27/04/2023
Catholic Church under the Monze Diocese donates more than K74, 000
The Catholic Church under the Monze Diocese has through its help desk donated school requisites worth more than K74, 000 to Nyimba Fishing Camps community school to facilitate the education of about 278 children.
The donated items included school shoes, uniforms for both boys and girls, books, and sanitary towels for girls among other school paraphernalia.
Making the donation yesterday, Monze Diocese Help Desk Coordinator Brother Innocent Phiri says the gesture follows the partnership with the government through the District Education Board (DEBS) office, the Nyimba fishing camp community and the church to enhance education opportunities at the fishing camp following the New Dawn government’s free education policy.
Monze DEBS Lilian Hangoma who was represented by Senior Human Resources Officer Martin Kaoma has committed to send two teachers to the fishing camp to ensure no child is left out in the education system.
Ms Hangoma said during the recruitment of 30,000 teachers in 2022, two teachers were allocated to Nyimba community school adding that lack of decent accommodation was the biggest challenge.
She said the DEBS office was committed to stand by the New Dawn government’s pronouncements to deliver free education to citizens across the country regardless of geographical barriers.
“The DEBS office stands by the New Dawn Government’s pronouncement to deliver free education to all the children throughout the country and I stand here to assure you that we shall send the two teachers here so that learning can take place,” said Ms Hangoma.
She added, “”When there was recruitment of 31,000 teachers by the government in 2022 an allocation of teachers was made to this place but at the same time I was disappointed there was no accommodation here. So we promise to bring these two officers. You should also promise us that these two houses have cement floors and are roofed with iron sheets.”
Ms Hangoma further said while the office wants to see to it that learning takes place, at the same time the office did not want to be seen like it had neglected its teachers by posting them to places without accommodation.
Flame Monze Zone Chairperson Reverend Happy Mhango urged the Nyimba fishing Camp community to apply for the Constituency Development Funds(CDF) to improve school infrastructures among other challenges faced by the people.
He further encouraged the community to adhere to health guidelines with regards to malaria by using the mosquito nets properly and allow health workers to spray their homes to prevent mortalities among children due to the deadly disease.
Brian Chavwanga, Monze Sacred Heart Parish Development Committee Chairperson, says education was the greatest equalizer and expressed happiness that both government and the Catholic Church has responded to the plight of the community to send teachers to the area to deliver free education as espoused by the United Party for National Development(UPN D) government.
Senior Headman Nzwanga thanked the Church and the government through the DEBS office for responding to their plea for teaching staff at the fishing camp saying the move would drastically help more than children who have no access to education due to lack of qualified teachers.
He said the community managed to build two teachers' houses and expressed willingness to ensure that teachers to be deployed had decent accommodation.
The one roomed iron roofed school was constructed by the community in 1996 and since then, the community members have been making pleas for the Ministry of Education to send qualified teachers to the camp.
Earlier during the visit Monze Sacred Heart Parish Priest Father Emmanuel Manya held mass with congregants where he implored them to follow Christ Teachings.
Nyimba fishing camp is mostly accessible by water transport and is one of the farthest places in Monze home to over 2,000 people mostly fishermen and has not been recognized as a permanent dwelling place by the government as it is flood prone.
