ELDERLY people should not be abandoned because they are an important part of Zambia’s heritage, Chiefs and traditional affairs Minister Nkandu Luo has said.
Professor Luo said Zambians and Africans in general should not abandon old people but they should give elderly people comfort in their homes.
The Minister noted that it was unAfrican and unZambian for any person to abandon elderly parents.
Prof Luo was speaking in Livingstone yesterday when she handed over donated a 5, 000 litres water tank to Maramba Old People’s Village.
Besides donating a water tank valued at K3 million, Professor Luo also handed various food items to elderly people at Maramba Old People’s Village as New Year gifts valued at the cost of K2.5 million.
The handover ceremony was part of the commemoration of the 100 years of heritage law and 40 years of World Heritage Commission.
“As Zambians and Africans, we should not be abandoning old people but give them comfort in our homes.
The onus is on us as children and great grand children to look after our elderly people in society. Today we are what we are because of our parents and if we abandon elderly people, we won’t get blessings from God,” she said.
Professor Luo said she was happy to be part of the 100 years of heritage law and 40 years of World Heritage Commission.
“We have thought of coming to Maramba Old People’s Home especially to donate a water tank because they need it more than anybody else.
Water is life and if you look around this Village, old people need water and they also need food hence it was also thoughtful to donate food here,” Prof Luo said.
She said he would engage the Minister of Community Development, Maternal and Child Health Joseph Katema to see else could be done jointly to improve the Village.
“For instance, we can plant flowers here because plants are part of therapy. Planting flowers doesn’t cost much.
Old people’s homes in Europe and America, one of the things which give you conform and attraction is their surroundings,” she said.
Prof Luo also said Zambia needed to put a lot of its heritage sites at the centre state to promote tourism.
“Recently during heritage celebrations in South Africa, we visited heritage site and it is a world of its own inside.
For 2013, I challenge the director of heritage that we need to sit down and see how we can enhance some of our sites and make them attractive to tourists,” she said.
She said if the heritage sites were improved and presented to the World Heritage Commission, they would boost the tourism sector in the country.
“Even this Old People’s Home we can make it a tourist attraction for Livingstone. We can make it attractive and sell-able because they are people who would just like to visit and see elderly people
Even in terms of donations, we will have a lot of people coming from the international world to donate and even adopt the place,” she said.
Prof Luo urged the business sector in Zambia to consider coming on board to help upgrade Maramba Cultural Village especially as Livingstone prepares to co-host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly this year.
Business sector, remember the Village and contribute. Look at the Home in a more positive way so that we facelift the centre for our old people
National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) executive director Collins Chipote said his Commission decided to celebrate the 100 years of heritage law and 40 years of world heritage convention by providing a water tank and foodstuffs to elderly people at Maramba Old People’s Home.
End
“Even this Old People’s Home we can make it a tourist attraction for Livingstone. We can make it attractive and sell-able because they are people who would just like to visit and see elderly people
Indeed, it is in the name…!
I HAVEN’T EVEN READ THE DETAILS OF THIS ARTICLE BUT LET ME COMMENT ON IT USING ITS HEADLINE BEFORE I READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE. PROF. LUO YOUR SENTIMENT CANNOT BE OVER-EMPHASIZED. AFRICA IN GENERAL AND ZAMBIA IN PARTICULAR SHOULD NOT BE ABANDONING THEIR AGED PEOPLE. THESE PEOPLE ARE A HOUSE OF VALUES AND WISDOM. THE YOUNG HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN FROM THESE PEOPLE. HOWEVER, AT THE RATE ZAMBIA IS GOING IT WONT TAKE A FEW YEARS BEFORE SUCH TRADITION AND CUSTOM, INCLUDING MANY OTHERS ARE ABANDONED WITH THE HELP OF THE GOVT ITSELF. ITS THE GOVT WHICH IS AIDING SUCH MORAL, TRADITION, AND CULTURE DECAY THROUGH ABANDONING THE TEACHING OF VERNACULAR LANGUAGES IN SCHOOLS UP TO UNIVERSITY. THE TEACHING OF THESE LANGUAGES HAVE A CONTENT OF WHAT THE MINISTER IS TALKING ABOUT. I DON’T WHY ZAMBIA…
…from #2. ASSOCIATES ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE. WE DON’T EVEN NEED TO LOOK AT JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, GERMANY, CHINA, ETC. JUST OUR NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY BOTSWANA HAS DEVELOPED SO 100 TIMES AS ZAMBIA DESPITE THE FACT THAT ‘THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW ENGLISH’. THEY SPEAK TSE TSWANA IN OFFICES AND CULTURALLY BOTSWANA IS A VERY RICH NATION. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY NEVER LET ENGLISH LANGUAGE GO TO THEIR BRAINS. THE YOUN ONES CAN LEARN OUR LANGUAGES (WITH ALL THE CULTURAL AND TRADITIONAL CONTENTS) IN SCHOOLS THROUGH OUR OWN LANGUAGES. SO, BWANA MINISTER START WITH RE-INTRODUCING AND MAKING IT COMPULSORY TO PASS AT LEAST TWO LOCAL LANGUAGES IN SCHOOL AT GRADE 12 BEFORE A STUDENT CAN BE ACCEPTED AT ANY UNIVERSITY WHETHER PRIVATE OR GOVT.
Peter what have you smoked?Ati we should make it compulsory that admission to University is only after you pass at least 2 local languages!Nonsense.And you Luo just be honest yyou have seen that you time to reside in an old pipo’s house is soon that is why you are advocating for their imrovement.When you were moving around in mini skirts in FTJ’s time you never talked like that
Sorry folks to bring in a different subject. My worry is the former Kalulushi/ Chingola DC. This guy is always publicly insulting the government. Further more he drive a Mitsubish which has no number plates- probably a GRZ vehicle stolen by MMD. He goes to Kitwe he insults the President. Can his family advise him that his game is over. The former Lufwanyama DC is quiet and mixes with the people easily.
Indeed good counsel. But Prof. do you realise that; the elders you visited are from that wise and selfless generation which empowered you & your cohorts? Unfortunately from your generation all you are teaching us ranges from indecent dressing/ divorces (your case) to insulting others (famous of your uncle Sata). You are all stuck to positions/jobs hence blocking your juniors from ascending. Look at your cabinet: the old are busy milking our taxes & inciting the youngsters into unnecessary brawls ; case of WK Vs GBM, GL. Anyway thanks for the talk you cant walk
As Zambians and Africans?
What this minister did NOT say is that it is the duty of the Government to look after its people well especially the old, sick and children. That is why we elected them into office and that is where they should spend our taxes we pay. Only an irresponsible Govt like ours will leave this noble duty at the mercy of donors and charities. They spend BILLIONS on irresponsible and unnecesary by elections but they cant even budget for the welafre of its senior citizens. Nkandu Luo is not even ashamed of all this!!
Yes madam minister Luo, let us not be like these ba zungus chaps who neglect and dump their parents in Care Homes so as to get their hands on their property.
To suggest that ‘ba zungu’ are the only ones that do that is irresponsible at best; they same happens even in Zambia. Just last week, it became legal for parents who felt their offspring did not visit often enough to get sued by the parent. Heaven knows what else happens in other countries but clearly, it’s not a muzungu phenomenon, please be objective.
Luo is getting old and scared to be abandoned.
I am tired of people in the government just talking and no action. People are tired of posing for photos and kissing your asses. We need some actions not poems.
Let us give free boarding passes to the Eldery people from 70 years plusThey should board any Bus/train free of charge.
No freebies, they can perhaps get discounted fares. Prof. Lou is right though, we ought to care for the elderly much more than we do. It’s common courtesy and if we make a habit of it, we will be all the better for it. I would like to see first hand what services are offered here;hopefully occupational therapy and easy access to a physician are part of it.
#4, IF YOU ARE IN THE HABIT OF TAKING DRUGS, I AM SORRY. I AM SIMPLY NOT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE STUFF YOU TAKE. OF COURSE WITH YOUR LEVEL OF INFERIORITY YOU WOULDN’T YOUR VERNACULAR LANGUAGES TAKING YOU TO UNIVERSITY. BECAUSE YOU ARE SO INFERIOR YOU THINK THE ONLY LANGUAGES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE READ UP TO UNIVERSITY ARE ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, ETC. YOUR HEAD IS SO EMPTY (MAYBE BECAUSE OF YOUR HEAVY MARIJUANA-SMOKING) YOU CANNOT EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW LOCAL LANGUAGE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS CAN ENHANCE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS EMBRACE. YOU HAVE NOTHING IN YOUR HEAD AND IT WOULDN’T BE SURPRISING TO LEARN THAT YOU NEVER PASSED THROUGH A CLASS ROOM, LET ALONE A LECTURE THEATRE.
Quite interesting. weldone Prof Luo
as if she is not old as well
Hi, i have reading out and i will definitely bookmarrk your site, just wanted to say i liked this article.
nice and thanks.