By Evance Chisiano
Mangochi, December 25, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on Christmas Day hosted children from Good Samaritan Children Home in Blantyre to a special luncheon at Chikoko Bay State Lodge in Mangochi where he called for the children to live their dreams.
He said every child has a potential to become a productive citizen.
“Don’t quit dreaming because you can create anything you dream of,” Chakwera said while encouraging the children in the country to work hard in school to achieve their dreams.
“If you can imagine it you can do it,” he added.
The President also commended Good Samaritan Children Home for providing care, education and protection to the children that include those with albinism.
In her remarks, Minister of Gender, Social Welfare and Community Development, Patricia Kaliati said Good Samaritan Home accommodates orphans and non-orphans to offer education, care and protection to children who are vulnerable to social ills such as abandonment, abduction and killings of children with albinism in recent years.
She, therefore, commended the present administration for accommodating interests of persons with albinism by offering them the opportunity for education and protection.
Vice-President of Association of People with Albinism (APAM), Emmie Chiumia Chakwawa, hailed the president for hosting the children.
“We don’t take it for granted for you hosting us here,” Chakwawa added while thanking the Good Samaritan Children Home for taking care of children with albinism whom she said were at first vulnerable to killings and abduction at their respective homes.
She, therefore, called government and other organisations to support Good Samaritan Children Home with resources to ensure that the children’s home continues offering education, care and protection to the children.
Chakwawa also called on government to provide sun screen lotion and other protective items to health facilities to promote the health and wellbeing of people with albinism and provide special teachers who can teach people with albinism with low or impaired vision.
Good Samaritan Children Home was established by an American in 2002 in Blantyre to offer accommodation and education for street children before it started to accommodate children with albinism for education and protection.
The children’s representative, Annie Alfred, thanked the president for hosting the children to a luncheon, saying this was an honour for the children of Malawi some of whom she said have poor back ground.
She also hailed the Good Samaritan Children Home for facilitating the tour to Chikoko Bay on Christmas Day.