First Lady Mutinta Hichilema has continued to touch lives as she brought to life the usually quiet grounds of Monze Mission Hospital which were yesterday filled with songs and ululations when she arrived with a convoy of donations, impacting lives, both inside and beyond hospital walls.
The First Lady handed over a wide range of supplies aimed at easing the burden on patients and healthcare staff.
These included 100 bags of 25kg mealie meal, 100 bags of 10kg mealie meal, 100 bags of rice, 80 bales of sugar, 1,200 bottles of cooking oil, 20 wheelchairs, 100 mattresses and 200 blankets.
Mutinta also presented 120 sewing machines that will be distributed to women and youth cooperatives across Southern Province.
She said the initiative was part of her ongoing commitment to foster economic independence in communities, particularly among women.
Inside the hospital’s postnatal ward, the atmosphere softened as the country’s first wife and mother spent time with new mothers, gently handing out baby hampers filled with essentials for the infants.
The visit was marked by warm smiles and gratitude from families whose struggles often go unseen.
“We build a society rooted in compassion, dignity and hope when we lift others up,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
“We visited Monze Mission Hospital to donate essential supplies that support healing in a nurturing environment.”
She commended Zambia’s healthcare workers as heroes whose daily sacrifices often come with little recognition, noting that their resilience is central to the nation’s health system.
The First Lady further extended appreciation to the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), Zambia Sugar Plc, Blue Copper and the Chinese Association of Zambia for partnering in the initiative.
The First Lady expressed gratitude to the people of Monze for the warm welcome accorded to her.
“Thank you Monze for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded us. Together, we continue building a Zambia where no one is left behind,” she said.
By Catherine Pule
Pictures: Chellah Tukuta Photography
Kalemba, August 22, 2025
