Speech by Mkushi Christian Community representative J Ngulub

De partner vertelt... van 19 april 2016

The District Commissioner, The Council Secretary, The Ministry of Health representatives, the Area Councillor and all protocol observed.
It is my privilege as Chairperson of the Mkushi Christian Community -Development Committee. We acknowledge the presence of our very own Minster of Health Dr Joseph Kasonde and his entourage. We thank you sir, for taking time from your busy schedule and coming to visit the people of Changilo in Mkushi district. We as the Church count ourselves privileged to be working with a Dutch NGO known as the World Servants from the Netherlands and the Government of the Republic of Zambia, specifically the Ministry of Health through the District Health Management team.  We have worked with different teams since 1999. Little did we know that this would be an on-going engagement with them ever since that time, its now 17 years. Time does fly!
To date they have seen several buildings raised up. There is a health post in Kakushi, Matuku area (Twatasha), a Health post and maternity /admission ward at Nkolonga. A Health post in Nambo, Miloso and Fipungu.  We not only provide a health post but also a staff house or two flats so that at least two staff can be accommodated. Till now this has worked well.

How does this whole arrangement work?
Partnership and team-work. One can not do such work alone. The community is key to the success of any such project. Unless the community get involved from start to finish very little can be achieved. You made the bricks, did the foundations and raised the corners and ensured that water was available for the bricklayers, sand was cart etc. Such a spirit should remain with you. You must realise that very few people from other countries will develop your area for you without your involvement. It is us Zambians who should be in the fore front to develop our country. We should come up with other similar projects and use your area councillors to bring them to the attention of the council and government and together we shall continue to develop our area.

This work is voluntary. People volunteer to work, and as I have already alluded to the importance of team-work. If we can come together and work together we can achieve a lot. This is what the Changilo Community demonstrated during the construction of these buildings. As a Church we say, thank you Changilo for standing together and working together. This is just the beginning, who knows what is ahead? We hope that there will be a full fledged hospital here one day.
I would like to urge the community to look after these buildings well. I am aware that we still have to do one or two things in the staff houses but we need to go ahead and use the facilities.

To the ministry I would like to first of all say thank you for providing personnel to serve the community here. Not many would agree to work in a rural community like this but thank you medical personnel for coming here. More staff are needed and I am convinced that the Honourable Minister is already aware of the need of staff here and in other Health posts in Mkushi district and other districts, and help will come our way.

To the people of Changilo I would like to thank you too for working hand in hand with MCC in preparation for the team that came to build with us.
As a church, we hope that we shall continue to bring development to the areas of Mkushi because we believe in bringing help to the people when we can. We would like to emulate our Saviour Jesus Christ who acted with compassion when he saw the sick and the needy.

We shall send pictures of this event to our partners so that they too can be encouraged.
Thank you and may God bless you all.

J Ngulube  Chair  World Servants Committee, Mkushi, Zambia. 19/4/16.