WV Zambia Twikatane ADP Hands-Over Rural Health Post

The trudge towards the accomplishment of human rights may be an absent foundation in rural areas where absence of indispensable facilities remains a conduit dream.

A large number of such rural communities lack sufficient water supply, health facilities and proper education.

One of the areas with such a problem as to health wise is a village in Mungwi district of Northern Province in Zambia.

At a village called Ngulula in Kasama, people have grown up to know nothing much about easy access to health as they have never had a clinic or a hospital close by.

In this case, some women who have never delivered their babies in a Health Centre but in their homes or in the bush on their way to the clinic have seen no proper reason to even take their children to the clinic.

Children who have never set eyes on a clinic as they have grown to see no meaning to walk 12kilometers only to get worse on their way to the clinic.

Mary Chileshe a resident of Ngulula village narrates how people have struggled to get to a health facility and how some women have given birth in the bush while others die as they try to get to the clinic.

“I have always found this life hard; we walk 12kilometers to get to the clinic, in Mungwi. I am one of the women who delivered in the bush on my way to clinic, and I just had to go back home with my husband in the village… it is very challenging,” Chileshe narrates.

She says it is dismaying to hear stories of people dying on their way to the clinic as they stab to saunter 12kilometers to Mungwi. 

“Some people have obviously been buried alive, you find that someone has gone into a comma but the people the patient lives with will believe he or she is dead. The situation is serious,” she says.

Nevertheless these people of Ngulula village now have a different story to tell after World Vision donates a rural health post and a borehole in an effort to mitigate the problem of lack of a heath facility.

The borehole and the clinic worth over K260,000 are meant to improve the lives of the people in the village as they will find it easy to get health support near home and the rates of deaths may reduce in due cause.

WV Zambia Associate Director Rose Zambezi says the organisation places great importance on uplifting the well-being of children and their families, especially the most vulnerable in society across the continent.

“We are a Christian organisation and therefore our call is to bear witness to Jesus Christ by serving the most vulnerable children in Zambia through tackling causes of poverty and justice,” she recounts.

Mrs Zambezi says World Vision has enjoyed the warm working relationships with all the partners in government.

She says the rural health post is a result of good partnership established with government and that all projects have been a success because of the relationship government has put across with World Vision.

“I would like to commend government for their leadership in this district and the community for their willingness to work with World Vision,” she adds.

She narrates that World Vision will contribute to the measurable improvement in the wellbeing of 940,000 vulnerable children and improve the quality of life of 230,000 households in the community the organisation serves. 

Northern Province permanent secretary Hlobota Nkunika says government has a great emphasis on access to quality health care services.

“It is for this reason that government has embarked on  an ambitious programme of constructing health facilities in the country…construction of facilities such as this one is just one of priority areas enshrined in the revised Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) for Mungwi district,” he utters.

Mr Nkunika says government will ensure competent and caring staff members are employed in the health post that has just been handed over to government in order to provide quality health services for the community.

He says government is delighted in the collaboration with non-governmental organisations such as World Vision in improving the health status of the Zambian people.

“I will be failing in my duty if I don’t recognise the tireless efforts and commitment that World Vision has continued to render in ensuring that access to essential health services is improved, especially in the rural areas of the country,” Mr Nkunika says.

He says contributions like the health facility will surely go a long way in achieving the Millennium Development Goal number 5 which seeks to improve maternal health.

Mr Nkunika says government will continue to provide a favorable environment to operate in for all well-meaning organisations not only in Mungwi but the entire country.

“I make an earnest appeal to all civil societies, business houses, churches and any well-meaning organisations and individuals to emulate World Vision in promoting health infrastructure development in the country.” he says.

He says government will see to it that World Vision’s donated structure is used for its intended purpose so that even the future generation can benefit from it.

“For the community and our traditional leaders, please lets safe guard this structure and also support and cooperate with whoever will be sent to work here,” he adds

And Chitimukulu’s representative Davis Chansa says the paramount will forever be grateful for the clinic that has been donated by World Vision and that he will ensure the property is safe guarded for a life time.

He says the village will never be the same for the lives of the community have been simplified.