A CHIEF in Choma district in Southern Province has called for an immediate halt on all activities that promote HIV and AIDS and the introduction of traditional schools as a tool for fighting gender-based violence (GBV).
Chief Singani says negative vices such as (GBV) has for a long time contributed to the increase of HIV and AIDS in the country as it promotes disintegration of families.
The traditional leader, who led a group of headmen and women from Singani HIV and AIDS Prevention Project, said this in Chikuni area when the group visited Mukanzubo Culture Women’s Association.
He said there is urgent need to find a lasting solution to issues related to GBV if women and children are to be protected.
Chief Singani attributed the rampant increase in GBV in his chiefdom to lack of traditional schools for youths commonly known as gobelo.
The chief said traditional learning centres known as gobelo helped to build people’s positive mental attitudes towards life, unlike the modern schools which dwell much on theory.
Chief Singani said modern schools have not targeted the character aspect of an individual, hence the rampant increase in GBV as well as HIV and AIDS cases.
“People of olden days never used to put on clothes, and most of their parts were exposed but there wasn’t this kind of behaviour by men of nowadays because of lack of strong teaching from gobelo,” he said.
He called on all Tongas to support the reintroduction of traditional schools in order to fight GBV and AIDS.
Chief Singani said the embracing of Western culture has hampered efforts to promote traditional schools as they are shunned.
And speaking at the same function Mukanzubo Women’s Association director Yvonne Ndaba said her group is determined to take up the challenge in Southern Province.
Ms Ndaba revealed that her organisation is also targeting teachers training colleges in the province for students to pass the information on to the children they will be teaching after graduating.
“We believe respect and discipline hold everything. That is the reason we have embarked on this programme so that we restore the rich Tonga culture,” he said.
Meanwhile, Choma Children Development Project co-ordinator Conwell Haademu assured Chief Singani of his organisation’s support in the fight against HIV and AIDS in his chiefdom.
Mr Haademu said his organisation has embarked on the fight against HIV and AIDS in Singani chiefdom through the support of Brethren in Christ Church.
ZANIS.
true..let youngmen and women be taught the ideals of marriage..but these matebetos by the bemba kolwestans promote GBV ..ask GBM!!
Thanks for the comment Mwine. I think we would rather be associated with matebetos than you you Mankundya eating animals from southern province. Tell your women to clean up the cheese!!!!!!!! Its meant to come from cattle milk. Damn Hamwabas.
To a point of Concern. The people back home should rid of this donchi what ever and get a proffesional in the house please. The country will be erased because it already finnished.
bembas gat nothing to do with this bra…
umutonto ubukulu. she must be tonga since tongas are known to have big imitonto
Get serious. These learning sessions could be conducted by every tribe in every area of our country. It’s very obvious that we need traditional values. The parents are mostly too lazy to teach them or even to check on where their children are. Grand parents too busy looking after extended families. There could be weekly sessions that would not interfere with the normal school lessons. GOOD FOR YOU CHIEF SINGANI>
Stupidity, your friends in their blogs talking about real issues and you talking bout tonga that , bemba that. Such a nation of people with mental poverty.
you sound like you have also big mutonto. try to clamp it with a peg to reduce its size. UMUTOTO….does that mean something to you? ok just dance chingande….iwe fimofimo.
Some people think insulting Bembas even where they is no issue to insult them will usher HH into state house. Let us wait and see.
eish..these kolwestans are so dull ..all they think of HH…hahahahahah
stupidity dull Tongas with your ka ***** HH will never rule zambia,you haters go to helll….o
Zambian women need to recognize that it is not okay to be beaten by a husband/boyfriend or whatever. Women themselves hold the power to end violence against them. Even educated women stay in abusive relationships
AIDS is a modern disease to be fought with modern methods. 21st Century Zambian kids aren’t going to to no traditional school!