Minister of Youth ans Sport, Emmanuel Mulenga
MUKWIMA CHILALA writes
GOVERNMENT is in the process of turning Fountain of Hope Orphanage into a grant aided institution with effective next year.
Speaking when he visited the orphanage last Friday, Minister of Youth and Sport Emmanuel Mulenga said his ministry had already engaged the Ministry of Finance and commenced the process to turn the facility into a grant aided institution.
Mr Mulenga said Government will partner with the orphanage and will not allow the over 200 children being sheltered at the facility to return to the streets following the death of its founder Rodgers Mwewa
He said the death of Mr Mwewa has left a big gap in tackling the problem of street kids and in the administration of the orphanage and the lives of over 200 children sheltered at the facility.
“His death has left a big gap, he showed me how to tackle street kids. Fountain of Hope should not die with the death of Mr Mwewa. He was solving a social need, and that of trying to end streetism,” Mr Mulengasaid.
The minister assured management at the orphanage that Government will take over expenses, to ensure that the children are fed three meals a day, as a mechanism is being worked on to find sustainable means of meeting provisions up to the end of the year.
He further said that Government will in due course provide warm clothing and footwear and additional face masks to the children at the facility.
Mr Mulenga encouraged management at the orphanage to continue loving and caring for the children and ensure that the environment was conducive for children.
And Co-Manager of Fountain of Hope Newton Chisenga applauded government for coming to the aid of the orphanage.
Mr Chisenga said the orphanage was facing challenging times following the death of its founder as the burden of feeding and sheltering 216 children had become great.
“We have 216 children sheltered here, and our biggest challenge is feeding them, all 3 meals” said Mr Chisenga
During his visit to the orphanage, the minister donated food items worth K30,00 and also secured some buns and bread from a nearby bakery in Kamwala area that would see breakfast provided for the children for a period of one month.
