By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, December 16, Mana: Dwangwa Round Table 69 has cheered learners with special needs at Nkhotakota LEA School Resource Centre with a pre-Christmas luncheon and donation.

The event took place at the campus where the organization also donated food and non-food stuff, which includes rice, cooking oil, a bale of sugar, and soap worth over K810, 000.

Speaking after the activity, Chairperson for Dwangwa Round Table 69, Dyson Mpeketula said they decided to celebrate with the special needs learners to promote the spirit of oneness and inclusivity.

Mpeketula added that, as an organization that supports the school in various aspects, they also decided to make the donation to enable learners celebrate Christmas and New Year as the communities around the facility will be celebrating the same with different food and other activities.

"These activities are meant to strengthen the relationship between these special needs students and the entire community by promoting the spirit of togetherness. We do not want them to feel segregated from other learners but they must feel the love from those around them," Mpeketula said.

In his remarks, Nkhotakota District Principal Education Officer, Willard Magunda commended the gesture saying it will go a long way in changing the mind-set of the people who discriminate and violate their rights due to the forms of disability.

Magunda further appealed other organizations to join forces in assisting the special needs students with different kinds of donations.

"The facility, the only one in Nkhotakota, accommodates a total of 25 special needs learners but lacks many infrastructure needs including hostels, and security fence as you are aware that we keep children with albinism whose security is of paramount importance," Magunda said.

Meanwhile, Nkhotakota LEA School Deputy Head Teacher, Bosco Bright Manyoni, while commending the donation, urged stakeholders to bail the facility out of its food shortage problem.

"The number of special needs learners keeps on increasing but resources are becoming scarce. We are appealing for more aid to assist our learners," Manyoni stressed.

During the ceremony, Dwangwa Round Table 69 disclosed that it will soon; bring the contractor to the site for the commencement of a perimeter fence construction project.