FOUR Years ago, Charles Tembo aged 30 and his 25-year-old wife, Stella Ziwa of Kunda area in Chipata district welcomed a set of male twins from The University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
This was their second delivery after their first born child who is now aged 6.
But as happy as they were, the birth of their twins came with its own challenges as the boys, James and Joshua were born attached together as Siamese twins and shared vital organs.
Several attempts by doctors proved futile because the twins share vital organs as well as the same limbs, leaving the family with no other option than raising the boys just as they are.
However, this has come with so many difficulties and challenges as they require several necessities from food, medicals and clothing, a thing that Tembo has not been able to fully provide due to the financial status he currently faces.
“My wife doesn’t move I’m the only one who is feeding the family but I’m not stable as the only thing I do is farming. But I do not even have seeds or fertiliser to plant this year.”
“Last year, the farming season was really bad and we had no food at home,” said Tembo.
He added that following the bad harvest of 2023, the family started to depend on other well wishers within the communities to eat.
“I can work and I’m able to. All I need is just fertiliser and seeds, I grow maize, millet and sunflower. And if it is possible, if I can be helped with even a bicycle, I can use it to start up a business of ordering tomatoes for sale,” he said.
“I don’t want to be begging for food, I want to work for my children. All I need is just help,” pleaded Tembo.
And his wife, Ziwa said she faces many challenges in taking care of the children including movement as she uses a wheelchair which is also currently in a dilapidated state.
“Njala bana banga, bankala na njala (my children stay hungry ) we don’t have anything to feed them because we entirely depend on farming to survive and last season was bad. They do not even have a place to sleep on as they sleep on used sacks,” she said.
Ziwa further told Kalemba that the twins, who are very active and are able to speak clearly, “are able to say when they are hungry and want more food. Each time one wants to answer the call of nature, the other one has to follow too as they depend on one another to survive.”
On their health, she said one who is much slender has complications with his health and was advised to be on a certain diet which the parents cannot afford.
Despite that, the twins get free medical check up from a UTH doctor who comes to check up on them at Chipata General Hospital every two months.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba November 19, 2024
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