IN RUSSIA
On behalf of the Foston Crew News I'm...Wadenga Haggrreey.
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